Dad

So...interesting how life throws "curve balls" at you.

I received a call from my brother-in-law on Tuesday night informing me that my dad was in an ambulance, on his way to the Mt. Ayr hospital.  Apparently, he was outside, filling birdfeeders, and his legs went numb.  He couldn't make it into the house, and mom couldn't get him inside, so they called the ambulance and rushed him to the emergency room.

At 5:00 Wednesday morning, mom called to say that he had been taken by ambulance to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines.  They were going to air lift him there, but the cloud cover was too low, and they had to do it by land.  They did emergency surgery to try to clear plaque, cholesterol, and blood clots from his aorta.

Turns out his legs had gone without any blood flowing through his veins for about 10 hours.  Not sure how that's possible, as I would THINK one would be able to tell that something was wrong, but apparently not.  Permanent muscle and nerve damage occurs after 6 hours, so, at this point, the doctors are not sure if he'll ever walk again.

The part of his aorta that separates around his belly button was 100% blocked for about 6 inches.  Because of this, his kidneys may have also suffered damage.  It's possible that he will need dialysis for the rest of his life.

At this point, it'll be about 6 months before we'll be able to tell what the extent of his injuries are.  At the hospital, they cut slits from his knees to his ankles, and had to leave them open, to make sure that the muscles didn't swell so much that they were destroyed.  So...he's in intensive care, loopy as ALL GET OUT because of the morphine (at one point, he asked where his purse was, and at another wondered what we thought of the motel room we were in...), and has a FOUR hour surgery on Monday at 12:30 to do a bypass around the blocked part of the aorta.

It's been a REALLY long couple of days in the waiting room and ICU, and I'm SO not good at the "sitting around doing nothing" thing.  I've read about 20 magazines, paced incessantly, crabbed, griped, and done the SNARKY thing, and we still have LOTS of hospital time to go...

I'm worried, and concerned that things will NEVER be the same again, and am trying to come to grips with the fact that my AMAZING father may forever more be wheel-chair bound, and in need of dialysis on a weekly/monthly basis.

If you pray, please do so...if you offer concerns to the universe, please do so...if you just want to think happy thoughts...I'm good with that too!

Here's hoping YOU are happy and healthy!  Enjoy walking, and being with loved ones, and don't take a SECOND of your life for granted.  It can change in an instant...