Still out of commission for a few days
For those of you who haven’t seen my updates on Twitter or Facebook, I’m taking a bit of a break from the blog. My dad suddenly took ill a week or so ago. I pulled an all-nighter to drive from Virginia Beach to Augusta, Ga., where he was in the intensive care ward at University Hospital.
He was released from ICU on Wednesday, under care for an ulcer, a very painful muscle tear in his shoulder and pneumonia. He was hoping to go home Sunday, but a sudden — and unexplained — drop in his hemoglobin levels suggested additional blood is being lost somewhere. Until they find out where it’s going and how rapidly, he’ll stay in his comfortable room on the 7th floor.
Arthur Apple (lower right) and his
kids: Artie, myself and Caroline.
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Despite his disappointment today, he’s still in very good spirits. He’s sitting up, watching Two and a Half Men and Mythbusters on TV, talking frequent walks to the decaff coffee machine, requesting extra helpings of ice cream and generally entertaining every nurse on the floor.
I’ll remain in Augusta to provide backup for him, his wife, Nora, and the rest of my family. After a few nights, sleeping on the couch of the intensive care waiting room got old fast. Since Wednesday, I’ve been driving across the Savannah River up to Parksville, S.C., where my sister lives in my Mom’s old house.
I even got to see my mom for a couple of hours on Mother’s Day. Which was pretty cool, considering I left home before I mailed the card I had bought her.
Sharon and Elizabeth drove down for the weekend, which helped restore a little of my sanity. They had to drive back Sunday — we want neither to miss school.
The hospital will probably charge Dad for the
rubber glove I burned off clowning for the camera.
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As soon as Dad is released — hopefully in the next day or so — I’ll drive back to Virginia Beach. In the meantime, I’ve simply not had time or resources to monitor my beat or to even post my usual birthday greetings. My apologies to all.