A Hospital...once again.
09-05-06, 10:31 PM

A few entries back, I alluded to sharing a roller coaster ride of life with the �girl�, little did we realize that we�re screaming down the tracks cresting hills and banking wildly into turns. I finally told my boss that I�ve accepted a job which he took in stride but what caught him off guard was my revelation about the �girl� I�ve been dating over a year. Why was this such a shock? Because I never told him I was dating her and occasionally would use disparaging remarks such as �She�s such a bitch!�

�Yea, she�s a bitch.� I would jokingly repeat to see what else he would say.

So this went on for a year. Prior to telling him about the girl, he promised to give me a good recommendation, then I dropped the bomb. About fifteen minutes later, he called me to his office to apologize about any names he may have used throughout the year.

�No problem. You did use �bitch� a few times, though. I just thought who I dated should remain private and was no one�s business which is why I didn�t tell you.� As you know, the �girl� works for a prominent Councilman and I didn�t want air of impropriety.

When I told another co-worker who I was dating, her knees literally gave way to the floor because all along I lead on that I was dating a nineteen year old stripper. I would refer to her small �Hello Kitty� t-shirts and the problems she had entering bars. These white lies threw her off my track and were fun as anything off the top of my head added to the mystery.

A laundry list of logistics ensued and tasks followed in preparation for the move. My plan is to drive the dogs and me to Arizona and find rental house when I arrive. The furniture will follow after we both sell our homes. What I didn�t anticipate was my father going to the emergency room with pneumonia and on the verge of death.

On Friday, I left the office early to find him in the emergency room looking very much like my grandmother before she passed � mouth open and bottom jaw skewed to the left with his eyes closed and attached to a variety of machines. Due to chemo therapy, his white blood cell dropped to under 2 and his fever shot up to 103. He could no longer use his hands as well. Recently, his quality of life involved only eating and watching television.

The drive to the hospital was most difficult as you prepare yourself for the death of a family member. I thought of the funeral, past times, things I�ll miss, etc. However, we have been preparing ourselves for this day. However, you just don�t think it will come and when it does, it is too soon, no matter the preparation.

During this time, I�m dealing with Realtors; completing project at work; trying to buy a car; the �girl�s� emotional state of not wanting to be left behind and a possible stress fractures; demands by the family; packing belongings; yard work; etc.

The good news is that he seems to be pulling through as his white blood cells increased over the three threshold and nears four along with the fever subsiding to 99 degrees. However, I can�t see him surviving past the next chemo treatment in December. If anything, Dad should be on one of the two recent radical experimental treatments. What kind of quality of life is it when you can�t feed yourself? Perhaps, they�ll release him by the end of the week?

Upbeat ending, after one month of car shopping, I finally purchased a car � a Honda Element. The appeal? The car can be hosed out or the use of leaf blower will clean the interior and rid it of dog hair! The car will be ideal for our three dogs and active lifestyle of running, biking, skiing, camping and sight seeing! Oh, to have a life again!

Now that I'm busy with life changes and drama, I should find more time to write. I'm missing quite a bit here. Lastly, it seems as though my whole time here in Kentucky has been spent visiting hospitals and nursing homes. It's sad when I can recognize the emergency room physicians and know my way around the hospital as good as any nurse or orderly.

Yesterday - Tomorrow