(Nonni posted this as a comment, but I am moving it to stand alone. You folks might not know how much meaning your caring has for us….C)

I am so glad that people are posting their memories of Dad. When I read Deirdre Helfferich’s comment about introducing her invisible dragon, George, to the principal I was brought right to the scene and I cried. There is so much that we didn’t see in his life. Or that we remember right off. It is wonderful to get glimpses now.

Nonni

It was great to hear from my older brother today. He commented on “no new news” and I realize he and others might phone often, but for a lot of us the computer world has become an important means of communication. I had a tough day yesterday, and sometimes am unsure what to post and what not to post. My impulse is to be intimate and to connect, but I want to respect others’ ways of being also.

Something Heather and I feel is that we feel Dad “belongs to the community.” We talked about this, perhaps (and give me a break because reality and memory are often disconnected these days. ) in relation to someone saying that they didn’t know how much privacy the family wants. Or how much help we need. Hey, people, I grew up in a home where my father was gone to meetings it seemed more nights than he was home. He was always working on Head Start or Dems or starting a fire department or a million other things he saw that could improve our world. So yeah, the answer is I love it when the community is there for him, just like he was there for them. We read your “I care” messages to him, which to me is a way of letting him know that his caring for you is reciprocated. I thank you Dave and more.

Yes please telephone the house 479-6782 and talk to Dad if he’s able. Just a minute to say “wow I remember such and such and thanks for being a friend” would be really nice. Same for a short visit. I think Dad loves to hear someone tell him just a brief hello or even read an article from the paper. He’s such a people person.

Deborah Niedermeyer was probably scared (I’m not sure) to ask me questions about how Dad was, before I put her on the phone with Dad. Let me assure you, most times I am happy to be open in relaying information and feeling to you folks. People are probably asking themselves a dozen FAQs, and I have been remiss about letting you know. Sometimes we just haven’t known ourselves.

Where is he in the Alzheimer situation? Probably about 1-2 years into it, he’s been coping remarkably well because he’s so smart. Last fall he started asking me to get Power of Attorney because he knew he couldn’t make heads or tails of writing checks. He now has a hard time with words. A couple of months ago we chuckled over his desire for a toothpick after supper, which he expressed by long stories about “cave diggers” and “needles.” Likewise, this last week he has been talking about “machine guns” which we think is sharp pains in his leg or elsewhere. He’s in and out of verbal technique and sometimes seems vague while other times we are sure he’s right on.

How’s he doing physically? This report comes from a lay daughter and is not professional in any sense. Dad spends almost all the time in a chair in the living room (easy chair, heavily padded type) or bed or otherwise not charging around. He can walk a little bit, but that changes from day to day. Heather and I help him get upright to move from one place to another, and he is usually eager to help with the “one, two, three UP!” Sometimes when we ask him “are you ready to get up?” he will not answer, sometimes he nods his head, and sometimes he says yes. His skin is in pretty good condition and his weight seems fine to me. He’s not very strong. He has no infections and his digestion is working just fine. His appetite is good.

What is the outlook? Dad won’t make 90. Some days I sat with him and thought he was going to die in the next hour. Heather had the same days or nights. Other times he seems muddling along OK and nothing too horrendous is amiss. His problems haven’t really been Alzheimer illness related; he’s not super late stage. But we hope we are prepared for most anything and know that things have been roller coaster the last few months and may look really difficult tomorrow. Or they could go on kind of pokey for quite some time (months?). As the doctor says, “no crystal balls around here.”

Heather and I are getting a little more help at the homestead from Hospice, Home Health (from the hospital) and other sources. We’re not keen on ever going back to the hospital. I hope he loves being home, and invite you to come by briefly and make it more lively. I love sitting next to Dad and talking to him about this or that. Today when Dick brought “Raivaaja” I told him I couldn’t make any sense of the Finnish language parts of it, but would he like his glasses so he could read it? “Yes.” A bit later, when I told him I had to go home, he suggested to me that if I had any extra Raivaaja’s hiding out at my place, I “should bring them along” when I come back tomorrow.

Carrie Frye (? Yike! Sorry if I “senior moment” ed this one too.) was a lovely help today. She took Mom out to dump the garbage and other Mom stuff. It meant the world to me because it was perfect. You stepped right up and knew that Heather and I were focused on Dad, and helped us by giving Mom and the household some support. Wow. Deep thanks.

Great to hear from you people. –Chena

Deborah Niedermeyer writes:

I just spoke to Niilo on the phone. As I told him, since moving to Seattle I have missed him terribly.

Ever since I was a recent college graduate newly arrived in Fairbanks, Niilo has been a huge encouragement to me. He has always been supportive of my intellectual efforts, my political activism and ultimately my career as a political asylum and first amendment lawyer. Because my own parents, wonderful as they are, have never been particularly interested in any of these things, I am grateful to Niilo for being a kind of spare father-figure when I very much needed one.

Even though we’ve moved to Seattle, I am still relying on Niilo’s advice and opinion. He told me today that he thought Obama was our best choice for president. When Niilo’s political assessment of a situation is consistent with the way I myself have been thinking, I am pretty confident that I’m on the right track.

Onward!

–Deborah Niedermeyer

P.S. Brian and Luke send their love.

Niilo is home on Chena Ridge!

Given a ride home by the crew at Chena Goldstream Fire & Rescue–Thanks so much–Niilo got home Wednesday morning. After a nap, he got himself rolled out to the living room recliner from where he can admire the snowy view.

He was probably eager to get home last night, when he talked with each of his children by telephone, more energized with each call. This was exciting for the kids to hear from Dad, too!

Visitors are welcome but call first please and remember he tires easily. Short visits would probably be enjoyed by him. Right now he’s listening to Ruth MacKenzie’s “Kalevala: Dream of the Salmon Maiden” on CD as 3 of the family sort out the afternoon at the long table in front of the south facing windows.

He’s been eating regular food and we are so happy to have him home.

–Heather and Chena

Dad did not leave the hospital today. His departure is scheduled for Wednesday. –Chena

(Moved from “About”:)

We wish Niilo and the rest of the Koponen family the best. We do miss Alaska and all of our friends.
Niilo was the first Alaskan politician we voted for back n the early 80s and have had an affection for him ever since.
This should cheer him up: We are are about to elect another Democratic Senator here in Virginia and the state will probably go blue in the presidential.
As a monument to Niilo, we will double our efforts to make the above a reality.
Good luck everyone,
M&R (Martin & Ruta)

Don and Carolyn Gray say hello too.
Thank you Heather for letting us know about Niilo. We had no idea all this had happened and are heartened to learn that he will be coming home Tuesday or Wednesday. Perhaps the weather will reflect this event and the sun will bring warmth back to the land. Thanks for establishing this website for communications and news. It is quite attractive. Wish we understood better how to use it. Good night for now.
Don and Carolyn Gray

Chena says: to use this site, you do not need to be a member. The way to post on this website is by clicking on the “No Comments” or similar section under a recent post, and then writing something. The site will ask you for your name and email address. Your email address will not be posted. Then Chena or Gary or Heather will be notified that a post needs to be managed. One of us looks at it and says “Way cool” and we accept it to be posted under the posting heading you clicked for “comments.” I am sorry but there is no way for any of you to post your own major heading, except when you post under under “About” and we move it to the site.

Sometimes people comment on a post which is way in the past. There is no way that I know of for most of us to keep track of new comments, except by clicking again on the comments section of each post. So it is best for people who want to make comments to do so by clicking on the comments section of the most recent post on this site. Gary is the techie here and is renovating the “About” section of this site to reflect what Chena is now writing. (Maybe!) Perhaps in the future we will have a “What Friends Say” or similar section just for y’all; I simply don’t know right now. We are trying our best to keep you up to date and really love to hear from you via this site or any other method. Thanks for caring so much.

–Chena

Moved from “about” to a post:

Ruth and Carl Benson wrote April 28, 208 at 7:51 pm:

Hello Chena and all; We had no idea Niilo had been ill. We send our best wishes for his continued improvement and hope he can be taken home tomorrow! Our thoughts and prayers are with you!

Ruth & Carl

One banana, Two banana, Three banana…and then Heather called in for reinforcements! Dad ate lots of bananas and other food at supper tonight. He is drinking (usually with a straw) too.

In the afternoon, a hospital physical therapist showed us how to transfer Dad from bed to walker in anticipation of TUESDAY GOING HOME. He stood up a couple of times, but was not interested in walking. She also gave us hints on home care. As well, we are recruiting information from elsewhere.

Heather has been making sure we have all the right things for him, including a phone near his bed. The hay barn part of the house was renovated to be fully accessible in the past year, so he will go back to his hospital bed there, with everything needed nearby. Heather lives one floor above and is taking time off from work to coordinate Dad’s health needs. Other family members are helping out with life at the homestead.

Some of you want to know if you can call him at home (907-479-6782): Tuesday is not good because it will be busy for him and us. But after that, you can call unless we post differently. Please be prepared for a one way conversation, though! When Dad speaks, it is very softly. Most often he does not say much now. We will of course keep people posted on this site.

I read to him some of your posts, and told him other news. Thank you for your good wishes.

Dad has been being treated with antibiotics for an infection. I believe this is orally now. He has a small line going into his vein for inter venous maintenance fluids, but there will be no PIC or other larger lines, I believe. We hope to give you a better reading on his status in the near future, but today I can say he is very weak, almost always verbally not communicative, but appreciating company (thanks for the massage, Ron). He was treated to a visit by fellow Finn Fred Brown today and with a musical event by Ed Ashby. I am sure others visited too.

Hope to tell you about Dad coming home tomorrow. Would really wish one of you in touch with the weather department would request some blue skies and sun to help cheer up things here in the frozen north. There is still snow and lots of mud around; tolerable but better if the sun is peeking out. We will help Dad look out on that beautiful view of the mountains and more Tuesday.

–Chena

One of the reasons we appreciate the comments so much is that there are family members and friends who are deeply moved by knowing that others care. If we tell each other by voice that “so and so sends their love and remembers such and such,” the circle of sharing is complex, time consuming, and incomplete. I believe and you have told us, that your thoughts and feelings strengthen all of us. Especially for those out of town, reading this site is vital for connection.

As well, we tell Dad what you have said or read to him from your cards and letters. Sometimes he smiles and responds. Even when he doesn’t, it is good for him to know what you have said.

On a utilitarian basis, there is a lot for the family in town to be doing now. For us to speak individually with people is lovely, but do consider we need to be attending to Dad and Mom and a host of pressing issues, so for us to spread the news partly via this site let’s us focus on many things.

If you know of people who would like to be kept abreast of Dad’s health, please tell them about this site and/or let them know that the Koponen mailing address is 710 Chena Ridge Road, Fairbanks, AK 99709.

Thanks, Chena