Update from Tucson

Just thought I'd post a quick note. On Friday my father's doctor asked my mother about a DNR order, etc. Fortunately they took care of those years ago. Last night was the first time my mother has gone to his room to visit and just turned around and gone home. I guess she was stroking his forehead and he was screaming.

This morning she said that he has not had food or fluids for 48 hours. She is planning on having them bring a lounge-sleeper to the room so that she can just stay there. One of the things that, I think, has been hardest on her is that she has often gone home thinking, "This is it," only to go back and find him awake and lucid. I do think that one "good" thing about the pace of his demise is that she's now, I think, adjusted - as much as one can - to the very real possibility/likelihood that he won't be coming home. But, stranger things have happened.

All of this as a result of the accident and treatment for three fractured ribs. Anyway, that's the latest.

Update to the update: My mother called me at work earlier today to tell me that they think his hip - the one he had "fixed" last Monday - was dislocated. My sister just called to say that he's now on an IV and yes, it is dislocated and the surgeon will be coming to talk to my mother tomorrow. I guess in addition to the dislocation and the pain it causes there's now the possibility of it having stretched the ligaments beyond repair. The "good" news is that he was lucid enough to tell my mother that he had been complaining about the hip and "nobody believed him." This is getting beyond ridiculous. Stay tuned.