One Step forward, two steps back

We thought we had a diagnosis, one step forward.

The symptoms changed...again. Two steps back.

Now, maybe we are on to something. Elevated ammonia levels in the blood, an indicator of liver failure. This also causes confusion and lethargy, and "dementia-like" symptoms. Not that this is any better, but there are methods to deal with this condition, primarily through diet.

My father has been diagnosed (this one is legit) with non-alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver. Something caused scarring in the liver and he has had a lot of problems since. A LOT of problems.

Now, on to new doctors.

Tonight, after I heard this, I began to think about my father.

Some thoughts were sad, but I tried to remember the fun memories, the funny ones.

My dad was always really "stuffy" when it came to public display of affection - it did not happen. He was equally as quiet about "personal relational" discussions - what happened in the bedroom was private, and not to be discussed, ever.

Once upon a time, a long time ago, when my dad and mom were young - long before I came on the scene, he was a young soldier in the U.S. Army, and she was his bride. They were somewhere, far from home, and had spent the day with their new friends, another soldier and his wife.

That night, they went back to their respective "quarters", which just happened to be next door to each other. Later that night, my dad was watching the old (it was new then) movie starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez, the one about the long trailer.

My dad was sitting in a wooden rocking chair and as he laughed (it is a funny movie), he would make a lot of noise (not to mention he laughs kind of funny), and his chair would hit the wall! Well, for a couple of hours, all the neighbors heard was a "thump, thump, thump" and my dad making a noise that sounded like, "hee hee hee...hooo...hooo"... over and over.

The next day, the neighbors treated my mom and dad like...WELL, you could at least try to have the decency to not disturb people!

If you knew my dad, you would find that funny. By the way, he told me that story when I was about 35 years old.

Back to the present. Sitting here in the living room, watching some sappy movie (sorry - I still like it), "Sleepless in Seattle." I think I like it because there is a song, "Stardust" from a long time ago, that was my mom and dad's "song". I know, it is silly, but now as he is getting to the point we are starting to say our goodbyes, and everyday it seems he is a little more packed, a little closer to leaving, these memories rush in like a flood.

Other memories, funny ones, how I used my bother's terrible case of athlete's foot (so bad, you thought his foot was rotting off his leg...P.U.!) to force my dad to stop the car near a favored truck stop (we were driving from Atlanta, Georgia to Florida), we would hop out and run to the truck stop before he could recover from the noxious gasses!

Do you think he knew what we were doing? After the 4th or 5th time?

I think he did.

I think he enjoyed the show as much as we did.

Hang in there Dad, we are trying to get some treatment that makes sense...