A new prognosis

Dad, Mom, and I made it thru a very difficult night. His breathing was very labored, and he had a lot of chest congestion which made for a lot of very horrible noises. Needless to say, we got no sleep at all.

Anyway, the head of the hospice ward came to see us at 7am, a real nice guy whose specialty is pulmonary medicine. He is also a very candid individual, something we really appreciate. And, he gave us a new prognosis.

Death is not "imminent."

However, Dad is in a "persistent vegetative state." And, with all his other complicating medical factors, the doctor has given us a four to six week window.

Given that length of time, he cannot remain on their ward. Unfortunately, they have been unable to find a nearby nursing home that will accept him.

So, I asked him if he thought Dad would make the trip up to Orlando, and if there was a way that we could care for him in the family home.

Surprisingly, his answer to both questions was "yes." So, we're busy making those arrangements right now.