Night in the Hospital

Thank you all for your comments!  Since Linh and Tina left last week there have been a few interesting plot twists.  First of all, we are excited and looking forward to our next visitors.  

On the Calendar are:

George & Linda: January 31 - Feb. 11

Bear: February 5 - Feb. 8

Sharon: February 9 - Feb. 16

Grandma Evey: returns to home Feb. 11

Lumi: considering coming in Feb.

Seth: February 20 - March 2

So, the Ohana clan is pretty well booked up until March.  March and April are still relatively free if anyone else would like to come visit (just call the social coordinator, Shanna, first). 

On Friday, Mom and Dad had a call from his doctor urging him to come in for a series of tests.  His CT scan showed that he has one blocked kidney and the doctors were worried that the blocked kidney could lead to sepsis in the blood (which could be very very serious and fatal).  So, Mom, Dad, and I (Katheryn) got Dad set up in a hospital room to begin the tests at 11:00am on Friday.  After a few of the tests had come back negative, a Urologist came into the room and was surprised to see how good Dad looked (normally someone with an infection in blood would've looked much worse).  After a long discussion, the Urologist told us that a surgery to unblock the kidney would involve an external tube that would be there for life and he just didn't think Dad was showing any signs of an infection and therefore wouldn't need this surgery.  We were all so thankful for this Urologist (because the other doctors remained worried that there could be a problem and wanted to continue with the surgery).  Despite the Urologists decision to not do the surgery, the other doctor requested that Dad stay in the hospital overnight.  So, Mom and I stayed with him until visitor hours ended and Mom came back early the next morning to keep him company.  Dad was released from the hospital on Saturday at 1:00pm.  

I am so glad we're out of the hospital!  Hospitals don't feel healthy.  We're grateful to begin to be back on track today with healthy foods and the comforts of home.  Dad has some nausea today but he is doing alright.  Dad has begun to utilize medical marijuana through a special vaporizer (so he doesn't inhale any tar) to work on his pain and nausea.  So far, he's had good results with it.  He is still experimenting with the dosage, but his hope is that he'll be able to take much less Morphine and nausea pills by using the medical marijuana.  

Dad's primary doctor understands that he really doesn't want to do chemo therapy (taxol)..... however, Dad has recently decided that he will give it a try for Shanna.  He will see how the side effects work on him and whether that will determine whether or not he continues with it.

Aaron, Patrick Mellan (long time family friend), Patrick Laughlin (my boyfriend), and Aaron's friend Phil, are all busy working on finishing the underneath of the house (turning it into an apartment, an office, a sauna, and workout space).   

Last Trivia:

I read all of your guesses to Dad.  And you are all very right in guessing some of his favorite foods (canned peaches, pickles & brine, ice cream, bananas, etc.).  The weirdest food Dad has craved has been canned spaghetti.  However, he would like me to note that by the next morning he was no longer interested in canned spaghetti (a passing craze).  

Next Trivia:

Take a guess at a Hawaiian phrase.

What does "Ola Kino Maika'i" mean?