Jean and Karla made their way back to Minnesota and Wisconsin on Monday Oct 27th. We were supposed to leave at 3pm and arrive at noon of the same day....now figure that one out. We ended up leaving late as there was mechanical failures with the plane and in the end they ended up switching all of us to a different jet. We thankfully got here with no troubles and actually had quite an enjoyable and relaxing ride. I slept and so time flew by for me. (pun intended:-) Cindy picked us up at the airport and dropped me off at home. I am slowly adjusting to the time zone and now that I can get on this computer seem to be waking very early in the morning to play catch up for all the days that have passed me by. Yikes I have lots of bookwork to do.
Monday Oct 27th I just hung out around the house and got things in order, bought some groceries, went through mail, cleaned a bit as dust really accumulates in a closed up house.
Tuesday Oct 28th went to see my dad in the Innsbruck rehab center up in New Brighton MN where he is now residing and has been since his cancerous brain tumor was successfully removed on Dec 10th. My dad is doing well and having some physical and speech therapy (not for his speech but for spatial issues).
I have been staying up at my parent's house with my mom so to transport her to and fro to visit my dad. She does not drive and it looks like my dad will no longer be driving either. With his spacial difficulties we feel it would be too dangerous. We will watch and see how things go, but we are quite sure at this point, the reality is that he will drive no more. He is adjusting to that news. He too is having a bit of trouble with his left arm and leg. He does have bursitus in his left shoulder from years before and that seems to be giving him some trouble and soreness when doing his arm strenthening exercises. His spirits seem to be very good, though yesterday he talks of wanting to go home.
Wednesday Oct 29th we went to talk with the oncologist and she told us about the different options of chemo and radiation. She thought radiation would work best for dad at this time and so we are pretty sure we will take that route. We have an appointment on Tuesday Nov 4th to talk with the radiologist. After the doctors visit we took dad home so he could have dinner with us there and to have some time together to discuss things we just learned at the doc's office. He enjoyed being home again and was surprised at all the food we were preparing.
Thursday Oct 30th
I spent the day with mom and dad and getting voting ballots for them and then enjoyed a nice dinner and get together with my Honduran buddies Bob, Donna,Hoda, Dave and Steve at Michelle's. Was fun to see and chat with my friends again.
Friday Oct 31st---Happy Halloween !!!!
I spent most of the morning at my EP house on the phone with social workers, Medicare, Blue Cross Blue Shield while trying to find out what coverage we have for long term care,radiation and or chemo treatments. Also talked with some assisted living services and we will meet on Monday Nov 3rd to see what kinds of options we might have there as well. We are thinking it may be time to move mom and dad to another place besides the house where they have more access to things especially since neither of them drive. We are looking to get them closer to Mark and Lisa in St Paul as who knows when or where I will be living in the near future and it takes alot of time and energy for Mark to come this far north after work each day.
So we are busy trying to sort out many different ideas and aspects of this new found health crisis we have at hand. Helped mom and dad fill out their election ballots and then took dad for a ride in the wheel chair outside to enjoy some fresh air and the last of the fall colors here in MN. I was very happy to see some brillant colors upon my return here to MN, as they have yet to change in Japan and I presumed they were done already here in MN. Have enjoyed asking my dad who is a man of very few words, some questions from a book "Questions for my Father"--finding the man behind your dad that I had and learning more about his youth and the things he likes, what he thinks... Came home last night and had Taco Friday with my mom and then played some games of Sequence with her. She kicked my butt !!! No trick or treaters here, but we did see a few little ones that came to visit relatives at the rehab place :-(
Saturday Nov 1st
I am now here at my mom and dad's and will soon be going to the rehab center again to visit with my dad. I have to first drop off their absentee voting ballots at the court house. WOW...can I just say here, I can NOT believe all the money that has been spent on advertising for this upcoming election. We get so many advertisements in the mail each day, it makes me sad to think how many trees were destroyed to print all that junk mail that just gets tossed in the garbage.:-( I have only been here a few days but already I can't wait till election day is over. It has been interesting to come back to this side of the world and to see and hear all that is going on, as I really have heard nothing much for the last 4 months. I have NOT missed it at all.
We are going to check with the doctors to see if dad can come home and to see how he and mom cope here together. I will be here to supervise for the time I am in MN.
More soon
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