Looking Forward to Looking Forward
"I'm glad you've come now," said the Sister today. "Come and look at him."
The Communist has not had a good week: on Monday last week he choked whilst eating and was taken off all food and drink for about a week. He was labelled Nil by Mouth, put on a drip and given nothing to eat. They tried, and failed, twice, to put a feeding tube up his nose and into his stomach.
Finally, they did a swallowing test, which he passed, and they started giving him food again yesterday.
And when we arrived today he was sitting bolt upright in a wheelchair, finishing a good lunch with much enjoyment.
They have taken him off many of the drugs he's been on, with the result that his head has cleared: his speech is perfectly clear again, and his hands aren't shaking.
Today he was as if coming out of a daze. He remembers some events of the past few months quite clearly and some bits not at all. And some things which he thinks are memories just aren't.
"It was difficult driving the car with my wooden leg before I came into hospital," he said.
"Dad, you never had a wooden leg. Really, you didn't."
"Yes, I did. It was very hard to work the accelerator. I didn't have a proper foot."
"Dad, you came into hospital with two legs, and now you've got one and a half. But you never had a wooden one. It was a drug-induced dream."
He took quite some convincing but eventually conceded that I might just be right.
"You're looking so much better," I said, trying not to cry.
"Oh yes," he said. "I'm looking forward to looking forward."
The Communist has not had a good week: on Monday last week he choked whilst eating and was taken off all food and drink for about a week. He was labelled Nil by Mouth, put on a drip and given nothing to eat. They tried, and failed, twice, to put a feeding tube up his nose and into his stomach.
Finally, they did a swallowing test, which he passed, and they started giving him food again yesterday.
And when we arrived today he was sitting bolt upright in a wheelchair, finishing a good lunch with much enjoyment.
They have taken him off many of the drugs he's been on, with the result that his head has cleared: his speech is perfectly clear again, and his hands aren't shaking.
Today he was as if coming out of a daze. He remembers some events of the past few months quite clearly and some bits not at all. And some things which he thinks are memories just aren't.
"It was difficult driving the car with my wooden leg before I came into hospital," he said.
"Dad, you never had a wooden leg. Really, you didn't."
"Yes, I did. It was very hard to work the accelerator. I didn't have a proper foot."
"Dad, you came into hospital with two legs, and now you've got one and a half. But you never had a wooden one. It was a drug-induced dream."
He took quite some convincing but eventually conceded that I might just be right.
"You're looking so much better," I said, trying not to cry.
"Oh yes," he said. "I'm looking forward to looking forward."
posted by Daphne at 4:27 pm
4 Comments:
That's such good news - he does look chirpy doesn't he?
He does look much perkier in that photo than in the past - big hugs to you all - you're holding up very well. x
He looks 'chirpy'??
Sorry, what a dreadful word - what was I thinking?
(Is 'chipper' any better?)
Chirpy, perky and chipper are all very appropriate for how he was - thanks to both of you!
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