Dad update

Talked to my brother and my sister-in-law. Mom is using Dad's cellphone -- I had two old numbers but not the current one -- which doesn't have my number in it, so she passed messages through my wonderful sister-in-law. Texted my mom so she'd have my number.

So. It sounds like Dad is sometimes, rarely, awake, but not lucid; no indication that he's said anything since Saturday morning. My first impulse was to hop the next jet to Indiana; it's a 12-hour trip counting getting to the airport and getting from the airport to home. (Home. Haven't lived there in 40 years, but still.) Talked things over with brother; he thinks that the worst is likelier days than hours, and possibly farther away than that; we simply have no info. Lots of tests, no answers.

Dad's been having major falls, including through the glass of an Apple store (oog), and has problems with short-term memory. He's not the man he was even two years ago. He's 85, 86 in two days. If he's even aware of that.

Brother will be making the 8-hour drive up from Atlanta today, and will let me know what he thinks. We agree that Mom is apt to put a rosy picture on things, so we don't really know what's going on even with the very limited information she gave us. On the other hand, Mother doesn't need the worry of two children in town unless it really is an emergency; if both of us are home she may be distracted by trying to take care of us.

So. Sitting here, with no information, no way to help, and nothing to do but wait. It's hard.

I know a lot of you have been through this decline process before, and I know you've made it through.