We got a call from my mum's maid last night round 7+pm. Mum wants all children to come home now.
When we got there, mum & the maid were combing dad's hair and changing him into long-sleeved shirts whilst he was sitting upright on his wheel-chair. A good sign that he's ok, I hope.
The mood was sombre.
Dad didn't look so good. He's in pain and his left foot is swollen. Mum said it was normal to be swollen for 3 days when his pain in his knee comes; afterwhich, the swell would go. However last night was the 3rd day and it was still swollen.
Brothers and sister all arrived. We hear what the maid said. Dad grabbed the arms of the wheel chaired tightly whilst she was giving him his painkiller, then his eyes rolled up. Then my mum had dizzy spell and felt faint, so she quickly found a seat to sit down. After mum recovered, she gave dad menthol to smell and rubbed his hands as they were icy cold. Maid said his breathing was shallow. That's when mum told her to call me.
We all felt dad should be admitted to hospital as the swollen foot is not a good sign. But dad was angry. He didn't want to go. He was treated very badly the last time he was there for about 16 days or so. He made mum promise not to send him to hospital again. He told her he wanted to die at home. We are in a dilema. Knowing that he is 95, with feeble body, inaudible speech, hard of hearing and almost visually impaired, should we send him to hospital or not? I felt 90% that he should. But when he sat up later in bed and was fed his nestum supper, he became his normal self again....alert and happy. He smiled as he recognised Felicia. My sis and I felt since he just had a traumatic episode and had taken some time to recover (it was about 11pm), we didn't want to sent him to hospital that night. It may take too much toll on his heart and mind.
We are going for a short trip this weekend, and I am quite worried about my dad. I wanted so much that we said a decade of the rosary around my dad last night, so managed to gather everyone to do so. As we prayed for him, I felt it seemed so morbid like as if we were praying for the dead when he is still alive, so I held his left hand (as I was at his left hand side of the bed). As we prayed, he at first closed his eyes shut tight. Then he opened them (which was seldom last night) and looked directly into my eyes. He lifted his other hand to me and I held both of them tight. I didn't mean to get emotional, but I started to tear a little. I was happy he could look at me that I also smiled with some joy. At the end of the decade, everyone was so sombre. No one knew what to do next. So I kissed dad good night and told him to sleep well as we all had to go to work tomorrow.
I'm so glad we brought the 2 girls along and that fortunately, they are available. Tiffy has not seen the grandparents for 2 weekends and Feli, last weekend. Just last weekend, dad's eyes were so alert as he looked at me. He has light-brown eyes with grey all around it. So pretty, as my niece, Veron, remarked last night. Yes, I have always felt he had the loveliest and most unique eyes, even as a young kid.
Please pray for my dad & mum.
Love
Theresa
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