Update on My Dad...

First off  THANK YOU all for the prayers.. I could feel the warmth from all the concern and love expressed for my family yesterday.

Dad is in the hospital for at least a couple of days. He has approx. a 1-2 gallons of fluid built up in his abdomen, which is causing extreme pain and is pressing against his heart and lungs. The X-rays showed his lungs were clear, so that is a good sign. T
His doctor is using medication to help relieve him of the fluid, and it is starting to work. But, they are also going to do a needle aspiration to draw the fluid out. Also his platelet count is VERY low...today it was 39.
He suffers from Cirrhosis of the liver, and the doctors believe it has grown worse. It was interesting because the admitting doctor lifted Dads shirt, and showed us red blotches across his stomach, and he told us that was a sign of increased Cirrhosis. Plus Dad looks incredibly jaundiced, and his skin is very dehydrated and cold.

My brother flew in from Seattle to be here, mainly for my dad. But also because he is the one person  my mother will listen to.
If there is any good news from this, it is that Dad, yesterday admitted my mother is having problems, and needs some sort of evaluation for her mental abilities. For so long, he has denied anything was wrong, but her behavior yesterday opened his eyes to the fact that indeed something is not right.

It is sad for me, to see both my parents at the same time like this  How does one deal with this? I have one parent declining medically and the other mentally. It is hard to watch the daily deterioration of my mother. She was also so well kept, and her house was immaculate.
Now, she is the complete opposite, she has removed her self from society and all she wants to do is stay in their house, talking to her you would think she is a 4-5 year old..it is as if she is regressing in age.   It is really tough and makes me very emotional.

I have my Senior and my boys there for support they are wonderful and I am truly blessed to be loved so much. . If anyone knows how I am feeling it is Senior-he has lost both his parents, and my beam of support. His strong arms give me security. I know I have all of you as well, you are all a second family--So thank you again.

-JUGM