um...

     So here is something to ponder. what do you do when your father, a symbol of invincible might your entire life, is instantly reduced to needing help standing up or putting his shoes on over night. Dad was the coach to nearly every sports team i was ever on and has always been capable of incredible feats of strength.
     For a long time he worked as a blacksmith/farrier which is a pretty intensely physical job. Particularly because he dealt with a lot of large stables where people kept show horses and race horses in the later portion of his career he had to maintain his considerable strength to manage the massive draft horses and the tall musclebound racers.
     Well as he hit 45 he decided it was time for a less strenuous job since his joints had become prone to painful reactions from what was believed to be a simple case of gout.( uloric acid crystallizing on joints but controllable by diet and rest ) he went to a specialist school and got his class-A CDL and became a truck driver working for a local building supplies delivery service. pretty decent job but a lot of hours. but that is besides the point.
     One day just this last week on the job while carrying a 50 pound bag of cement he stepped into a hole in the as yet unfinished driveway causing the weight to hammer him down and to the side causing considerable stress to his spine and hips. next day while trying to relax the injury he suffers temporary paralysis and collapses. we call an ambulance and they get him taken care of and off to a hospital. no big deal. he seemed fine.
     Over the next few days and visits to many different doctors and specialists it turns out he has rheumatoid arthritis at a very advanced level. the recent injury has caused it to attack in full force and he no longer has any quantifiable strength to speak of in his right hand nor stability in his left knee along with many other smaller points. hes on 7 different prescriptions and still taking tests to determine the extent of the affliction it may not be known to everyone but rheumatoid arthritis has a form that can actually attack organs, the lungs in particular, and while this hasn't yet been diagnosed his recent rapid weight loss and slight change of voice don't give us a whole lot of confidence.
     The amount of stress in my household has become a threat to everyone as we each find new ways to piss one another off. the problem only exacerbated by his company terminating his employment during an open workman's compensation case (illegal so I'm told... know any good lawyers?)