Now He's Starving

I was away for a month. While I was away, I spoke to him on the phone one time. I think about calling him all the time, but I don't pick up the phone. I know I'll have to get someone to help me talk to him because he can't answer the phone by himself. I have been put on indefinite hold so many times. I get really mad. But lovely Theresa gave me her cell phone number and told me to call on Wednesday because she works late that day. That one day I was able to get through on Theresa's phone was wonderful. He seemed so happy to hear from me.

Two days before I came home my brother sent out an email to everyone in the family to come and say good-bye to Dad. He said Dad was failing fast. Since January he's lost 20 pounds so CV wanted to put him in hospice.

I know large weight loss is a cause for worry, and instead of putting him in hospice, let's ask the question, "Why is he not eating?" That question is easy to answer. The food is inedible. At 96 years old, having consumed more than average amounts of salt all his life, he is not going to be able to find unsalted food palatable. They have put him on a pureed diet because a speech therapist said he has a swallowing problem. When we bring food in for him, he eats it. He loves cheese and crackers. He loves any soup from Von's. He loves Trader Joe's Red Pepper and Tomato soup. We take him across the street once in a while for a chile relleno. He will eat real food, but since he doesn't really feel hunger pangs, he's not going to eat unsalted pureed unrecognizable gruel.

I have to work to get him off that pureed diet. He's starving to death!