How I spent Victoria Day

Victoria day is traditionally celebrated here with fireworks. Unlike the Freedom Festival in July (where Canada and the US celebrate a joint holiday with a large fireworks display), the fireworks on Victoria Day are more subdued and personal. People buy personal fireworks for their back yards and fields, and the sound of cherry bombs (illegal but somehow, readily available) can be heard everywhere. I was hoping the hospital would effectively shield my dad from these sounds, since, in his current condition, they could be interpretted as sounds of war. I had nothing to fear in that regard... the hospital was quite soundproof.

I got there at 2:00PM today, expecting to stay until the end of visiting hours at 6:00PM. Being a holiday, visiting hours were restricted today. When I got there, I was pleasantly surprised to see that my baby sister was there with my mom, and they had been there since 12:30PM. I guess my dad must have enjoyed his massage, because he told my sister about it! When I arrived, I saw her giving him a backrub.

I'm afraid my dad didn't look well on Monday. He often motioned to us to come near, but he was speaking with much difficulty, in the most hushed tones, and we often could not understand what he wanted. He gestured, but even these motions were difficult to decipher. All-in-all it was a frustrating visit. The more we wanted to understand him, and the more we wanted to do for him, the less we understood what he wanted. His breathing was so laboured, at various times he was given a Nitro-spray (a dose under the tongue to help "revive" you), and an oxygen mask. He coughed up so much phlegm, we thought he might have pneumonia; although the doctors didn't think he had actually contracted it.

The doctors did say, however, that the battery of drugs he was receiving left him quite vulnerable to further infection and pneumonia.

My mom and sister left the hospital some time after 7:20PM, and I stayed until 8:00PM. I am posting this some time after 5:00AM on Tuesday morning, and I called the hospital just before writing this post to check with his nurse. She said he survived the night, and is resting comfortably.