Tuesday Afternoon

< Dad got discharged. >
New Orleans was chilly Sunday night. The front that soaked the city had passed when I landed, although the wind had not. 30 mph winds and a wet runway made landing like Thunder Mountain at Magic Kingdom. It was all good, though. I was here and on the way to see Dad.

He had eaten. I brought him a late-night latte, and we watched the 2nd half of the Orlando Magic game together. They took the Celtics in 7 games. Lebron here we come!!! Should be a good series for those of you who follow basketball.

Monday morning, Uncle Danny dropped Dad’s coffee off and made sure he had eaten breakfast and gotten dressed for therapy. So, I headed over to see Mom. On the way, my phone rang off the hook. Insurance people and case workers and Erik were calling to discuss logistics regarding Dad’s discharge from the in-patient rehab facility. He was discharged Monday afternoon.

Monday morning, beforehand, we were talking through what was next. Will we have Home Health Rehab come to Dad’s guest room on the Seminary campus and work him out? Will we transport Dad to Out-Patient Rehab across town?

Well, we decided to do nothing. You might find that funny, but Dad’s doctor said he thought neither was a good option right now while we were waiting for Mom to transfer. Home Health Rehab would be limited because of where Dad was staying. Out-Patient Rehab would be limited until Dad could put weight on his left leg. So, he asked me to work Dad out some and for Dad to do some exercises himself.

His next Orthopedic appointment is this Thursday at 9. His doctor may clear him on his left leg, and he may not. We will see, and that will determine when Dad moves forward with Out-Patient Rehab. He wants to stay aggressive on it, and Erik and I want him to. He is doing so well.

We got the discharge orders around 4:30. I had driven Dad’s truck over from the Seminary so that we could fit all his new toys – a platform walker, a potty chair, a shower chair, his wheelchair, his new Justice League attire. All things that every man wants and should save for, especially if you ever have a long stay in the hospital and can’t get up to go pee. Pretty cool.

Dad moved to the Seminary motel. It’s called the Providence Guest House. Thanks to Bob and Linda and their staff for setting up the room. It is completely wheelchair accessible and handicap equipped. We unloaded Dad’s stuff and headed out to get a bite to eat and pick up some prescriptions.

Dad had mentioned the corn grits from Zea’s out in Metairie. We had to go to Target to add to his wardrobe anyway, so we went there. Wow! The corn grits were great. It was great to take Dad out to eat for the first time in 44 days.

44 Days. Has it really been 44 days? Some days it seems like it couldn’t be that long. Some days it seems like it has been longer. Someone commented on Facebook that the accident was on 4/4, and 44 days later, Dad was out.

Shopping with Dad is always fun. He loves it! Not really. He is more of a get-in-get-out kind of guy. We were looking for a few specific things, so that helped. Jogging pants. I found him some that were on clearance and kind of looked like slacks. His pain pills. Target pharmacy had those but not his other meds. We had to go to Walgreen’s for that one. A cheap laundry basket. Just to help me collect and carry his clothes to wash them. And a Ghostbuster’s T-Shirt. Well, didn’t need that one. But I thought Dad would look good in it.

I got the weary traveller back to his room and tucked in bed just before 10. Then, I headed to hit the hay, too.

On Monday, I only got to see Mom one time about midday. Dad preparing to be discharged and then being discharged kept me busy. Mom was doing well, though. Still had her cast on. If they don’t take it off today (Tuesday), I think I may carve at it with my car key until it falls off. Her bedsores are getting better. Even the one on her bottom. She half-smiled at me a lot, but seemed really tired.

I love seeing her. She is one of those women, like my wife, who is not capable of being anything but beautiful. Regardless of the state of her hair and what she has on and whether she looks made up, the beauty she exudes from her eyes that flows from her heart and is expressed in her smile never fades. Even after 67 years. She is amazing. I would like to think I got her skin and look, but I think I was plagued…oh, I mean blessed to have my Dad’s look. At least his bald head. That’s one way Mom and I look alike right now.

I am writing this on Tuesday morning from Cafe New Orleans in the student center on the New Orleans Seminary campus. Dad is meeting with three colleagues about teaching and student stuff. Yeah – one day discharged, and he’s back at it. I will be limiting him to one and a half meetings per day, but only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. SO, have your people call my people.

Seriously, bringing him over here this morning, I didn’t know what to expect or who we would see. WOW, was Dad overwhelmed in a good way. Thanks to the over 100 people who heard word Dad was in the Cafe and took the time to come over. And thanks to the awesome folks there at the Cafe who brewed him some “Midnight Train” as soon as we rolled in. That’s Dad’s special blend here. Pretty neat. I hate it. It’s about as thick as twice reused motor oil. I think they use it to coat the bottom of the Space Shuttle, so that the tiles stay put for reentry. Anyway, it was amazing to watch Dad’s face when each person welcomed him back with exuberance and a gentle hug.

He just got pushed back here from his meeting. We are going to grab a quick bite and head over to see Mom. Then, this afternoon, we will get Dad walking a bit for exercise.

I am thankful for this time. It is hard. But it is rich. Togetherness really makes life beautiful, no matter how ugly the circumstance.

Please pray for Mom’s infection to heal. Please pray for her mind to keep healing everyday. It is going to be a long road before we can even determine where Mom will end up mentally and emotionally. Please pray for her bedsores. Please pray for the people who care for her there at the hospital to have wisdom and attentiveness.

Please pray for Dad. I think he is excited about having more freedom. I am proud of him for how hard he is working to get better. Please pray for his heart. You can pray for its physical health, but I mean Dad’s heart and outlook and feelings and perspective. Pray for him to have peace and comfort as he thinks of the accident, of Mom, of the guy who hit them, of the future, of the bills, and of the difficult road to recovery. He is doing better and better physically. He is beginning to more deeply process everything mentally and emotionally. Thanks for your prayers for him in that way.

I will post at you later. I reassured Dad yesterday that we are definitely walking through this alone. You all have been amazing. You are amazing, how you are being the church together to us.

Well, gonna head to get a bite and to see Mom. Love y’all.
-jason