February 19, 2010

Sheri arrives after work for the 6PM visit today. We are trying to stay on a sort of schedule to make sure that someone is with Dad each day. As the weeks drag on, it is so important to keep his spirits up. She says that he is in good spirits. The nurses till Sheri that he is doing all of his own breathing and that the respirator continues to remain in the event that he has trouble breathing. The doctors want to keep it connected, “just in case”. They tell Sheri that he was up in a chair today, which is awesome news. Small steps, but huge accomplishments. Sheri told me that Dad seemed very sad, almost like he was going to start crying today. I can’t imagine what it feels like to be cooped up in a hospital for this long. Dad was always such an active person and this must be so difficult for him to handle. We wish he could talk to us and tell us what he is feeling. We know, however, in our hearts, that even if Dad could speak to us right now, he would not want to worry us. He would just shrug off the concern and worry and smile. We are concerned about Dad's emotional and mental state right now. It is so crucial that we keep him focused on getting well and remind him to stay strong and continue to fight.