Dad has been having mini-strokes daily. So his caregiver told me they would start pureeing his food. She's been getting him to take his medicine by crushing it up very fine and mixing it with about an eighth of a cup of pancake syrup. It takes a minute for him to realize he's not getting something yummy, but by then he's eaten it. I stayed up there a couple of hours today. He can still eat and swallow soft food (eggs and potatoes) but he's unconscious.
I asked the manager how she knew he was having a stroke. She said his body goes very rigid and his eyes roll back. I had not seen this happening this morning (it happened before I got there) but I did see him rubbing the backs of his hands around on his forehead as though he was feeling bad and could not tell us what was going on. His little male housemate, who was not allowed to move from his spot next to Dad and myself (he'd set off an alarm), reached out to hold Dad's hand. Dad's other little housemate, with periwinkle hair, also had her first mini-stroke today. She was scared, frazzled, and unable to communicate. So I kept the male housemate and Dad under watch so the caregivers could take care of her. Once Dad's gone, I want to continue going to see my Golden Girls and Guys for dominoes and movies.
We had a lot of company this weekend and it's great that everyone had a chance to say goodbye to David. Dad's brother has agreed to perform the funeral service and has already done a complete draft which sounds perfect.
Thanks everyone for coming to Dallas to see him. I know it's very very hard to see a loved one so ill. I believe the sound of our voices helps a great deal, whether he can show it or not.
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