Grandpa Lee

Last week I took my father in for eye surgery. He is 87 and has Parkinson's. The Parkinson's has disabled him to the point that he walks very slowly with a walker and I'm always afraid that he is going to fall (because he has a history of it). It takes him an hour or longer to eat a meal and also has taken a toll on how quickly he can respond to a question. At the Eye Surgery Center was a sweet young nurse there that seemed to adore Dad. She would ask questions and then give him plenty of time to answer. She teased him and he would smile and give a pretty good tease back. While she was waiting for him to respond, she would say, "I can tell you're really thinking about a good comeback". Dad would grin and after a minute or two he would say something funny. After awhile, they gave him a medication to relax him and make him feel really good just before they took him in for the surgery. He said to me, "Jenny, tell Eric (Maria's husband) that I need to talk to him." "About the house?", I asked. (Eric and Ed are trying to subdivide their property and sell it. ) "What do you want to know", I asked. Dad answered, "Well, Betty and I want to move back home." That shocked me for a quick moment, then I remembered the medication he was on. I told him that he still can't walk without lots of help, neither of them can drive, and they'd be stuck there with no help. "Betty helps me and I help her", he replied. Mom was starting to get a little upset with him and telling him, "We can't do that". Then I looked at him and said, "Dad, I think that medication is really making you feel good, isn't it". He chuckled for a moment and then said, "Yes, it sure is." He never mentioned moving back home again. My mother always stays close by him when he goes to the hospital for anything. I think she is so worried about losing him. She has Alzheimer's and he has been her memory for quite some time. But, the Parkinson's is taking a toll on his memory too.

A few hours after we got my dad home, he needed more pain medication. Rose gave it to him as prescribed. She tried giving him his second dose just before bedtime. He seemed a little sleepy, but it was late. She finally got it in his mouth. But, soon after that she called me and said that Dad was becoming unresponsive and she didn't think he had swallowed his pill. I told her to get the pill out of his mouth, call 24 hour nurse and 911. She couldn't get it out. But, mom immediately took over and she was yelling, "Arthur, Arthur, open your mouth. Give me that pill!" I could hear her quite well on my end of the phone. After what seemed like an eternity to me, Rose told me mom had pryed his mouth open and pulled out the pill. When the ambulance arrived they, of course, took him immediately to St. Petersburg Hospital in Olympia where they gave him Narcan to reverse the effects. They didn't get home until 4:30 AM and Rose teaches early morning Seminary. So her husband, John, took the class. I went to Olympia the next morning so Rose could study for and take some exams. She is also taking 3 classes at the community college there. She amazes me! And she is reluctant to ask for much help, so I almost have to almost force my help on her.

For the most part, my parents are very agreeable and appreciative in their aging years. My sister Rose, handles them great. She can be firm and yet jokes around with them a lot. I'm very appreciative of all she does for them.