With a major home remodel-ing project in progress, chaos prevailed. My plans to attend a conference were thwarted by an allergic reaction to a bee sting the day before. I felt better by morning but was distressed to see my 84-year-old father arriving 2 hours earlier than our agreed time. He was going to babysit the house and work in the garden while I was gone. I explained why I cancelled my plans and questioned why he arrived early with a heating pad. He said he was getting pleurisy again. A little heat, he mused, and then gardening. A year earlier we nearly lost him with pneumonia. The bell went off in my nurse brain. What made him come to us early? My physician husband examined him and suggested a chest x-ray. Dad was irritated but agreed, stopping to admire the roses and chat with the workmen. His assessment was unremarkable and he seemed his usual easy-going self.
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