“You had cancer several years ago, but you got excellent care and it’s gone, at least for now,” Juan explained. “We have to be vigilant about it. Lila is your primary care provider. She’s excellent and knows your case very well.”
His father nodded, and his tone went low. “She seems nice. And pretty. Is she single? I have a son who can’t seem to find a proper girlfriend.”
“She’s married to my boss, Dad.”
His dad gave Lila a smile. “Are you happily married? Major is a catch.”
Lila chuckled. “Of course he is, but alas, I have already caught my sheriff.”
He was going to ignore this line of conversation. “You said this was the good news. I’d like to hear the bad.”
Lila’s smile faded, and she became somber. “The medications we’ve been using to treat his dementia are having a bad effect on his liver and kidneys. It’s why the bloodwork came back the way it did.”
“Wait. Now I have dementia, too?” His dad sent Lila a frown. “Young lady, you are not much of a doctor. First it’s cancer, and now dementia. I assure you that didn’t happen when Doc Hamet was around. Everyone stayed very healthy because he was rarely in his office so no one got tests. You should learn by his example.”
“I’m not a doctor at all. I’m a nurse practitioner,” Lila replied. “And you still have a good sense of humor, Mr. Blanchard.”
His dad winked her way. “Life is pretty funny, isn’t it? I know about the dementia. At least I do most of the time. The medications you’ve had me on are new, aren’t they?”
“Yes,” Lila replied. “They are part of a study going on right now. And the fact that you remember that makes me think the regimen was working.”
“He’s had several long periods of lucidity,” Juan agreed.
“I was with him for almost seven hours the other night and he was right in the moment with me.” Major had so much hope when it came to the new study. “Does he have to stop now?”
“This is a blind study. I don’t know for certain if he’s had the actual drug or the placebo,” Lila began.
“I’m certain he’s gotten the drugs,” Juan said. “I’ve worked with patients like Nelson for a long time. They don’t get better without medical intervention.”
“I tend to agree, but I also worry that if he stays in the study, these labs are going to get worse.” Lila put a hand on her folder.
“But the drug therapy we used before didn’t work.” His father hadn’t responded well to the more established meds.
“Which is why I got him in the study.” Lila folded her hands on her lap. “My brother believes in these drugs, and the effect should be cumulative.”
“So the longer he’s on the drugs, the more lucid he’ll be,” Juan pointed out.
“And the longer he’s on the drugs, the more damage they’ll do to his liver and kidneys.” Major didn’t want to think about how close they’d come to finding something to help his dad. It would make him bitter and resentful. “We have to find another way.”
“There is no other way. Our only real choice is to go back to the original medications and therapies.” Lila looked at his father. “I can pull you from the program starting tomorrow.”
“Why would you do that?” his father asked.
“Because the medications are harming your liver and kidneys.” Maybe his father wasn’t listening as well as he’d seemed to be. Major prayed he wasn’t going into another bad period.
“And dementia is killing my brain,” his father said quietly before turning back to Lila. “Ma’am, do you keep some patients on medications that harm them because they are in pain?”
Lila nodded. “Of course we do.”
“All the time,” Juan agreed. “It’s palliative care. We keep dying patients on pain medications. We don’t want the time they have left to be spent in pain.”
“And I don’t want the time I have left to be spent somewhere else,” his father said with a sigh.
“You aren’t dying.” His father wasn’t thinking. He was otherwise healthy now that they’d gotten through the cancer scare.
“Am I not?” his father asked.
Lila stood. “I think Juan and I are going to let you two talk about this. Look, the damage isn’t something that will kill him tomorrow or even next week or month. We don’t have to make this decision today.”
“The decision is made.” Major didn’t understand why there was a decision at all. His father was taking medication that could lead to his death. He needed to stop. “I have my father’s medical power of attorney.”
“Which I gave to him when I needed him to make decisions for me.” There was no anger in his father’s voice. “I think you’re right, Lila. I remember you now. I’m sorry. It comes and goes. Please forgive me. You’ve been wonderful these past few years.”