L9998722

L9998722, originally uploaded by Susan NYC.

In his closet, my father had a pair of shoes that weren't his. They were a few inches shorter than his. I wonder if the aides had been putting them on him, and that's why his feet were like this. Anyway, now that he's got very sore heels, my father's toes show. I had no idea they looked like this. They must be painful, but he says no.

(I gave the shoes to the nurses.)

(He's wearing the heel protectors because of sores - from rubbing his heels against the sheets. He spent more time than usual in his bed because he fractured his femur nearly two weeks ago.)

One of the residents tonight saw my father's toes and tears came into her eyes. She's one of my favorite people. I'm not surprised she had so much empathy. She had a stroke, I think, and can't get sentences and words out. I kept reassuring her that my father said he wasn't feeling any pain.