This week, much to everyone's relief, my father was discharged from hospital, the best part of 5 weeks since he went in. When I arrived at the hospital, he was already dressed and waiting to leave. He said a tearful Goodbye and expressed his thanks to the team that looked after him, and to one nurse who had been particularly helpful and considerate to him during his stay.
I too remember the same nurse on the day dad arrived. She had given us her name and asked us to call for her if we needed anything. Funny how she was there right from the beginning and was the last person we said Bye to at the end.
Mum's stay in the care home has been extended until January, which means dad now has time to get some rest and for us to sort out ongoing care arrangements. He has been staying with us but is keen to get home himself. We are a little worried about him being on his own but so long as he takes things easy, he'll be OK.
What I feel most anxious about today though is my mum. We haven't seen her since last Saturday when, on arrival at the care home, she was tearful and agitated, walking around the common room with only one sock on and - which was most concerning - had a small swelling on her left cheek. It has been many days and nights since we saw her but owing to spending time with dad and work commitments, we just haven't been able to get over to see her. I wonder how she will react when she does notice us coming in the room, like she normally does.
My wife and I are also conscious about whether dad should visit her. We've agreed it's probably not the best thing to do just yet. Dad isn't very mobile and his emotions will certainly get the better of him. Will mum even remember who he is? In the past when we've taken mum out with us for a few hours to give dad a break, she's even then began to forget him. It's been over 5 weeks now since they've been separated and I'm worried about the reunion. It's going to happen at some point, but I'm dreading the point at which dad would need to leave and leave her there...
In the background, my wife and I are coping best we can with our baby boy. He's now over 8 months old and growing stronger and stronger. He's gone from army crawling to almost being able to crawl on all fours, and he's able to pull himself up on things. Our flat is quickly running out of space. In the next couple of days, my dad will be able to go home alone but it's really a necessity, as my wife's parents are due to visit and stay with us over the Christmas break and into the New Year. I'm quite looking forward to that, but it's just a shame that my parents have to be separate in the way they are.
I also wonder how things will pan out for Christmas and the New Year with my mum. We've got dad sorted out, finally, and that's a good thing. Now my heart goes out to my mum - that poor frail being sitting there in a place she doesn't really want to be, and perhaps at times wondering why she's there and why we're not with her.
Indeed, despite the good progress with my dad, my heart is very heavy today.
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