DAD'S HEALTH

I have come to realize that my sudden announcement of Dad's diagnosis with the accompanying doom and gloom prognosis from the doctors has probably caused much confusion for many folks, especially when they hear that his blood work is actually improving. Red cells, white cells, platelets, hemoglobin, and hematocrit are all above critical levels for the first time since July 1, when he was diagnosed! We've come out of the initial shock and denial, and are beginning to live beyond minute to minute. Dad's sense of humor, warped as it is sometimes, is coming back, and even Mom is beginning to come to grips with this awful reality.

I can't convince anyone that he's actually doing pretty well. Yep, he gets tired, but he's a "cruster", my favorite descriptor for my parents and anyone much older than me. He's 85 years old. Is he tired because he's 85 or because of the leukemia? Who cares and does it really matter? His hearing actually seems to be somewhat better - or is he listening more? Sometimes we communicate better than others, with the accompanying problems that result when we don't and the giggles when we do! Life as we know it will never be the same, but then again, I've moved into my parents' home, totally disrupting their placid little life and routine with my animals and "stuff", and before we can get any real routine established with the three of us, I'm off to Columbus to try and pack my house to rent and work the weekend! And then I'm home again for a few days, with doctor appointments, laundry, shopping, and running the house, and all the other things to get done before racing off to Columbus for a "repeat performance". Not complaining here - honest! Just a description of why it's so hard on mom and dad sometimes for any real routine to get established with the three of us! And this doesn't even take into account the change in roles from them taking care of me to me taking care of them. Life used to be sooooo simple!

So, anyway, I've decided that I'll try to post pictures of Dad on a regular basis to help people "see for themselves" how he's really doing. Maybe that will help folks know that he really is up and driving to and from dental and eye appointments when I'm not here, out to dinner a couple of times a week, and generally pretty much enjoying and living life!

Deb