A New Stage in the Journey
Merle’s mental and physical health have deteriorated rapidly over the last two weeks, and he is entering hospice today. He has developed severe edema because his body is not absorbing protein so his vein walls have become permeable. As a result his legs and abdomen are very swollen with retained water. At the same time he is suffering from dehydration because there is too little water circulating in his blood. This imbalance in his system makes it hard for him to walk and worse of all has led to trouble concentrating and alot of confusion about where he is, what day it is, who is with him, etc. (Hence, I, MaryBeth, am writing this entry.) We saw Dr. Kauh this morning and he recommended Merle enter inpatient hospice to evaluate his needs. He may come home again depending on how things progress.