The only two things in life that are certain, are taxes & death.

Well, it is almost tax time. And I think my father in law (FIL) is about to die.

My FIL and I have not always seen eye-to-eye. Actually, some could be forgiven for thinking we hated each other. But there has always been an undercurrent of respect within those arguments, or "heated debates" as we call them. A love, if you will.

He has been in hospital since last Saturday.

I went in to take my mother in law (MIL) shopping early in the morning. When she opened the door that morning, it was clear to me that something was wrong. She looked pale, drawn. She had been crying. She quickly told me about what had been going on. My 93 year old FIL had been in pain all night. His hip was stiff, and so sore it hurt to get out of bed. He had been throwing up what looked like phlegm.

I urged MIL to call for an ambulance. She insisted on calling a doctor to come out to the house. So we called for the doctor, who over 8 hours later turned up, looked at him and said take some pain killers and if you are still in pain on Monday or Tuesday, go to your GP.

Humm. I had a quite chat with the doctor, and asked her to take his pulse, blood pressure, and have a quick listen to his chest before she made any diagnosis.

When she did, she discovered his heart was racing at over 100 beats per minute, and his blood pressure was dangerously low at 98 over 75.

She called for an ambulance.

DS and I sat with FIL while he was being admitted, and MIL did all the paper work at the reception desk. She could have done it in the ER with me I later found out. I think she wanted to stay as far away from the doctor as she could. I got all the bad news. His x-rays showed that at some point in his life (we think while he served in WWII) he had TB, and now he has double phunmoina (sp?). For a 93 year old, this is life threatening stuff.

So anyway, he was admitted, just as we got him set up in his room, DH arrived, having just finished work, and a meeting that could not be canceled. MIL, DS, DH and I got back to her place by 1am, and DS, DH and I got home by 1.30am (we had been out since about 9am)

DH had been at work all day having kittens. He was so stressed out over this whole thing, he could barely think straight. He kept thanking me over, and over for being there for his Mum and Dad. It's my job as his wife to be there when he cannot. I did - what to my mind anyway - was expected of me.

So Sunday rolls around (hang on! It already had!!) and we get MIL to the hospital at 10 am -ish to visit FIL. We spend the day in the room with FIL being fed his IV antibiotics and fluids while he dozes on and off. The doctors were still at a loss as to why his heart is racing, and BP is low. It's almost like they threw their hands up and said "We don't know!!"

Monday. Much the same as Sunday. Only today, DS gets to go to school. So I am doing school runs along with hospital runs.

Tuesday, much the same as the days before... And no real change to FIL's condition. Weak, in pain, BP low, pulse high.

Wednesday. He is feeling better! His pulse is slightly lower at 95, BP is up a wee bit, so they decide to move him.

Big mistake.

He starts vomiting phlegm again. Any strength he regained, he has lost, and here we are, Thursday, and we are back to square one. Puking, racing pulse, and low BP. And still no clue's as to why.

I am praying.

I pray that if he is to recover, that it happens some time soon. I am also praying, that if he is NOT going to recover, that it happen soon. And peacefully. He deserves that. Honestly.

So if you pray. Please say a prayer. Join me in praying that God's plan for FIL be for filled, and praying that DH, MIL and I all have the strength to deal with whatever is next for us.