Visiting Dad

So yesterday I was able to go and see dad. Man the time goes fast when you are there.

Kindred is only about 16 miles away, but takes about 1/2 hour to get there...the drive is very pretty, but the roads there are some of the narrowest roads I have been on in a long time!


The speed limit is never over 40 and stoplights every other street. Like I said, it is very pretty--you go through the victorian part of town where the streets are linned with huge trees. The closer you get to Kindred the more the grafetti starts popping up, including ON the street name sign right before the turn onto High Street.


I think I said before the Kindred is all gated and the gate is only open at certain times (mostly the normal day hours) and if you stay the night they suggest bringing you car into the gate before they close it so it won't get broke into. The strange thing is--if you go two blocks to the south it a beautiful, nicely cared for neighborhood, but if you go two blocks to the south east you run into lots of panhandlers and not so nice conditions. It is a strange part of Denver, how things can change so quickly.


It is right by the big hospital St. Luke's. I had Pepper at St. Lukes--and I never saw more than the one building and one floor I was on. This hospital is about 3 blocks long and they are building another wing on the other side of Kindred. So the whole area is crawling with medical staff and those in need of the medical staff.

Once in Kindred it feels just like an old hospital. It is mostly clean, but a little dark.

The floor dad is on is nice. I met two of his nurses yesterday and a weekend doctor. I like the Doctor alot, she was very open and honest and said "yesterday (or last night) was...well it was crap!". I image Dr. being so proper and strange all the time, but she was very real. (BTW it was "Crap" because they lost one their patience to cancer.)


One of the nurses that came in was from Russia--Natalia or Natalie I can't rememeber now--she was very nice and she unwrapped dad's arm and wrapped it again. He has a scar from his wrist to his elbow on the inside of his arm. Also from the elbow to the wrist his arm has atrophed and his hand is swollen, so it looks almost cartoon-y.

Then another nurse-Victoria-came in. She is a beautiful women from Africa and totally full of life. She told us that her mother was here from Ugana for her wedding at the first part of July and was staying till August 30th---her mom kept saying she should go home and she would tell her mom to just stay. On the 28th her father in Ugana died and her mom wasn't there to say good-bye and Victoria wasn't able to get her visa approved in time to go to the funeral, but she said--"I am just full of peace, it is ok". She told us where she is from everyone loves God, Family, and education. It was totally clear that she had great light with in her! She was a great bright spot in the day, even with her sad news.

I was able to make a poster for dad's room and I feel a little better now. It says things like "With God nothing is impossible" and Families are Forever, Love one Another, and more stuff like that. I hope it brings joy to those who visit dad's room.

Anyway. I will say that when you visit dad it is kind of hard because you don't know what to do or expect. I just sit in a chair next to dad and talk to him when I think of something to say. Most of the time it is pretty quiet. I also feel like I am in the way because so many nurses where in and out while I was in there.

Dad has his eyes open and shut on and off the whole time. He will look "at" you and you will say something, even as short as "Hi Dad." and his eyes will be closed and he will look like he is sleeping again, then with in the same minute his eyes are wide open again.

After the nurse came in and cleaned his arm I worked on the poster for dad and got that finished up and then it was time to go.

The other day when I was in there I just sat next to the bed and rubbed his arm and talked to him a little, but with the little girls in there I don't get to focus much on dad.

Plus because he is always breathing thru his mouth he gets dry lips and just inside his mouth and I think it drives him crazy. He is always licking just inside his mouth. Just watching him do it (and thinking about him doing it) makes my mouth feel all sticky inside and really thirsty! Mom does a great job of giving him ice chips and wiping his mouth out.

Sometimes I feel like he is really looking at me, but most of the time he looks "at" you, but mostly thru you.

I am hoping to be able to go more this next week and just spend time focused on dad.

I will update you with any more information later.

Love to you all,
Amy