Tuesday - Update (7/31)

The past week has been great. Stopping by and seeing Dad frequently has been so wonderful, and Allie and I take the opportunity frequently. Over the past week Dad has been visited by many nurses all trying their best to get him back to good health. He has been eating a lot of great home-cooked meals and has been walking around without the use of his walker (great stuff!)

There has been a major set-back though. Because he is eating so much the fistula in his stomach is not closing; instead, it is leaking a lot of fluid. So, his wound is now cleaned daily while his stomach continues to leak. The doctor has ordered NO FOOD until the fistula heals, which could be two weeks or more. This now means he is back to only enough water to wet his lips, twice daily glucose drips and an entire dependency on his J-tube feeds which are administered nightly. 

It's difficult to see Dad taking all of this in stride--he certainly could use some distraction and relief! I'd like to say that he is ready to take phone calls and maybe even some visits (depending on how the next couple of days go--today is day 1 of no food). His cell phone is on and he is taking calls. His parents' line is also connected and he has a little station next to his bed where he'll spend 4-hours at a time while the bags drip. If you need his number please email me directly.

Adam