It’s barely 8am and I’ve already had a busy day.

I was up early this morning because I had to make some sandwiches, a veggie tray and some cookies for lunch for the participants of a focus group that I am having today for my doctoral work.  Mom was already up so she helped to make them.  Indi, Mom and I prepared the veggie and cookie tray last night so it wasn’t such a big rush this morning.

 Indi was leaving this morning to go back to Toronto so I offered to take her to the airport.  It’s been great to have her with us.  She was good company for mom for a few days.  Dad was also happy to see her and she was at the hospice for all three days that she was here.  Her flight leaves at 9am so I got her to the airport at 7:50am – plenty of time to check in and have a coffee. 

I called the hospice when I arrived at work and Chandal said dad woke up about 3:30am and wanted to have his shower but she told him that it was too early so he went back to bed till 4:30am.  He had his first breakfast of oatmeal at that time and by the time I called, he had his second breakfast of dhall and roti.  I am saying first and second breakfast as if he is eating so much but it’s barely sufficient to keep a child alive, let alone an adult.  Lat night I blended up some curried fish and rice – yes, blended fish curry and rice – so it looks like soup but it’s the only way he can eat it without having a coughing fit.  As long as he can still eat it in whatever form, we’ll keep preparing it. 

I don’t usualy use red ink unless it’s important so parts of this message are really important.  Dad has been getting several phone calls each day and although we are very grateful for them, I am kindly asking that you read the blog updates or call at our home for an update on his progress rather than calling the hospice to talk to him directly.  He is getting very weak now and is unable to reach for the phone without extreme effort and that’s only to reach for the phone, not to have a conversation.  Even a few words on the phone takes him an hour to recover from.  I will post an update on the blog when I have something new to say and as I mentioned before, I will title each posting so that if you choose to, you can read only the parts that relate to him.    

The nurses have also suggested that we have one or two family members communicating with them about his progress so if you can refrain from calling the nurses station, that would also be helpful. I try to check in with them twice a day if I don’t go to the hopice or once a day when I do go.  Sometimes they are getting several calls a day just from our family alone and multiply that by 12 residents and the nurses would have to spend a lot of time just answering calls.  I don’t want them frustrated with us because up to this point, the entire staff have treated him with the same care and respect that his family is giving him and we could not ask for more.  I’d like to keep it that way.   

I hope that as family and friends, you’ll understand why I am asking this.  I have a long distance plan that will allow me to call from the hospice.  If I think he is able to, I will personally place any calls to family members and certainly the phone calls won’t be long.  I have most of your numbers but for those of you who think that I may not have it, you can send it  to my email address which you should have.  

I wanted to wish Dad’s sister Auntie Goomtie a happy 89th birthday on Friday.  I can’t believe that it was 4 years ago that I attended a pooja for her 85th birthday.  Auntie Goomtie had a memory as sharp as a razor and I asked for and documented quite a bit of information for my family jungle (this family is way beyond a tree, orchard or forest).  It’s so tangled and interwoven that it is more like a family jungle than a family tree.  Celebrating her 89th birthday is quite an accomplishment and I think that’s partly her attitude about life – that she sees the goodness in everyone.   So HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUNTIE GOOMTIE!!  And much love from all your family in Winnipeg.

Funny

I just got this from Sharm and it make me laugh out loud.

hahahaha…..