While we were having our reunion at Mirror Lake Rick and I got word that my dad was having his leg amputated. We knew that it was probably going to happen we were not expecting it to happen so fast. We had just found out the day before the reunion that the doctors were recommending it. We knew that my dad wanted to go home and talk to my mom about it. We were thinking that it would happen the following week.
Scott and Kathy recognized that it wold be a huge ordeal to gat my dad back in the hospital if he was taken home so my mom came to visit my dad at the hospital and the decision to have the leg amputated was made at that point. My dad was told by the doctors that if he did not have the amputaion he would most likely only live 1- 6 months so he chose to live.
We had just missed the text as we drove up to Mirror Lake on a Wednesday. On Thursday we decided to drive down the mountain to where we could get some cell service and see how he was doing. Unbeknownst to us my dad was just getting ready to have the surgery THAT DAY! He was not doing well and could not remember having consented and it was a huge mess and he did not fully understand what was happening. It was a very emotional time for everyone involved.
We knew that the surgery was going to take up to three hours so we drove back up the mountain to our campsite. We waited the three hours and luckily we were able to get cell service at the top of the mountain just a few minutes drive from our campsite.
We found out that the surgery went well and that my dad was in recovery.
The next Monday I arrived in Vegas to help with my mom. I hadn't realized that just after four days my dad would be released from the hospital. He got home that afternoon and the work began for his care giving. It was a lot. We helped him to the toilet many times and he was in so much pain. It was hard to witness and I wondered how this was possibly going to work. He didn't (and still doesn't) have very good stability and it took three of us to get him into the bathroom. His needs were great. That along with taking care of my mom's needs was emotionally and physically draining. Deanna arrived on Tuesday and Rick arrived on Wednesday. Together we did our best in caring for them. By Saturday we were all exhausted. I honestly don't know how Scott and Kathy and Mare do it all of the time without getting burned out.
At this point my dad is doing much better. Most of his stitches have been removed and his physical therapy is ongoing. He is trying to get his leg ready for a prosthesis. He is hoping to have a little more mobility soon. I believe he will always have to use his walker, though. He is too unstable without it.
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