Yes Ma'am...

Dad's sick, has a slight cough and much weaker legs. He was running a fever last night and not doing well, so I called the EMT's to come check him out. 

 After a lifetime with the Cowman I pretty much know the routine, having been on a first name basis with scores of EMT's, ER docs, and helo drivers between San Luis Obispo and Southern Oregon.  God I miss Doc Charlie... when the Cowman would have a really bad reaction, he thought nothing of driving out to the home ranch in the middle of the night to give him an IV glucose push, and hang around til he was stable. 

 I had given Dad Ibuprofen and was pushing the pedialyte, but wasn't sure if that was enough. The EMTs checked him over. His vitals were good, lungs clear, and he was not disoriented or showing any signs of stroke.  After talking to the ER doc, and with dad's refusal to be transported to the ER, he said I was doing everything I could and to get him to his primary care doc as soon as I could arrange it.   

Dad felt somewhat better today, temp is normal, legs are not quite as weak, he's eating good and I'm still pushing the fluids.

Finally, got an appt for him with his local primary doc, tomorrow evening!  Which Dad is not happy about because he thinks he might be late to poker night with the guys...

I really need to find at least one more relief caregiver for mom, as the one we have is not always available on short notice.  And try as I might I can't be in two places at once.

It would be nice to have Two Ponies Joe here for some cowboy medicine man input.  A quiet Indian cowboy, who seemed old at the time, who taught me how to fix a prolapsed heifer slicker than snot, and a bunch of handy poultices. He would have an opinion on what to do for Dad.
 

And say what you will about the VA but I really like the clinic here. They have been wonderful to Dad. Late late last night the advise nurse called,  because she had been contacted by my out of state SIL. I gave her all the info on what had transpired that evening, and she said, "you have done everything right, and you are doing everything that can be done, so my advice to you is to just tell your SIL to f**k off." 

"Yes ma'am, I will."