When I wrote the last post, I had no idea of the email I would receive two days later. Although things seem to have stabilized today, earlier in the week, my father took a turn that alarmed the hospice nurse. My stepsister and her husband that don’t live close by contacted us and launched out to be with him. My sister flew in yesterday and I scrambled around to come in today. Our brother is in driving distance and he was “on hold” until we could find out what the story was. He’s a 6-7 hour drive away.

Before I continue, a word about hospice. In this case, as is common, my father has been “under hospice” for a while as a “preparation”. That means there was nothing specifically terminal, but when an event does manifest, no measures will be taken beyond pain control. That also means, however, no invasive tests, and it seems as if this time, his condition was less severe than thought a few days ago. We’re cautiously optimistic, but my sister and I are taking steps to lock certain details into place since we are here. We went by a florist this afternoon and opened a file with her. Monday we meet with the funeral home where our father has a pre-paid plan since none of us know exactly what all is involved. That, by the way, is something he and my stepmother too care of several years before she passed and I included it in my book, Your Room at the End: Thoughts About Aging We’d Rather Avoid.

My sister and I will go tomorrow to visit with the branch of the family that’s a couple hours south; the ones I always see on my regular trip. My sister hasn’t seen them for a few years and we can let everyone know what’s going on.