I saw my dad this morning and then my sister and brother for several hours in the afternoon. The visit with my siblings today was quite pleasant. Thank goodness! We actually had a good time and reminisced about better times. My brother got improved blood test results, from his chemo. He gets a new PET scan to further see the status of his cancer. I hope there's an improvement! If not, it will be so discouraging. His chances of surviving this are slim, but we prefer to be positive. I hope today was not the last time I see him, but it's possible. I saw no good in crying when we hugged goodbye. I don't want to think we are there yet, plus it's not our way to be overly sensitive before it's truly warranted. We are a tough lot.

When we visited my dad this morning we decided to take him for coffee at a nearby Dunkin Donuts. Short visits are all he can handle. We are not permitted anywhere in his assisted living facility except his room, so going out was better. His room is unpleasant in many ways (some disgusting) which the assisted living should handle, but they don't or can't. Can't because Dad is currently still deemed allowed to refuse some things or claim he can handle them himself, but we see he can't. My sister wants to get him evaluated again. We think he's ready for a nursing home. His ability to handle ADLs is now quite limited. He's also deteriorating more, cognitively. For example, today he asked where my brother lives. He also barely talks anymore. The dementia, depression, and/or overly sedating meds? I don't know. He smelled like excrement. I suspect his diaper was not clean. I told my sister that when I saw her. The assisted living only talks to her. I will see my dad, briefly, tomorrow morning, but then we fly to Europe in the early afternoon.

When I had time alone with my sister, I reminded her that she can't keep on doing all of the support for our brother and dad at the rate she's going. I think she neglects herself. Of course I've told her how much we appreciate her and how I'm sorry that I live far away and can't do more. But our brother won't accept outside help, when he should, and he sometimes takes out anger on her. Dad with an even higher level of support would also lighten the load on her.

Not sure what else to write, but that this stuff is rough!

I want to go home, which is now Czech Republic.