Well I went to visit my dad in the ICU today.  He was tired and weak but otherwise okay.  He was very lucid and knew exactly where he was and what was going on.

I thought he was asleep when I walked in so I crept around to check out the bandage on the back of his head.  He spotted me.  “Hello daughter.”  Typical greeting.  I came back around and took his hand.  He squeezed it.  I told him that the ice was dangerous, and he should be careful.  He smirked and laughed.  He asked Michael about his job interview.  Lots of specific questions about the position and the company. I told him that was a hell of a way to change his hairstyle.  More laughs.

We asked him if he remembered his fall.  He said mostly.  He’d fallen and then come in to finish cooking dinner and clean himself up since the fall gave him a bloody nose.  He began acting strangely and my mom told him that they needed to take him to a doctor.  He agreed, also out of character.  She asked the neighbor to help her get him to the car, but they were unable to do it.  The neighbor said that they needed to call an ambulance.  Shortly after arriving at the hospital, the right side of Dad’s face was drooping and one eye wasn’t tracking with the other.  Initially they just relieved the pressure from the bleeding.  Once the neurologist got a look at him, he said he needed to get him into surgery.

He was in surgery from 1am to 4 am.  He had actually broken loose a triangular section of bone that was digging into the meninges.  This was the cause of all the internal bleed that was causing intra-cranial pressure.  They were able to get the piece back in place and stitched him up.  When I saw him today, his face was a bit swollen and his right eye looks like he’s been in a bar fight.  But his expressions are symmetrical an his eyes track together.  The bandage was clean.  There was some blood on his sheets and pillow which I learned were from another bloody nose.  He’s feeling weak and sore.  He doesn’t have any appetite to speak of.  All of that will come back.  He was very dizzy and experiencing some nausea so they have him on an all liquid diet.  Not sure I’d have much of an appetite for a hospital liquid diet.

The nurse said that he was doing exceptionally well.  He checked his eyes, made him squeeze his hands, and wiggle his toes.  That all checked out just fine.  With as well as he seemed to be doing, I wouldn’t be surprised if they sent him to a regular hospital room as opposed to the ICU in the next couple of days.

We are all feeling a lot less frightened.  We are very grateful for the doctors.  Had it not been for their quick and comprehensive care, we could have lost him.  I just glad we didn’t have to wait for some bureaucrat to decide whether or not to provide treatment.  He is at a local Catholic hospital.  There are regular prayers broadcast over the intercom.  Thank you everyone for your continued prayers and thoughts in our direction.  We aren’t out of the woods, but we are seeing the edge.