Long Time No Post

I didn't mean to go so long without posting but life got a little crazy last week. For reasons that aren't rational, I had been dreading last week for quite a while.  Actually, I've been dreading Friday, August 17th.  That was the one year anniversary of the day Dad (after a catheter procedure) went into cardiac arrest and had to be brought back more than once.  

Photo from August 17, 2017 - just before we left for Dad's heart procedure.

Recently, I have had such a feeling of anxiety and dread for the anniversary and couldn't wait for the week to be over.  Monday morning, Mom called me at work and asked a question about my dad's pulse.  He had been told to hold his blood pressure medicine if his pulse was too low.  Dad's pulse was fine but my nerves went wonky and I was anxious.  I sent an email to my therapist and said, "Guess who needs an appointment?"  She told me to come in on Wednesday morning at 10:00.  

Let me stop here and remind everyone that at that time we were still waiting for the doctor to let us know when Dad's pacemaker surgery was scheduled.  I had emailed the Nurse Practitioner that morning and she said she would let me know later that same week.  

Tuesday, I walked over to visit Mom and Dad after work and found out that my Dad had been gone all afternoon with Daniel...driving all over the area.  On the way home, he stopped at the grocery store for some milk.  Dad said he was walking from the car to the front door when all of a sudden, he felt very weak.  He wrapped his arms around a pole and WHEN HE CAME TO he was on the ground with his arms still wrapped around the pole.  Praise the Lord that not only did my Dad not fall, there was a doctor beside him who had witnessed the whole thing.  He took Dad's pulse and it was 138.  I'm going to skip the rest of that story and just say that I emailed the NP and told her that Dad had passed out and what the doctor had said.  She told me that she was going to set Dad up for a pacemaker that very week.  

At that moment I was both relieved and terrified.  It was starting to look like we would be retracing our steps exactly one year later.  I couldn't bear the thought of being in that same cardiac pre-op  and waiting room on the anniversary of you know what.  Long story short, I spent my whole drive to the therapist's office on the phone with the NP setting up his surgery.  Thankfully, it was set up for Thursday so it was one day ahead of the 17th.  Then again...the 17th was on Thursday last year.  

My therapy session was invaluable.  Debbie had me close my eyes and remember every single moment last year starting from when I first found out there was trouble.  As I recalled each scary moment that had been burned into my memory, I let it go.  I was able to go to the hospital on Thursday without even taking a Xanax!  

I'd love to tell you every detail but that would bore you.  Let me just say that when we got to the hospital we were so surprised to see my Uncle Skee (Henry)!  He had driven in from Lake Norman, spending 2 hours in rush hour traffic on I-77!  You should also know that very day was Uncle Skee's 95th birthday.  He is amazing. 

It was so wonderful to spend the day with Uncle Skee.  He kept me so entertained with stories of growing up, serving in WWII, college, marriage, career, and now.  He had been married to my Aunt Isabel for over 60 years when she passed away last year.  

As soon as we arrived in the cardiac pre-op area, the nurses were so happy to see Dad.  They all came to visit him and were glad to see him doing so well. His surgery went well and he was released to go home later the same day.  

Tomorrow, we go to have his device checked by the technician.  This is scheduled for one week after surgery.  He hasn't been doing as well as we had hoped but, I'm not sure it is related to the Pacemaker.  He has been a little dizzy and a lot weak.  Of course, I'll keep you posted.