Half of my readers are my family…immediate, close, and extended. This blog’s audience and purpose has changed since it was started in 2004. Now, it’s a means to keep in contact with my family (and close friends). Let them into my daily life, thoughts, important happenings, etc.
So here’s the brief summary.
Before Christmas we learned Grandpa needed is aortic valve replaced.
It wasn’t anything too pressing and they were willing to wait a month or so.
Then on January 31st Grandpa had a cardiac cath and we found out one of his arteries was pretty severely blocked.
Things were suddenly much, much more serious. The surgery was scheduled for the next possible opening, Monday the 6th.
My Grandfather means the world to me. If you personally know me, then you know how close my family is. I am very much like my Grandfather. I get all of my athleticism from him. Half of my quirks and humor are from him (the other half from Grandma's randomness....the same randomness that makes me who I am.) I could go on and on about this man but if you've met him, then you know how amazing of a man he is.
Because of this I knew I had to come home. As with any heart surgery, it's risky. Factor in his age (he's over 80 years old)and what he needed done, and it becomes even more risky. I could not bear the thought of life without my Grandfather. But I knew it was a possibility. Therefore I wanted to be home. I would NEVER forgive myself if something happened to him and I was not here.
So although the surgery was just a week away and tickets were obnoxiously priced, we found the means to get me home. [Thank the Lord for my amazing and loving husband who understood how important it was for me to be home with my Grandpa and my family. I know he wished he could have been here as well.]
I flew home Saturday afternoon and spent quite a few hours at my Grandparent's house visiting with them. I love those two so much!
[My brother also came in town so it was wonderful to be able to see him too! I love that kid a lot too but you all know that by now!]
Monday morning we all arrived at the hospital. (By we all, I mean my parents, my brother and I, 2 uncles and 3 aunts. We're a close family...I'm telling ya!) Grandpa was taken back for pre-op at 8:58am (talk about effient! He wasn't even scheduled until 9am! When does that happen?!) Pre-op took about 2 hours. In this time, they allowed us all back in the room. Right before it was time to say our goodbye to him, we all gathered together and prayed together.
Prayer....what a powerful thing. During the prayer, I could feel my body relaxing. Afterwards, it seemed the room was rid of all tension. Everyone seemed a bit calmer. Especially Grandpa. We all hugged him and kissed him goodbye (and if you know my family, you know we all had tears in our eyes....because we're criers) and left Grandma alone with him.
Immediately after, they moved us up to the 3rd floor of the main hospital, into the ICU waiting room. We took over that place! And those of the family who had to work came to the hospital afterwards.
It was a long day. Thank goodness for the family I have. We are a fun and loud group. We were able to use our humor and love to help us through the day. We all brought laptops, books, work, etc to do for the many hours we were there. .......And none of us did any of it. We just talked and laughed. Kept it all light-hearted. Kept us all smiling and laughing. Defense-mechanism? Denial? Maybe. Probably. But it worked. We weren't worked up or in tears or pacing. There were moments of silence and that's when you knew we were all wondering and thinking the same thing...worrying. But we kept each other laughing and smiling and I am forever grateful for them.
We were just our usual loud, obnoxious, laughing family. And I know that's how Grandpa would have wanted it.
Finally, at 4pm the doctor came to talk to us. Surgery went well and even finished an hour before we were told it would! We learned that part of Grandpa's issue was congenital. He was actually born with this defective aortic valve. About 5% of people are born this way but most of them have their valve give out and cause issues in their 50's. So the doctor was very impressed that his heart lasted 30 years past when it should have!!!
Here's my healthy heart plug. EXERCISE! My Grandpa has always led a clean lifestyle....no smoking, no drugs, and he constantly exercises. He played soccer and softball into his 40's, he still bowls on a league and golfs regularly. He's been healthy until now. People who know him cannot believe that he's in his 80's. He's a very "young" old man.
About an hour and a half after we saw the doctor, Grandpa was in his room and we were allowed to see him, but only two at a time, and for only 10 minutes.
It was so hard to see him in this state. [However, he did look a million times better Grandma did years ago. Granted, she did have a heart attack.] Seeing anyone in this state breaks my heart, even random people on television and in movies, but seeing my own strong, happy Grandfather....it was hard to take. I just wanted him to open his eyes and smile. I wanted to know that we were in the clear and didn't need to worry anymore.
From early evening until about 10:30pm, we were all in and out of his ICU room. Grandma stayed in and the rest of us took turns being the second person in there.
We all finally left about 10:30pm and I'm sure not a single one of us slept that night.
All week, I came in to the hospital between 7am-8am and spent the entire day there with Grandma and Grandpa. I leave at night between 9pm-10:30pm. The rest of my family has jobs so they are obviously not there all day. Grandma and Grandpa don't have the best of hearing. So on top of keeping them company, I'm also serving as the ears in the room. I make sure to write down anything important that the doctor or nurses say and I also text all my aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings, and my parents with any new updates. (
I'm very grateful to be able to be here to help out. It's the least I can do for all the days he sat with me in the hospital after my surgery (when his own wife was in the hospital for a knee replacement surgery) and all the days he sat with me during chemo. Not to mention everything else he's done for my in my life.
I know my family is also very thankful I'm here to sit with them.
It's the least I can do for every single thing my grandparents have done for me. It's also so nice to sit with them for 14 hours a day. To hear stories, new and old, about their childhood, my mothers childhood, and stories about my childhood. I've really enjoyed my time with them. It might not be the ideal situation but I'm enjoying it none the less.
I'll tell you one thing, this.is.exhausting. I know all I do is sit for 14 hours in the hospital. But it has to be one of the most exhausting things ever. It's so draining. It's incredibly taxing on the mind. Which then creates exhaustion on the body. I'm just so tense and stressed.
I go home and just collapse into bed. Yet I can't sleep. I'm so anxious and stressed that I can't fall asleep. When I finally fall asleep, it's not a deep sleep. I wake up the next morning feeling so completely unrested.
(My mom even said sitting at the hospital all day Monday was more tiring that going to work all day AND sitting at the hospital the rest of the week.)
But it's worth it. All of it. Grandpa is worth ever single bit of it.
As for the update on him: He's doing FANTASTIC! He's progressing so quickly! The doctors and nurses are completely amazed at how well he's doing and in such a quick time. They said even their MUCH younger patients don't do this well. He's such a strong man! What a boss!!
So there you have it. The low down on Grandpa.
The low down on what I'm doing here.
Time is going by too quickly. I leave early [very early] on Sunday so I need to soak up all the family time I can!
I want to thank you all. I am so incredibly grateful for my friends. It's times like these that you find out who truly cares about you. I had friends texting/Facebooking/emailing me all day Monday to get updates on Grandpa's surgery. And then again over the next few days wanting to know how he was doing, how I was doing. If there were anything they could do. Anything they could bring by the hospital. I cannot tell you how grateful I am for each and every one of you. It truly means so much to me. Thank you. Your prayers and thoughts have helped Grandpa, myself, and my family so much. I love you all! ...obviously you all know who you are ;)
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