An update on Dad

It’s been a while since I blogged an update on Dad.  My family and I greatly appreciate all of the prayers offered up for him, and we covet more.

Dad is still at home.  He stands and walks in therapy, and very slowly when transferring from his bed to his wheelchair.  He is not really walking at any other time.  Several months ago when they removed the shunt from his head, they finally replaced it with a smaller-volume drain implanted in his spine.  Since then, he’s had a couple of spinal taps to remove fluid and they make a big difference.  He is in this place where we cannot put another programmable shunt in, because the risk of subdural hemos is too great.  So, every few months, his memory and motor skills get really bad.  That is where he is right now.

He’s been taking outpatient therapy at Roger C. Peace, which has been a good thing.  That wheelchair-accesible van is the best thing we bought … Yesterday, they realized his knee is popping and hurting him pretty badly.  Mom is now trying to get him in to see the doctor about this, but this presents quite a dilemma:  IF his knee needs surgery, he probably won’t be a candidate because of his lack of ability to rehab it.

Today, we don’t know what all of this means.  For the last week or so, he has been able to do significantly less and less in therapy.  Part of it is the pain in his knee and part of it is his lack of being able to complete simple motor skills.  I don’t know what any of us can do but pray.

And I greatly appreciate those who do.