Head's Up

I just wanted to give you a heads up that right now I will be pretty scarce during the middle part of the day on Thursdays and Sundays. My Dad is 80, has dementia and a whole host of issues that go along with it. We (the 5 sibs) are doing all we can to keep him home as long as possible. He has Stage 3 kidney failure and has issues that go along with nerve damage due to lumbar surgery in 2006. At this time we are trying to pull together to give my sister who lives with Dad some respite. Things took a nosedive Saturday of a week ago. My sister called me at 7:30 AM crying and said that the sheriff had come and got her to get Dad. He had left the house between 5:30 and 6:00 AM without her knowing (we now have alarms, childproof doorknob covers/sticks to block opening on all doors). Someone called the sheriff at 6:00 to say they found him walking down the road, dressed in a t-shirt, briefs and slippers. They were going to take him to the hospital, but a paramedic recognized Dad from a call 2 weeks prior when he had high (577) blood sugar and was unresponsive. Needless to say that this is all very wearing on us kids, not to mention heartbreaking to go through. Saturday night he didn't know one of my sisters when she called. She is devestated. It is unclear at this time, although it has been said that Dad had a twinkle of teasing in his eyes when this all played out. Regardless, I feel so horrible for my sister. We know it is coming, but dread that day when he doesn't recognize us. On a lighter note (we try to find those where we can), we know that even though Dad is on oxygen 24/7 and uses a walker whenever he leaves the house that he is ambulatory because he had neither when he went for his 'walk'. He says that he was going to work at a mill he worked at more than 50 years ago (and is no longer there) that would have been only another 200 yards or so from where he was found. Just wanted to give you all a heads up in case I don't make it on for a day or two every now and again.