17 November …
While doing this blog over the last few years, I have endeavoured to share all the wonderful, beautiful things in my life. I have enjoyed sharing them and can only hope you enjoyed sharing as well.
But … now seems the time to share some unwelcome information which will explain why, if in the future, this blog is missing or drastically shortened.
George is failing.
It is a real roller coaster and it is all happening so rapidly.
There had been the really tiny changes we all experience as we grow older. Changes no one but a life partner would notice.
Then the 30th of September, while working the Headwaters Trail Runs, something changed. George and I were working Net Control, he on the radio and me transcribing, when I noticed he was unable to repeat information to the stations. Then he told me he couldn’t remember what he was supposed to be writing down on the communications log and was unable to read what he had written.
After that, things settled into a new pattern. He no longer argued about me doing all the driving. He did what he could around the farm and that was enough.
Mark and his family, except for the older children, have been living here since summer, so I have good support with John just a few miles down the road and Mark right here.
George and I went to the radio club swap meet and potluck the 28th of October (you saw the pictures) and he wasn’t too bad … a bit confused but still able to walk and talk.
Then suddenly, within a two week period, George’s right foot began to drag (it had been shuffling for some time) and his speech became almost unintelligible.
We knew of a similar situation, which happened to a man about George’s age, which turned out to be the result of an atypical geriatric urinary track infection, so we got George to the doctor and started him on Cipro.
That was last wednesday. He has had five doses of the antibiotic, two of which were never swallowed but dissolved in his mouth and drooled out, and things have continued to worsen.
He now tries to talk but ends up making unintelligible noises which angers him. He walks only by being physically supported. That too angers him. He appears to have right-sided weakness with loss of control.
There have been funny happenings along the way such as when he was mumbling and the word “dog” came out very clearly followed by, also clearly, “Where the hell did that came from?”
And yesterday morning he greeted me with “Hi, Babe” and a smile.
So that’s where we are right now. I don’t leave him for any extended period of time … hence no or late blogs.
I know you all wish us well and for that I thank you.
For now I must remember …
Fate will break your heart … and break your heart … and break your heart … over and over again … but things are as they are and will end as they must.
So … ‘til next time …