Joined Aug 2007
2K Posts | 28+
Somewhere down in Texas
Not trying to get sympothy or trying to be on the soap-box but my family is entering a very trying time this Christmas. We could use any prayer that you guys can send this way.
About two weeks ago my father started getting sick. A friend of his came to visit me one day last week and told me that my dad was blacking out and ran his truck of the road. I asked my mom and she did confirm him having blackout spells and being extremely confused and irritable. My dad is over-weight and a heavy cigarrette smoker. He is also hard headed and refused to go to the doctor when my mom tried to get him to go. He also had a heart attack three years ago.
In the past few days he had started talking to himself and being really dillusional. I did some research and concluded that he had the symptoms of type 2 diabetes. I finally went to his house on Tuesday of this week and told him that he didn't have a choice about going to the doctor anymore. I would take him myself no matter how mad he got. Wed. afternoon we went to the local clinic. He had a hard time just walking inside and was complaining about shortness of breath. The nurse checked his O2 level and he was stating at 70% (normal is high 90s). The nurse called 911 and the medics transported him to the hospital. My mom drove up there and waited for test results. Wed. evening was inconclusive except that they did admit him to the hospital.
Yesterday morning I went to spend a few hours with him and to talk to the doctor. My dad was completely out of his mind and saying some of the weirdest things. The doctors concluded that he has conjested heart failure and emphezema. They don't know why he is dillusional, and disoriented. He is only 60.
My mom went to the hospital last night and he told my mom that he was dissapointed that I had not been up there to see him. He couldn't remember that had been up there. The doctors did a CT scan of his brain this morning and we will get the results this afternoon.
I didn't expect it to happen this way. With his bad health habits, I always figured he would die of a massive heart attack. I guess I always knew this would happen, I just didn't think he would lose his mind. It hurt deeply listening to him talk yesterday. It appears if he pulls through this, he will still be in the hospital over the holidays. I'm just kinda feeling lost right now and am having to deal with some deep regrets. He invited me skeet shooting a few weeks ago and I turned him down. In fact, I had been turning him down alot the past 10-15 yrs. I can't get that time back. I wish I could. I also wish I would have taken him in to see the doctor 2 weeks ago. I could have made a difference. We smoked our first cigar together on Thanksgiving and I was really wanting us to light up on Christmas and more often for that matter.
I probably won't be in the chat room very much in the next week or so. If I get a chance to jump in and update you, I will. If I don't get the opportunity to talk to you guys, you and your families have a very special, Merry Christmas.
Thank you, my friends for your thoughts and prayers.
Dustin Lauw
About two weeks ago my father started getting sick. A friend of his came to visit me one day last week and told me that my dad was blacking out and ran his truck of the road. I asked my mom and she did confirm him having blackout spells and being extremely confused and irritable. My dad is over-weight and a heavy cigarrette smoker. He is also hard headed and refused to go to the doctor when my mom tried to get him to go. He also had a heart attack three years ago.
In the past few days he had started talking to himself and being really dillusional. I did some research and concluded that he had the symptoms of type 2 diabetes. I finally went to his house on Tuesday of this week and told him that he didn't have a choice about going to the doctor anymore. I would take him myself no matter how mad he got. Wed. afternoon we went to the local clinic. He had a hard time just walking inside and was complaining about shortness of breath. The nurse checked his O2 level and he was stating at 70% (normal is high 90s). The nurse called 911 and the medics transported him to the hospital. My mom drove up there and waited for test results. Wed. evening was inconclusive except that they did admit him to the hospital.
Yesterday morning I went to spend a few hours with him and to talk to the doctor. My dad was completely out of his mind and saying some of the weirdest things. The doctors concluded that he has conjested heart failure and emphezema. They don't know why he is dillusional, and disoriented. He is only 60.
My mom went to the hospital last night and he told my mom that he was dissapointed that I had not been up there to see him. He couldn't remember that had been up there. The doctors did a CT scan of his brain this morning and we will get the results this afternoon.
I didn't expect it to happen this way. With his bad health habits, I always figured he would die of a massive heart attack. I guess I always knew this would happen, I just didn't think he would lose his mind. It hurt deeply listening to him talk yesterday. It appears if he pulls through this, he will still be in the hospital over the holidays. I'm just kinda feeling lost right now and am having to deal with some deep regrets. He invited me skeet shooting a few weeks ago and I turned him down. In fact, I had been turning him down alot the past 10-15 yrs. I can't get that time back. I wish I could. I also wish I would have taken him in to see the doctor 2 weeks ago. I could have made a difference. We smoked our first cigar together on Thanksgiving and I was really wanting us to light up on Christmas and more often for that matter.
I probably won't be in the chat room very much in the next week or so. If I get a chance to jump in and update you, I will. If I don't get the opportunity to talk to you guys, you and your families have a very special, Merry Christmas.
Thank you, my friends for your thoughts and prayers.
Dustin Lauw
