Coffee? Tea? Serenity?

Hey, Angie!  Of course you can laugh.  Most people do when I share stories of my parents.  I recently mentioned to someone that I should video them.  Remember Edith and Archie Bunker?  The potential to produce a comedy show is there, don't you think?

 All joking aside, Dad's health is in a critical state at this moment.  The angiogram revealed that the left, front artery is blocked 99.9%.  The left artery in the back of his neck is blocked 100%.  An artery with 100% blockage cannot be repaired.  The good news here is that the front artery CAN be and will be repaired today with only a 2% risk of complications during surgery.  If not detected, he was a stroke ready to happen at any moment.  Still good news, is that the artery that has 100% blockage, because of the circulatory system at the back of the neck and brain, is likely not to cause any problems for him.  The flow of blood makes a circular flow at the back of the brain and the right artery can still supply blood to the areas normally supplied by the left artery.  The right front artery and right artery at the back of the neck also have blockages, but not critical ones.  These will be treated with medication and monitored carefully.  This results in him only having to have one surgery instead of the two.

If you all thought the prior post was funny, I wish I had the time to write of our entire day at the hospital.  Here are just a few stories:

Mom, Dad, Scott and myself all arrived at the hospital at the same time.  Dad was concerned about me, and I about him.  Mom raced to the restroom while Scott began his plan of making Paw laugh.  Everyone has kidded Mom, all of her life, on her slow paced walk.  With my back out of whack, I am actually walking slower than her.  Still, I walked my careful pace, entered the restroom, and was able to tell her to wait for me so that she could handle the heavy door of the restroom entry.

The first matter of concern was insurance.  Because of Dad's recent retirement, he had to make special arrangements to continue his group coverage through COBRA.  Arriving at the hospital, I learned that the insurance that he had set up through COBRA was reporting that he was ineligble.  Now, imagine Dad's mood on that one!  I got on the phone with his previous employer and was able to connect them with the person who we were speaking with at the hospital.  Just prior to Dad's being taken for the angiogram, they were able to settle his worry on this matter and explained that it was due to waiting on paper work through the COBRA insurance that things were delayed. In the end, all will be well and he will be covered.

As always, prior to receiving hopital treatment, one must give a list of medications being taken by the patient.  Believe it or not, Mom and Dad even argued on this matter.  Four hours later, the matter was still a topic of arguement.  With as much patience that I could muster, I said to them that if THEY cannot get the medication straight, how are the nurses, or any of us, supposed to be able to provide appropriate dosages.  This was all due to Mom saying that Dad was supposed to be taking a certain recommended dosage of aspirin.  Of course, Dad did not follow that recommendation, but he did continue his daily dose of "baby" aspirin.  Later, Chantix was discussed.  Mom said that dad was still taking it and Dad argued that he was not.

 And then, here comes Scott.  After the nurse was all done with what she had to do to prepare Dad for the WAIT of his angiogram, Scott gets down on bended knee beside Dad's hospital bed.  He gently takes hold of Dad's hand and says, "PAW.... Paw, if you die, can I have your truck??"  Most people would think this to be absurd, but if you know the relationship that they share, this was right on target for Scott.  To that, Mom replies, "NO!"....not to Dad dying, but to Scott having the truck!  Way to go, Scott, for breaking the ice!

I just received a call from them.  (6am) All is well.  Mom had a tone that said, "Get me outta here."  Dad said that if I am not bringing cigarettes and caffeine, then don't bother.  Hmmm.....this after yesterday him saying that he was GLAD that I was there.  I said, "See you soon, Dad."  He said, "OK."

Prior to speaking with Dad, I asked Mom if Dad was still alive....YES!  I asked if he'd been able to make it with NO stroke....YES!  I then asked if she was popping the the corks of chapaigne bottles.  NOOOO.... I don't have any!

The surgeon told Mom and Dad that surgery would take place somewhere between the 10am and 12noon hours.  I heard the words "45 minutes" at some point, but I am not sure if that was in reference to the surgery or the angiogram that was done yesterday.

I have all along been praying for Mom and Dad as they travel this journey to dad's renewed health.  It seems that God had plans of doing just that from the get-go.  HE prevented Dad from having a stroke; the only explainable reason to his not having one.  Perhaps I should have, all along, focused my praying on the rest of us?  Even with that thought, I ask that you continue to pray for Dad, for Mom, for the team of medical professionals who will care for him, and for all of us who will be longing to hear the doctor say that all went well.