Father's Day!

Well Fathers Day was a doozy. All the kids came over for a nice BBQ lunch around 12:30-1:00. We had a nice visit, watched some home movies, and ate! After lunch everyone was pooped and most left to nap and visit other fathers. We had or 24 hour care aid there so dad was never alone. Usually with more than one person at all times. After about 4:30 dad got a visit from the Baker clan. It was about 45 minutes into this that Dad woke up gasping for breath and in fear because he could not breath. He asked mom to call an ambulance; this is an emergency. None of us knew what to do. Mom caledd Hospice and they said that if he asked to call 911 then do it! So we did. Robert jumped on the phone and directed the EMT and Paramedics with the situation. We threw all the furniture out the way, and less than 5 minutes we had at least 10 EMT/Paramedic people in the room. I guess they took dad's vitals, I am not sure I was helping to fill out paperwork amongst tears. Then they loaded dad up and off we went to Plant City Hospital. Mom got to ride with them in the ambulance, and when we all got there it was about 10-15 minutes before they called Anna and I back to his room.
When we got back therem Dad had just about fully woken up from his usual drowsy cloudiness and was prepared to talk to his family. He gave me a list of things to tell people, and then he wanted to see everyone one by one or 2 by 2. But he was definitely alert and cognitive.
It was a very difficult night because first I had to sign this long list of the Hospital DNR papers. Basically telling them not to treat with anything life prolonging or invasive, but then when the doctor spoke with him he got the impression that dad wanted more treatment with Xrays and Cat scans and the whole 9 yards. So after a long conversation about all the options with Trudy, me, the doc, and the nurse in the hallway we then had to discuss with dad what was going on. That his breathing was not really going to get much better either way, and that we thought the best thing was to get the breathing and anxiety under control and go back home. SO he agreed with us, and that was that. He thought that he was going to pass away last night. He told us anyhow.

So we went back home for the evening, which Hospice had already cancelled our 24 hour care for thr night, so Mom and I stayed over and mom slept in the living room (we were supposed to take shifts, but she never came to get me, and neither of us can really sleep much over there wherever we are) and so she watched him through sleeping till early this morning when she came to get me to go home for a few hours. I slept in the LR till later in the morning when she came back, I had to leave to get an MRI a few hours later. No worries, routine physical thing because of my headaches. Everything was fine...

Ryan and I then went to purchase Dad's New Resting Place. And it is so beautiful, I was very excited to see it. Here are some pics of Dad's Plot.