i titled this post before I wrote...cuz thats what has been going on in our life for the last while. I'd post the whole quote if i knew it properly, but its not my forte-I love those wonderful quotes, but am terrible at quoting them-thats Alyssas forte!! Anyway, its not everyday, or just anyone that gets the opportunity to have a second chance, or even a wake up call to realize that life is short and lets make the best of it!! Here's our families story...
Last Thursday evening, at 1120 pm, our phone rings and its Anita asking what she should do with my dad. He was having severe chest pain, and looked rather unwell. Sounded like classic heart attack symptoms to me, and suggested he needed to go to hospital. Quick discussion ensued and conclusion was they would take and we'd go from there. I hang up the phone and my mind is running amok with all these thoughts!!! My dad had spoken to my sister by phone that day, and he had visited Rol's house, my house, and had gone to Rogers for night. That along with Beth being home for the weekend, gave me one of those spine tingling shivers that is indicative of something not aligning positively. Del very quickly and wonderfully knew that I would not relax and wait at home and we left to join Rog, Anita and dad at the hospital. By the time we arrived, they had dad hooked up to the appropriate machines...(the wonderful fellow staffers i work with!!) After tests and assessments, a phone call to the city by our doc had dad in an ambulance and transferred to the city. We went home to 'sleep' and prepare for the day ahead. To make a long story a little shorter.......from one hospital to another following a CT, a diagnosis of a dissected aorta it was! Consultation with appropriate specialists and surgery was ruled out as an option....... from ER to ICU to regular room, to home tonight. To rogers house tonight. And rotated through our homes for the next few days. The plan is to treat this by keeping the blood pressure on the low side. This for a man who had not been required to take medication till now. Ahhh my stubborn wonderful father. This will be a challenge for everyone.. us not to smother him, and him to give up some of his independence! Yes, he has been given the gift to see another day, but there is no guarantee of how many or how long. Quick note of explanation-dissected aorta...tear in the lining of the aorta, the main blood vessel leading away from the heart-dad has 2 tears in his aorta.
So he is tiring easy, has dizzy spells when moving about, and is having some memory issues. Hopefully time and plenty of rest and T'LC will help with these issues.
And that is what we've been 'doing' the last week. Amazing how lifes priorities change with one phone call! Life keeps going around you, and you blink and try to catch up!
So, tomorrow my dad is hanging out at our house......I guess its time for me to play chess or checkers...will be interesting!
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