Tonight

Went to see Dad...he was lying in his bed with the top of the bed angled up a bit. He was on his back and holding his mouth open and apparently sleeping. Anna explained that his secretions are actually "pooling" in his throat, and the concern is that he will aspirate. The Atropine helps to dry up the secretions, and she mentioned that might be adding to him keeping his mouth so open. I sat next to him and spoke to him for awhile. It seemed to me that he was fairly responsive to my voice and what I was saying...his eyes never opened, but he moved his forehead or would sort of frown, and then sometimes start to cough like he was about to wake, though never did. It's not clear he was actually sleeping, or if he was just dozy or what. His skin looked pretty good, not too flush or pale, and he wasn't warm and felt normal (I meant to mention that when I saw him last Thursday, he felt warm to me.) As I have expressed to him before, I wanted to thank him for how much he did for me, taught me, and most of all, loved me. I reminded him of some of the significant things and people in his life, and what a great life he had lived. I also told Dad how much all of his children (naming them all to him), grandchildren and great-grandchildren loved him. Not trying to inject any sense of panic, or impending bad news with my thoughts here, but did want to share, recognizing there's nothing to be lost in getting those words out now and many times in the future. Hopefully he'll wake up in the morning and want to have breakfast. Though apparently of late he really is sleeping a majority of the day (sometimes 22 hours), only waking to eat and be changed. I'll continue to keep you posted. Love, Barb