28 Days Later

28 days have passed since my dad and I stepped off our last flight and into Austin. It was a big decision to move my dad to Austin. It was also a last-minute decision. I did not know I was going to actually do it till the day before it happened. Now I am glad I did it. Not because everything is humming along flawlessly, but because it was the right decision. Even with limited hindsight.

My dad is doing much better. He ate breakfast yesterday (a 2-egg omelet with tomato and sausage) and dinner today (pork tenderloin soup and crackers) all by himself. He's already fired the first nurse' aide I hired. He's walking shakily a bit, sometimes without his walker, always to our dismay (we are worried that he'll fall and he has fallen a couple of times - though gently - if there's such a thing as a gentle fall). He still mostly sleeps or sits silently. But he's spoken more words and smiled more in the last few days.

I'm having to be careful that I don't short-change Jo and Vivian and Evan - though there's plenty of room for improvement there. Evan has stepped up big-time, as has Crazy who moved her afternoon naps to my dad's bed. Vivian's life so busy right now she hardly has time to chit-chat, but she stops by and hugs him when she remembers. I am seeing the advantages of the kids living in a multi-generational household.  Though don't run out and drag an elderly parent under your roof just for of that.

I've learned a lot about geriatric care in the last four weeks. From the personal care department to menu planning. I've learned not to stress about meals not getting eaten or all the small stuff that got me going early on. I have learned how to be patient far beyond what I thought I could be. I have learned how to schedule my day and still be flexible because unexpected things always happen. I've learned how not to go to the fridge for that beer at the end of the day when it's all done.

The last 28 days are also memorable for another reason. It's the longest time I've not left Austin in recent memory. That's not counting a 60 mile trip to Canyon Lake for half a day. Vivian has Fall Break starting this weekend. No trips planned. Just like the rest of my observable future. And that's killing me.