blokecalledkev

I am sure many people on this board have experienced or are experiencing what we are going though. It is the waiting, the not knowing that is getting everybody down.

My father, who is in his seventies and not in the best of health went into hospital for major surgery on his legs two weeks ago. It was basically an artery bypass as the blood supply to his feet was severely restricted. The surgery actually went well but a few days afterwards he developed pneumonia and was put into intensive care on life support. We were all shocked by this sudden development which took a turn for the worse the following day. We were phoned by the hospital and informed his condition was critical and it was extremely unlikely he would survive the night.

Naturally we rushed to the hospital to be told he had been stabilised and was now holding his own. We kept getting told not to get our hopes up and although he was stable he was still critically ill. As the days passes, into what is now two weeks, one moment he is stable, the next he is deteriorating. It is not looking very at all and the consultant in charge of IC as told us, barring a miracle, he is very unlikely to walk out of the hospital and the road to recovery is very very long and at any moment he could fall off it.

So we wait, we wait by the phone, dreading the phone call that will have all us rushing to hospital again(we do visit daily but we have to come home after so long). It just seems an eternity, as though life is now on hold and we have no idea how long the wait will be and although we have been told not to expect miracles we sort of cling to the idea that maybe, just maybe he will recover from this. It is like every time there is a slight improvement, just around the corner there is always a set back just waiting to happen. It is taking its toll to be honest but I don't know what else we can do but simply wait.

Kevin.