August 17, 2013. The day we realized something was seriously wrong...

After nearly a year of not having contact with dad...holidays came and went, phone calls and messages went unanswered, I decided enough is enough. Whether he wants contact with us or not, I'm going to check in on him.  After an 18 mile marathon training run near his house, I decided to go to his house.  I found him unshowered for days, maybe weeks.  Filthy, smelly clothes, acting kind of weird and foggy, doing a crossword puzzle at his table. The place looked like a hoarders nightmare.  Piles of papers and mail, newspapers and magazines, piled everywhere. Years worth, covered in inches of dust.  And there was no electricity.  Food was rotting in the fridge.  The smells made me gag, but I had to pretend like it was normal so I wouldn't offend him.  His behavior was so off.  He said things like "the fridge hasn't been working so good."  When he saw the fuzzy green mold growing on the Stouffers boxes in the freezer he asked what it was.  I was fading fast after my run and couldn't stay and breathe in anymore, but I offered to take him shopping.  I took him to Kmart and gave him $100 cash.  I waited in the car because I was dripping in sweat, and now freezing.  I walked to Burger King twice to go to the bathroom while I waited for him, picturing him all OCD up and down every aisle.  After an hour, he comes out and lights up a cigarette in front of the store, with no cart and no groceries!  So he wanders over when he's done and says he didn't have enough money, does he have his checkbook in the car?   So I said I'd go in and take care of it.  I find the cashier was actually waiting for him, thinking he'd be right back!  The line was getting longer, people were standing there impatiently, and they were starting to unbag his groceries.  Instead of hurrying to get more money, he stands outside and smokes a cigarette while they were waiting!  I was so embarrassed, running in with my credit card.  I was covered in dried sweat and I know I looked and smelled like death.  Then my dad came back in behind me who smelled worse than me, so it was like Stink 1 and Stink 2.  He spent $180 on CRAP - tons of junk food, boxes of Hershey gift box candy, magazines, cross word puzzles, and of course beer....it was so eye opening and bizarre.  I brought him home, helped him unload his groceries, and left to come up with a plan of attack for him.  Where would we begin?