Oh what a night, late December back in '63...

So let me tell you about my night last night.

I was supposed to go sit with dad for an hour while mom went to a church meeting. I went over early cause I know mom was gonna make something for supper and aint nothing better than Mama Polt’s home cooking. And she grilled up some burgers and hot dogs on the new grill, which she and I consumed. Dad, well, he wasn’t hungry. In fact, he was complaining of stomach pain, had been since the night before.

Mom kept asking him if he wanted to go to the hospital, which he didn’t. Finally, he said about going to the doctor. I wanted him to go to the hospital, cause they have xrays and stuff there, stuff they don’t have at the doctors. But that’s what he wanted, so that’s what we did.

We had to get him off the bed, into the walker to get to the wheelchair, then to the car, then back up to stand at the walker to get him in the car. Kinda of a struggle, and there’s no way she could have done it alone, so I’m glad I was there.

Then we got to the doctors office, and when through the moving procedure again to get him inside. We were in the doctors office two hours total. There, she did some testing of his abdomen, which was very tender. She said she didn’t really know what was wrong with him, but she said it could be anything from a bleed out, to bad indigestion. Or even related to his other cancers. She said he could go the hospital now, or try to tough it out at home, whatever his expectations were. He wanted to go home.

So we got him back home (again with the involved moving procedure). And each time we moved him it got more difficult because he got more tired each time and was less able to help himself. So anyway, as I said, we got him home and into bed. And then I left and went to my house.

I was there no more than half an hour before mom called me again. He said the pain was too great and wanted to go to the hospital. So I got dressed again and went back over, helped get him into the car. I asked if they wanted me to go to the hospital, because there were people there that could help move him and he’d probably be admitted, so there wasn’t much I could do once we got there. They said it was okay, they didn’t need me to go, and I told mom to call with any info.

So, about 11:15, mom calls. They say he has an elevated white blood cell count and they’ll be admitting him. I told her thanks and went back to bed.

Three o’clock in the morning, I get awoken with another call. Mom says she needs me to come over and help get him in the house. I throw on a t-shirt, shorts, a cap on my head (I’m not gonna bother with my hair) and shove a piece of gum in my mouth (not gonna bother brushing my teeth either), and go over. They’ve given him a shot of morphine, so his legs are rubber, can’t even stand. We basically pick him up and put him in the wheelchair and then roll him in the house.

Mom gets him into bed and stuff. I take the dog out to make sure she does her business. And while I’m out there…half a tooth just breaks off. I had broken a quarter of it off on a Skor candy bar in Toronto last year, and since there was no pain, I just left it alone. Well, the back half of it popped off as well. So I’ve got a quarter of a tooth hanging there. Surprisingly, there’s no pain at all. I can eat and drink without a problem. So I guess there’s no rush to do anything to it right now.

The doctors told mom that he has pancreitis. The cancer in his liver has spread through more of it. And there’s cancer in the soft tissues around his intestines, that’s the abdominal pain. SO basically, the cancer is all through him. If there was any chance of him maybe getting stronger or improving, that’s pretty much gone by the wayside.

I just want him to go quickly and not suffer. Not only for him, but so it’s less of an ordeal for mom as well. Who knows what’s gonna happen, but apparently, we’re near the end now.

Oh, and once I got back home, about 4:00, I tossed and turned and didn't sleep for quite some time. I finally fell asleep sometime after 6:00am, and somehow got up when the alarm went off at 7:00. And somehow else made it work on time.

So….how was your evening?????

POLT

Listening to the silence of my office, with the door closed and no one talking.