James' Father

It has been difficult to write lately because my father has been near death for the last several days and there has been no news to report conclusively so I have not written anything. I have also been spending a lot of time on the phone with my brothers and sister who were able to go to Idaho to be with him.

Last Thursday evening, May 1st, my father was shopping when he complained of stomach pains, collapsed and was taken to the local hospital. Unbeknownst to us (his children) he has had an abdominal aneurysm for 15 years. When it was diagnosed he declined surgery. Now surgery is out of the question. He is simply too old. He doesn't want it, his wife doesn't want it, his children don't want it. Originally the doctors thought the aneurysm had burst or started leaking and my father had only hours to live. Well it turns out that it did not burst but it is stretching. This means that my father has, in the estimation of the medical staff, 2 minutes to 2 months to live. My father has not listened to medical people for many years so I don't know how accurate the 2 months is. Right now he is very weak, in a hospital bed with very low blood pressure and in some pain which is being controlled with morphine.

I'm not going to publish this until I know something definite or until he gets out of the hospital. I do not think my father will reach his 94th birthday on July 4th. As I write this I realize that I feel sad that I cannot be there for this passage in his life. I was able to speak to him by phone early on in this episode. I had decided when we came to China that if anything happened with dad I would not go back. Then we made plans to see him this summer. I thought I would get to see him one more time - actually I was pretty much convinced that he would make it to his 95th birthday and we would see the whole family in Idaho in 2009. Things sure don't work out like I plan them.

I will publish this now on May 5th with the note that my brother reported to me this morning that dad is better. He's sitting up and taking fluids and he even ate a little. So it looks like he may get out of the hospital after all.
My youngest brother lives in Boise. He is going to take time off work under the Family Medical Leave Act and stay in Coeur'd Alene.
Thank you in advance for your prayers.
My father has lived a full active life and it isn't over yet.



Please remember my father in your prayers tonight.