Distractions

This week is the Big Event, so there is much to be done in the office. I thought we had the program done for the Big Event, but today new items that needed to be included appeared in the office. The task I made sure a board member was responsible for so it didn't get dumped on the office this week got dumped on the office this week.

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In the midst of this, I spent much time on the phone today with regard to personal matters. Dad's weight gain is now at 4 pounds a day, down from 5 pounds a day. He's carrying around about 75 pounds of fluid. He has fluid on one lung, and both lungs are compressed, leaving him short of breath. Sister, how is his patient advocate, is having a hard time with this. She is a teacher, and as the school year ended last year Mom died. Now a new school year is set to begin, and they put down their 13 year old dog Friday and Dad is declining rapidly.

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She has been holding out hope that he could go on dialysis and that would solve everything. Far Away Sister and I were pretty sure he wasn't a candidate for dialysis. We expressed that concern to Sister, and today she heard us. The doctor confirmed what we thought: Dad is not a candidate for dialysis. The problem is more with his heart than his kidneys.

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The plan is to put him back on a powerful diuretic for several days (which always overtaxes his kidneys, causing them to shut down), severely limit his fluid intake, and make sure he is getting a low sodium diet. None of these things will solve the underlying problem, of course. Sister is having a harder time denying what is going on right now, and it is very hard on her. Denial is a defense mechanism, and it is no longer working for her.

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Daughter called me three times from the workshop. She's having a hard time right now, and one of the men there was harassing her. She told him loudly to stop, and he didn't. A supervisor saw the entire thing and did nothing to stop it. They are understaffed, and the staff is not well trained. When they don't have work in, the clients are left to entertain themselves, and too often it ends in trouble....

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With all the phone calls I've not had the time I needed to focus on the things I need to do in preparation for worship Sunday morning and the Big Event Sunday evening. It will get done, and it's going to be a challenging week, both professionally and personally.