My favorite pain in the ass

One of my very favorite residents had a stroke last week, on his 95th birthday. His granddaughter came to pick him up and bring him back to his son's house for a party, and she noticed that he wasn't making sense, so she took him to the emergency room. No party for him... that was Friday, and I first heard about it on Sunday, when I went back to work. I went to see him on Sunday night and by that time, they'd run a bunch of tests and given him some anti-anxiety meds to calm him down, so he was asleep when I got there... tremulous and looking very frail, not at all like the vibrant, witty and stubborn member of our resident council board of directors who is always coming up with new ideas to improve life in our community. I cried all the way home.

I went back to see him last night and he seemed much improved, although he was still in the medical ICU. We had a lucid conversation for almost an hour, and he asked about many of the other residents. He even asked about the widow of one resident who died last week. We talked about the governor of NY State, we talked about my son who's in law school, we talked about my daughter who's in college studying to be an opera singer, and we talked about his late wife and his children and his grandchildren and great-granchildren. I spoon-fed him some ice water because the nurse said he couldn't drink by himself, and he could only have water... but he was annoyed at the indignity of being spoon-fed, and kept asking me to just give him a diet coke with ice in a glass already, and then I knew he was getting better. When I saw that he was getting tired, I said goodnight and went home... not crying this time.

Today, his out-of-town daughter (who flew in last night) told me she saw him and thinks they'll be moving him to a rehab facility in a couple of days, up in Westchester near his son. I'm glad he'll be close to family, but I'll miss him... hope he comes home soon. The last thing he said to me before I left last night was, "I really must be a pain in the ass to you with all my ideas." I agreed, but I told him he is absolutely my favorite pain in the ass, and it's true. Get well soon, Herb.