August 21, 2014

A summary of how we got to this point.  Sunday at the family reunion my dad was not feeling well. By Monday evening Sonja took him to the emergency room at the Cadillac hospital. He remains in the hospital at this time. They are working on getting his labs that relate to his kidney function decreased. Once he goes home he is going to have hospice come in to help him manage his care.

Hospice is a word that often brings fear to people when they hear it. I know hospice in a way that brings me comfort. I want to share with you just a bit about hospice and how it can help my father. Many think that hospice comes in to help people die. The truth is actually the opposite of that. Hospice helps people to live to the best quality of life a person can possibly live, for as long as they can possibly live it.

There is no one else on this earth that wants my father to live as long as possible than I do. I can’t even tell you how desperately I don’t want to see him leave this world. The research is out there that speaks to how hospice helps people live, on average 30 days longer than those who do not have hospice care.

So back to how hospice comes in to help you live; hospice is holistic care. Hospice looks at not just the medical issues, but also the spiritual and psychosocial issues that are present. Hospice also considers the family a patient as well. This team of experts comes together to work with the patient and family to build a plan of care around the patient’s own goals.

The goal is simple. We want my dad to feel as good as he possibly can for as long as he possibly can. Often when a patient comes on to hospice care, their symptoms are managed and some of the emotional burden is lessened and patients are no longer eligible for hospice and are discharged. My dad’s goal is to outlive his hospice admission! Everyone who knows him knows that is a real possibility!

Facebook is not the place that I wish to keep people posted. I know how much he is loved by so many and I want to ensure that you all are able to keep up with him. So I have started this blog and I will post daily. Thank you for loving him! He is an incredible man. Please be sure to leave comments, I am sure he will be reading along with you all!