Waiting and visitors

Well, every time I ring the ICU it's the same thing: no change. So now it's just a waititng game.

Hopefully they will re-evaluate Dad for the thoracic epidural on Tuesday (or thereabouts). Heck, they might suddenly decide to try a breathing test. We can only hope. Until then we wait.

I'll be going back up tomorrow bright and early, so I'll have more info tomorrow evening.

----

Kimberly's memorial service was yesterday. I hope that there was a standing-room-only crowd. I suspect there was.

I'm sorry that I was unable to attend but I hope I'm doing my part to honour her by taking care of her stuff, her husband, and her animals to the best of my ability.

-----

The nurse yesterday told me that Dad was more alert - which makes me very happy and hopeful - and I warned her that there might be a few more visitors because of the memorial and folks being 'in town'.

Well, apparently, a visitor told her that: "Jerre wouldn't want people to see him like this", or something of the sort (that's how she phrased it to me) and it concerned her so much that she rang me. I was taken aback to put it politely. The implication from this person was that only people on the 'short list' (family, such as it is, and very close friends - about 5 couples) should be allowed in.

Number one: I have known Jerre Hill for 42 years. I'm not just his only child, I'm a daddy's girl. I was standing in a garage handing him tools before I could see over a fender. He's my best friend and confidant. I'm making every decision based on what I think he would want, not my own feelings or some passing whim. If anyone has any opinions on a decision they are welcomed to voice them (hey, I need all the advice I can get) TO ME. That would be, again, ME, not the hospital staff, not each other, not the pet-sitter, not the insurance people.

Number two: I disagree vehemently. As long as my father is composed and resting I see NO reason why he can't have visitors. I think it does him loads of good to hear familiar voices and see the faces of friends. Even if he won't remember a person in the morning, I still think that it is soothing for his brain to look at and hear people he knows and loves.

How would you like to be sedated and strapped to a bed, confused and unable to speak, and only see an endless succession of strange nurses and doctors and only hear the hum of machinery and unfamiliar voices? That sounds like a nightmare to me.

Number three: Dad is special to a LOT of people. Not just the short-listers. He has friends and collegues, ex-students and current students, fellow cyclists and racing enthusiasts who want to visit him. If It will not hurt him (indeed, in my opinion above, help him) then why should they be barred?

I am very grateful for the visitors. I just cannot be up there all the time. I can only go every other day and have a tiny window of time to be there. Everybody else on the short list works full-time and/or lives a long way away. They're coming as often as they can but also can't be there all the time. I'm glad other folks are filling in the gaps.