Infection, you bitch, you took my father away from me, his son, his wife, his sister, his grandchildren and his friends. The operation was a success, until you moved in. He went in on Thursday. The doctor, after the operation, said he should be home on Monday, Tuesday at the latest. Then you, you bastard, made your move and no antibiotic was stopping you - on Wednesday you took him from us, from me.
Now there are only memories of the Daddy Dance when my brother and I were goofing around and he joined us just being silly. Only memories, after the operation the first question he asked (after answering the normal do you know where you are, etc) was to my mom - would she put his wedding ring back on his finger. Only memories of explaining to pre school - then later school aged - children why he had to be away so often - why those two big words integration and desegregation - meaning other children being able to go to good schools, was so important. Only memories of listening, through the closed door, to Agronsky and Company and hearing Mom and Dad talking back to a TV set. Only memories of building sets and hanging lights in community theater - yes Bastard Amber is a lighting gel and there is nothing wrong with saying it. Only memories of a family singing Happy Birthday and having him make jokes about no record contracts for us. Only memories of him standing in the pool smiling because he had retired to Florida and had a pool. Only memories of him driving the golf cart around the parking lot of the medical center to take people who had trouble walking or breathing, or both, from their car to the door then back again. Only memories, from just last year, of him that first day at the retirement community, with his arm around my Mom, saying “We’ll be very happy here.”
Infection you bitch, there are now only memories left.
Thank you all for your condolences. Thank you also for understanding my need to sometimes vent.
slumtrimpet You have my deepest sympathies. It is totally unfair and you are right it sucks. Right now I see no upside at all. Howerver, you are a strong tempter, I am a strong mouse – we will get through this.
My sympathies. Infections are so cruel. You think everything is OK and that miserable little germ grabs a hold and destroys all that you love. I know there is a tendency to over-prescribe antibiotics but I can’t understand why surgeons don’t automatically include a prophylactic dose of an antibiotic for surgical cases. My wife, father-in-law and a number of friends would have benefited greatly. My wife’s doctor finally got smart and, after seeing how prone she was to infections, included a regimen of antibiotics after each surgery.