Surgery Day
That time has come. I have to be at the hospital at 0530 tomorrow for surgery at 0730. For the past week and a half the sheer apprehension of it has all but taken it’s toll. I’m anxious to have this behind me and get back to my life… a life where I can actually eat a full meal, the food tastes delicious and my stomach isn’t tied up in a knot.
Peace out and talk to ya soon.
Update 2
As of last night, Dad’s surgery is supposed to take place some time today. He’s been hospitalized again ever since last Thursday after a brief night of hell at home. I’m hoping they can go ahead and get this thing taken care of so he can get back home, recover, and go back to living his life. He told me last night that he knows this whole thing has been a mess – to which I replied it certainly isn’t his fault. That’s the kind of man he is though, always worried about inconveniencing others.
My aunt (Dad’s sister) is on her way up to Durham this morning to be with him post-surgery and get him back home, as he could be released as soon as tomorrow. I always feel like they release you too soon. Now I know I’m no doctor, but I’ve seen this happen far too many times to even count. People being released that can’t even walk, change their dressing, etc. – sometimes resulting in even more emergency care. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out it’s all about insurance and the money part. In any case, my thoughts and prayers will be with him today and I’ll be sure to give an update as soon as I know something!
Everyone here has been so kind with your thoughts and prayers, and I want you to know it means the world to me – and to Dad. 🙂
Update 1
What a mess. Poor Dad is back to being transported to the Durham VA hospital. Yesterday the Charlotte hospital had released him to go home when they learned he wouldn’t be getting the surgery done with them, and when Durham learned of the release (and also of his life vest continually attempting to go off and shock the ever-loving #%*! out of him) they advised him he was not safe at home and instead needed to be there.
I’m hoping to get a phone call from him when he gets to his destination, poor fella’s gotta be wore slap out since I heard he hasn’t slept since Wednesday night. Preliminary schedule for surgery is still late in the week next week, and we’re all hoping that date’ll improve. I know he so appreciates the prayers.
Topsy Turvy
Dad was supposed to have surgery this morning at 10:30. A lot happened yesterday that changed that.
It started with a phone call from the cardiovascular VA hospital in Durham. Now, I’m not gonna call out any names of hospitals that have most currently been involved with his care, but the cardiovascular team that is familiar with him in Durham were livid about a few things. For one, a more risky (to say the least) procedure was scheduled for this morning – one that could’ve ended up in open-heart surgery. Secondly, Durham could not believe that his defibrillator had been deactivated since Monday, and he was not fitted with a life vest (I wasn’t aware of what one was until yesterday). A life vest in medical terminology is basically a defibrillator within a vest. The question was asked, ‘but he’s in a hospital and being monitored – if anything happened, they’d be right there anyway’. Durham’s response was, ‘by the time a team got into his room with the proper equipment, a minimum of 2.5-3 minutes would have passed – would you really want to chance that time lapse?’ Guess I never thought about it like that…
Needless to say, Dad made the decision to go to Durham instead. The two teams (Durham and Charlotte) disagreed on his options, and in the end Durham was able to offer him more options as to the types of procedures for this most delicate position he’s in. They were going to transport him by ambulance the 3+ hour trip – but the surgery couldn’t be scheduled immediately so that wasn’t needed. The Charlotte hospital released him to go home (with life vest in tow) to await the surgery scheduling in Durham. Until then, I’m sure he’s glad to be home for a brief time – and I’m willing to bet his little dog Pedro most certainly agrees.
Out of the darkness
A very bright spot happened yesterday. I received a phone call from my daughter, who couldn’t wait to let me know she’d landed the job she’s been interviewed on for the past several weeks. It’s a much coveted placement in one of the southeast’s leading healthcare systems, Carolinas Healthcare System (CHS). Getting her foot in the door in a sector of this large facility is a dream come true for her, as they are well-known for their advancement from within. Carolinas Medical Center (CMC) is the flagship facility of Carolinas HealthCare, and the division she will work in. As one of North Carolina’s largest hospitals, it serves as the regional referral center for western North Carolina and northern South Carolina.
To gain a career within a sector of the ‘Tree of Life’ facility has been her dream for some time now, starting well before her college graduation this past May. It’s truly a blessing that it came about a) without her having an inside source, and b) being so fresh out of college, even with having a bachelor’s in Psychology. We’re all aware of the shortage of jobs nowadays, not to mention how difficult it is for a fresh college grad to get their foot in, well anywhere.
While I admit that her being my own daughter might more than sway my opinion, one only has to experience the pure ‘effervescence’ she emits while in her presence. She’s like a burst of fresh spun air – and her personality just rocks. Heck, I’d have hired her too.
Effervescence… thanks, Dad! There’s no other word I can think of more fitting. Bet ya didn’t think I’d use that one, did ya? 🙂
It also comes at a very pertinent time in her life – next month she will be moving into her own brand new apartment and embarking upon a whole new ‘life on her own’. Only now, she also gets to embark upon a new career. So happy for my babygirl!
Signed, Proud Mama
Life of Bon 
Recent Comments