Dad was discharged from the hospital Saturday night after almost 2 weeks of diagnostic tests and treatments. The doctors still aren't sure if it's his heart or kidneys that are the main culprit, but his kidney function has declined from the already fragile state they were in. He is doing better overall and they were able to remove the 20+ pounds of swelling from his body including fluids from around his heart and lungs. Unfortunately he has to be on dialysis 3 days per week at a dialysis center for about 4 hours each time... after a month of that he should be able to do a certain type of dialysis from home 7 days per week. While in the hospital they did surgery to place dialysis ports inside his stomach and up by his right shoulder. There is a small possibility that the dialysis is short term, but it may be necessary for the rest of his life. He got very little sleep while in the hospital and is exhausted. It has been an emotional rollercoaster for the past 2 weeks. Carson and I are working nonstop (in addition to my GTD work) to create a nice area in my house for Dad to reside in. The progress is slow, but very good. Thank you all for your love and prayers, and thank you to all the medical professionals that study and work so hard to help others, especially the wonderful staff at Morton Plant Hospital who helped The Tomato Man :) . FYI, Dad was distributing gifts to everyone who helped him at the hospital including watermelon cubers, flashlights, salt & pepper shakers, and personalized pens with his phone number and his nickname: "The Tomato Man"... it's amazing how much a pen can make someone's day LOL!
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