MY DAD

The CT on dad's brain was normal. Praises and exaltation to our Lord Jesus!

I drove to Vanderbilt yesterday afternoon after spending a teary morning in my office worrying about Dad. My boss came in around 1:00 PM, heard what was going on and said come on Velda, we are leaving, me to lunch and you to the hospital to be with your Mom and Dad. He has been very good about my time off and I appreciate it very much. I was about 45 minutes into my trip and I got covered with absolute peace. I knew I was going to hear positive news and I was not disappointed. They are still worried about his lack of responses, but it may just take time. There is a new worry every day with Dad.

I was able to take Mom to her home last night and stayed the night with her. Mary stayed at hospital and Tim is bringing Mom back to hospital this afternoon. She needed a break. Hoping Mary will go home tonight and allow and trust Tim to take over as "watch dog and protector" of both Mom and Dad. She needs a break too. We are all taking our times and have a tentative schedule to take turns ...

DAD

They are going to do a CT scan on Dad today on his brain. They are checking for brain activity.
They have had to put him on another sedative because he is moving his head back and forth a lot and they are afraid this will dislodge his air tube. They just want him to be calmer than what he has been.
They put in a second feeding tube, but it had to come out and they are now going to feed him through an IV, but will try the feeding tube again later.

Mary and Mom have been talking to Dad and they both feel that they have gotten responses from Dad, but his team of doctors want to see more response than what they have.

This is what they are most concerned about now - his brain activity.

I don’t know how to pray any harder than I have.

~ Update on Dad ~

They put a feeding tube in last night, but had to remove it because it was crimped; they will redo it later today; they are still trying to wean off more medicine; he is off sedation and are trying to get him to come around to consciousness; and respond to them (i.e., squeeze fingers, etc.) He is at high risk for infection; and they are worried about possible brain damage due to low oxygen for a while during surgery and heart attack. We are trusting in God as always on all of this as we have from the beginning. He (God) has been wowing Dad's medical team in these last few days because there was a point, when they bluntly told us, they had done all they could do and it was in God's hands now. But as I have said previously, that's where he's always been. Praise God. He is still in CICU and may be for several more days, still critical, but improving. His medical team has been amazing, informative and has made me appreciate them and Vanderbilt even more.

My sister and Mom are at the hospital alone now. I am at work. I plan to go back one day this week and then back to stay Friday through Sunday, unless something takes me back sooner. My brother is going to stay with Mom on Thurs and Friday, as Mary needs to work. We are all doing well, exhausted but good. Mom has been amazing, she has broke down a few times, but that is expected. She has been sleeping in Dad's room (they have a chair that lets out into a full flat bed which she says is fairly comfy) she says she has been sleeping well, but Mary is going to try to get her out for at least one night soon. We are trying to get a room at hospitality house, hopefully that will happen today or tomorrow.

Thank you all for your prayers. If you are continuing to pray, the doctor are most worred about his risk of infection and the possibility of brain damage.

Hope you are yours are all doing well too. I love you guys.

Just from Me

Sitting in the CICU waiting room. Can't sleep. People laid up all around me trying or succeeding in sleep. Musical snoring in competition with each other ... body odor too, wait is that me?
Dad still not doing well. They have paralyzed him, hoping to give his body a rest and give his heart a chance to heal some. They are not acting very hopeful at this time, but it's in God's hands, always has been.

Got on FB and was nice to see my friends and get caught up on the tidbits posted there. Ahh life goes on outside of this hospital. We get so consumed with our own little worlds sometimes .... ya know?

Was in the dining room earlier, saw a rat scamper up to the doorway, make a couple of quick passes and then disappear along the wall of the patio outside.

I've worn the same jeans for 3 days now. I may never wear them again.

Raining and dreary here.

~ FILLED ~

Traveling to Vanderbilt on Tuesday night after work I had the most awesome experience driving up I65. We were both traveling in silence consumed with our own thoughts, worries, etc. when I was suddenly filled with an awesome emotion, can't even explain it, it was quite overwhelming, I got chills all over, when suddenly I knew, that both me and my family were being prayed for by several people, maybe not together, but at that particular moment in time prayers were being offered and answered, I was being showered in prayers, I just knew it. If I had had the luxery of time, I would have pulled over and just wallowed in the feeling; I would have probably been glowing when I walked into Dad's room if I had done so.

Bear with me .... but it brought to my mind this song ...

Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place
I can feel His mighty power and His Love
I can hear the brush of angels wings, I see glory in each face,
Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place

I think I still have a little angel dust on my shoes ...

Wowed even now

Psalms 139; 17-18
How precious are thy thoughts unto me O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand...

Wow, just Wow.

I've been sitting in Dad's CICU room reading scripture out loud to my mom and even in our moments of worry and anxiousness, He has opened my eyes to something new in my favorite Psalms. I've read it, just not focused on those verses before ... HIS thoughts of us; of me; of my dad ... are more in number than the sand.

Just read it again and be wowed with me, or is it just me?

~ Wicked ~

I went to see Wicked last night in Nashville with two friends and it was great! Its the story of the witches of Oz, Glinda (or Galinda as she was first known) and the wicked witch of the East and the wicked witch of the West (Elphaba). Mostly it about about Glinda and Elphaba. You see them as children and on up .. Dorothy's presence is made known ... but she doesn 't actually make an appearance. It was a very good play. We went to Carrabbas to eat before the play and I can definitely recommend the talapia yummm! I have never really cared for anything I had there before, but last night's fish was awesome!

We had parked about 4 blocks away and as we left theater, the skies opened up and dumped buckets of water directly over our heads. I have never been so drenched while fully clothed! We stopped at Walmart and I bought some PJ pants to wear home. At least I was ready for bed when I got home at 2 AM ....

~ A weekend get-a-way ~

Guess where ....

Gary and I did a quick get-a-way over Labor Day weekend to the beach. We got there Friday evening and stayed through Wednesday. It was very relaxing and a nice break. We actually had planned a whole week vacation there, but I didn't want to be gone that long with Dad's condition still uncertain. He has been doing so well. His energy level is up and we've been so hopeful that the Huntsville doctor's prognosis about Dad would be proven wrong when he went to Vanderbilt.

He went this week and while his heart has regained it's strength, the doctors actually said he has a very strong heart - I am claiming that as God's healing! - his aortic valve is still leaking very badly, not just around it but in it. But unlike what he heard in Huntsville, Vanderbilt surgeon (Dr. Burns) says he feels because Dad's heart is so strong that he can undergo another open heart surgery, so it is scheduled for October 2. Still risks involved, but without the surgery, Dad's health will begin to decline and he may not live long. Prayers are very much appreciated and welcomed.

We came home from the beach and our very old cat had died in her sleep. I hate that she died by herself, but it was her time. Rest in Peace Sheeba. You were a good cat.

~ Ughhhh ~

Okay, first I tried on at least 5 different outfits before I left for work, while creeping around in semi-darkness because my husband is home sick - and still didn't feel good about my final choice; next, wearing new shoes that are now killing my feet; next, wearing a somewhat sheer blouse, with a cami underneath to hide the sheerness, only to find out after you get to work, that the cami doesn't do near good enough and now I will have to carry a file folder around in front of me for the remainder of my day for modesty purposes ...

My desk is piled so high with work that I can't see the woodwork on it anymore.

Ugghhhh ... It's just not a good day.