Dad Update XVI

So...we made it through the snow and rain, and general ICKINESS of today, and are now safely tucked in at mom and dad's as the roads freeze, and the snowfall amounts increase, and the news stations recommending that no one travel...THANK YOU SOUTH ST. PAUL for letting me take an "emergency" personal day to get out before it got bad.

Dad continues to improve!  We saw him today, and he was coherent (mostly!), and could carry on a conversation, and looked really good!  He's still a little raspy from the tracheotomy (which has been removed, and is healing), and he still can't walk very far without getting tired, and has MRSA (an antibiotic resistant infection that he'll have a strain of, in his system, for the rest of his life, but of which the hospital staff doesn't seem too concerned), but, the MAIN POINT is that he's better, and he continues to improve, and the hospital staff  seems to think that he'll be able to come home mid-week next week.

He's lost about 40 pounds, but it's mostly muscle, so he looks thin, and a little older, and kind of frail.  He's dealing with "tremors", especially when he sleeps, and is having hallucinations (due to medication to stop the tremors), but, went back to Des Moines on Monday, via ambulance, to see a neurologist, who expects the tremors to decrease over the next year (the hallucinations are already mostly gone...).  The prognosis is that he should not have the tremors at all within 1 to 2 years. 

The neurologist was actually surprised to see dad again.  He didn't think he'd survive the earlier stuff, so your prayers and good wishes have helped TREMENDOUSLY.  Thank you!!!!

We will spend the next couple of days going between mom and dad's house and the hospital (the new one, into which they just moved this past Sunday!), but it's only 15 miles away, instead of 90, so will be a MUCH better commute!!!

Happy holidays!  Merry Christmas!  Happy Hanukkah!  Joyous Kwanzaa!  Whatever celebration you are participating in, enjoy!  Blessing to you all!!!