My dad has felt progressively better since he had the excess liquid dispelled from his lung. The procedure was non-invasive, and in fact, he was awake the entire 15 minutes that they did it. That part of his chest was just numbed so he didn’t feel any pain. He said he felt relief immediately after the liquid was emptied out (about three cups of liquid total). He’s even said that the physical therapist he’s been working with as well as his cardiologist have cleared him to drive again, so he’s recovering far quicker than the average person who has had bypass surgery.

My mom, though, as per usual, doesn’t see his recovery as quick. In fact, she blames his surgery for the reason her own health has supposedly gone downhill “extremely,” as she says, and she says she has absolutely no energy left, and her back and neck have been acting up even more. She yelled at me for taking my Europe trip the week after my dad was discharged from the hospital and said she expected more from me, and then insinuated that Chris wasn’t thinking of our family when he didn’t encourage me to extend my stay in San Francisco to help out my parents. “Nothing is ever enough for you,” I finally told her today. “So I know no matter what I do, you will never be satisfied.” That was when she started screaming and told me to stop instigating arguments. I never realized I was an instigator in arguments with her.

She also expressed sadness that Ed wasn’t here to help her out with things like cleaning and buying groceries. “He would have been a big help if he were here,” she said wistfully. It’s sad when she wants him back not just for wanting him back alive and healthy, but just because she knows she could tell him what to do at any moment of the day. Ed doesn’t need any of that.