While I'm still remaining hopeful that he will overcome this obstacle my dad has gotten worse over this past week. He can't eat much of anything and mostly just drinks water. I gave him some over the counter nausea medication and it seemed to help. Yet he still isn't able to keep anything of substance down. He also seems disoriented at times and slower to react. Lastly he's a fraction of his former self. A normal day in my dad's life used to consist of watching the TNT daytime show block and either gaming or improving the house. Now he just sits in a chair and seems distant at times.
Where is the silver lining you ask? Well, it's right here.
After a rough night of coming to terms with this situation I was stirred from my sleep by a noise in the kitchen upstairs. I figured it was my mother getting ready for the day but when I came upstairs to step outside for a cigarette I saw my dad making himself a bowl of cereal with milk. He was coherent and he even made me laugh. This was after a couple of days of uncertainty. It was then that I realized this is how things would be from now on.
There will be times when I have my dad in his entirety and it will be like nothing has changed but there will also be times wedged inbetween where he will be at the mercy of his illness. I know I will do everything I can for him in those times.
I imagine a strict regimen of marijuana, video games, digital entertainment, and stoner snack attack meals will help him and I'm fully willing to stay living right where I am in the pursuit of that outcome.
The ironic part of this is that I'm concerned about my own well being as an afterthought.
I'm sorry to bring you all down but we will try to leave on an up note.
My dad and I still have more time together and I guarantee to make the most of it.
I hope one day we will walk in on the doctor that diagnosed him only to laugh in his face.