Pale and Purple

This morning Dad is breathing very rapidly and his breaths are shallow. He is very warm and clammy and  had some blood in his mouth when i came downstairs; I think he must have had another seizure in the night and bitten his tongue. I've also noticed that although warm, his hands are a ghostly white and his knees look purple, while his shins and feet are a bit pale. The nurse who came this morning washed him and remarked that he did look different from yesterday. Early on the nurses declared what a 'lovely bottom' Dad had, but this morning the nurse found a pressure sore on his bum. So we have put some cream on it, in the hopes it doesn't burst and become even more painful for Dad. He is lying quietly now with the radio on and i am going to light a fire as it is freezing.

Piccadilly Circus comes to Ightham

Today has been extremely busy. The head continuing care nurse came early this morning to assess what sort of care Dad needed from her team. While she was here the bed arrived and was erected. Mum and i played with it to test which button did what so we wouldn't end up folding Dad in half once he was in it... The Macmillan cancer nurse came at lunchtime and helped us walk Dad downstairs. He needed a lot of support as he is very weak and wobbly on his feet but we made it. He opted to get into the bed straight away and reports it to be very comfortable. He is clearly happy to be reunited with Sky television; he watched a combination of BBC and Sky news for 4 hours this afternoon. He even waved Mum to one side when she stood in his view at one point. Then we had a pair of continuing care nurses turn up earlier this evening to give Dad a wash and help him brush his teeth. Mum also managed to pop out to the surgery to ask the doctor to prescribe Dad's medication in liquid form, as he is now struggling to take pills. In between all of this i have dived in and out of my work email. We are all wiped out now, even the cat, not that she did much. Mum did lock her in the garage for a few hours earlier though, who knows what she got up to in there.
Tomorrow we expect Dad's brother, sister-in-law and Dad's mother aka Grandma. It is much better he is downstairs now as he can be involved in everything with everyone. Mum and i have taken a few of our lunches upstairs this weekend to eat with Dad in the bedroom, but we can't do that with three visitors.