I saw Dad this afternoon up on the fourth floor of Salem Hospital. He was sleeping relatively comfortably while I was there, though the nurse said that he’d had some discomfort throughout the day. Despite this, I suspect that today’s discomfort wasn’t as bad as last night’s, which was described as “9” on 10 scale when we went into ER and “8” on 10 scale after the receipt of pain medication.
For the few minutes he was awake while I was there today Dad seemed much more lucid than last night. I assume that means that they’ve adjusted his meds to make everything work better for him, but that could be wishful thinking on my part.
At this point, they’re going to see if they can cure his condition with meds and less invasive options than surgery. If it’s not working by tomorrow afternoon or Friday, they’ll likely opt for gall bladder removal. Since the gall bladder doesn’t do a whole lot (OK, it aids in digestion a bit), its loss should prove particularly debilitating, so the long-term prognosis is good.
More updates to come.