July where did you go?

I cannot believe the entire month of uly has been here and now gone. Scott and I started the month off in Boston to celebrate our 10 yr anniversary. Why Boston? This is where we began our life together :). After a wonderful honeymoon we came home packed our stuff and moved to the city. Mom and Don joined us for the weekend and we had a Blast!! North End Itlian, Irish Pubs (Mc Dooley's), Fenway Park and Red Sox, Constitutions 21 Gun Salute at Castle Island, and an amazing 4th of July Spectacular!!!

New York was my next adventure of the month for Dawns Bachelortte Party! Stayed in Times Square, did the double decker bus tour, comedy show, dinner at Buddakan, and yummy dinners. Never fails a great weekend with my girls!!

On Monday, July 19, the boys were going to camp for the week. I am not sure who was more excited me or them :)!! Actually, it wasnt that I was excited to send them off for the day but for them to get to do fun things with friends and be away from home. On my way to drop them off I spoke to my dad, filling him in on Granddaddy Bob and his health. Before we hung up dad told me that he would be going in the next day to have a Nuclear Medicine Stress Test. He hadnt been feeling too well over the last few weeks (short of breath, up and down on his weight, and fatigued). I asked him to call me so I knew he did OK thorugh the test. Before we hung up he was teary eyed and his voice was shaky. I told him we all loved him.

I am very exhausted from my NY trip and all I can think about is going to bed ASAP!! The kids and I meet daddy for dinner and then I went to the grocery store. On my way home Scott calls me and says that Glynda just left a message on the answering machine and said to call her as soon as I could. Once I was home I called and she informed me that dad was in ER and they believed he had a heart attack. At that time I went into "survival mode". I must get to Thomasville! Scott immediately said "Im coming with you". In a 45 minute time frame we had Patsy coming first thing in the morning, my wonderful neighbor and great friend Becky took the kids for the night, and my other wonderful friend Cari has offered to take the kids to and from camp all week!! I am so blessed with the friendships that I have!!

During this chaos I also need to get in touch with my brother. By the way he is at church camp in the middle of NO WHERE and has NO cell service. Mom stepped up can somehow found the church camp phone #. Once I was in the car and on my way I was able to give what info I had. Talking to him on the camp phone was like talking in a tin can :).

Scott and I arrived at Archbold Memorial in Thomasville around midnight. Dad was in a critical care unit. He had a Levofed drip to keep his BP up, he was intubated, and diaphoretic. We stayed at the hospital throughout the night. At this point all I remember about that day (between no sleep for several days and the emotional stress) is wondering what exactly happened, trying to contact my brother, and meeting many of the dear friends that my dad has touched over the years. Uncle Tom and Bryan came over also. By 4:30ish we had spoken to the cariologist and the good news was we made it past the 24 hour point. Sometime that afternoon my dad was trying to communicate some with hands movements. As far as what he was trying to say or communicate I am not even sure if he knew what he was trying to say. He was sedated to help keep him relaxed. They had to restrain his hands so he would not pull out his breathing tube.

I had a very difficult time trying to communicate with my brother not only did he not have good cell service I had none at the hospital. Scott and I had to leave the hospital to be able to call, text, or send emails. Dave and Kristy decided that they would leave camp the next day and start the drive down to see dad. Scott and I went home late Tuesday night.

Wednesday I had a big desire to take and drop the kids off at camp. I was having major mommy guilt not being there for them. At this point I felt as if I was gliding through the day. My house was a mess, groceries were still on the counter needing to be put away (thankfully we had remembered to put all the cold stuff away), and I needed to decide when I would go back to Thomasville.

I left on Thursday morning to head back to my dad and meet up with Dave and Kristy. Dad has made some huge improvements. He is way more alert, BP medicine has been turned off, and he is ready to be exubated!!! His wish was the doctors command! By lunch time he was exubated and so happy :). Of course we all realize that he is still in critical condition and needs lots of rest. The doctors are amazed that he has progressed so quickly. All his lab work indicated no Heart Attack. He went into cardiac arrest because his heart is enlarged and it was too tired to continue to the work it needed to do. He has a mitral valve leak causing a back up of fluid and his left ventricle is so weak it can hardly pump enough blood back out to the body. He may have come off his meds and the ventilator fast but he is NOT anywhere near being better.

After a week in Thomasville I went home to have a, fingers crossed, quiet weekend with my family.

On Monday I began to talk to dads doctors along with Victoria and Bob still. Thank goodness for another great friend and her boyfriend who happens to be a cardiovascular surgeon in Jacksonville. They helped my gather questions for dads doctors to help Dave and I understand why dad is this sick. The phone calls didnt help my children cope with the fact that mommy has been gone. They watched more movie and TV than they had ever watched in their lifetime.

By the end of the week my dad was going to Tallahassee to have an internal defiberlator placed and going home (2 weeks in hospital). He was told that he should have open heart surgery in 6-8 weeks.

Although I know its not over I am sooooo happy to have some closure for a little while now. My kids and husband need me and I need them!!! Si I hope this answers where did July go :)