Dad, these days: Part Two

   Awhile back, I dedicated a blog to my Dad. In it I chronicled briefly the Alzheimer's experience he was sharing with us.

Dad and Mum on their wedding day.

   At the time, there seemed to be a timely progression to what was going on with Dad. Change was discernible but was happening at such a pace that it also seemed manageable, to a great extent.
   Well, things have changed.
   A couple of weeks ago, Dad was complaining of chest pains. He spent the night in the emergency ward and they ran a battery of tests. Basically, he is full of fluid and the fear is that this is because his heart is no longer able to power the system that clears this fluid. They pumped him full of diuretics, he felt better the next day and they sent him home.
   I have talked to or seen him pretty well every day since. Some days are better than others. Today, however, was not a good day.
   We made a trip to the bank to shore up some financial stuff and Dad could only take about 20 halting steps before having to rest and catch his breath. He could not even make it from one end of the bank to the other without the bank staff needing to bring him a chair.
   Some of this was done with humour. The overall tone was downright dejection on his part, however.

Mum and Dad and me, when I was cute. These pics are courtesy of my cousin Beth

   Three months ago, my Dad and I were walking up and down golf fairways. There was tiredness at the end of these excursions, on both our parts, but we recovered quickly. There was no sense that we would not continue to do this for at least a few years to come. Watching him yesterday, though, I found it very hard to imagine that we would likely ever be walking down a fairway again. The fact that there seems to all of the sudden be so much to do blessedly leaves me little time to sit and truly reflect on this.
   Somehow, it is not all the medical issues that have me feeling this way these days. Dad has had a variety of medical challenges in the past and has always soldiered on through, buoyantly. I suppose that what he is experiencing now is something that could be temporary and, ultimately, alleviated.
   What is different now, though, is that his spirit seems to have synched with his body. And his body seems to be losing some kind of battle.