Rounding third and heading for home.
patrickredeyes
Posts: 8,834
For the past six and half months my father has been in 2 hospitals and 2 rehab places. What was suppose to be a simple prostate surgery in late September. Turned into a ordeal that I wish no family ever has to go threw. A blood clot that was in his leg went up to his lungs and then his heart. He had emergency heart surgery and if it wasn't for a a certain doctor who had just arrived at the Hospital. My father would have died no question.
Threw this long ordeal we have met many doctors and nurses and other medical staff. Also other patients and their family members we have met and become friends with some. You see these people everyday and they are going threw the same situation or even worse. You end up talking and sharing stories and sometimes comforting when bad news arrives. You hope for the best for them and even add them in your daily prayers.
Friday we got the news that my father is well enough and is coming home in 2 weeks. He has come a very long way and has been threw fucking hell and back. The word ''miracle'' has been used to describe my father's condition. He had tremendous odds and he beat them. He still has many months of rehab but for the most part he is ok. We were so happy to get the news and just glad he can come home. What makes this bittersweet is we also found out that one family we met along the way lost their loved one yesterday.
Steve who was waiting for a heart transplant for the past year and literally having machines keep him alive passed due to complications yesterday morning. He was 38 lived in New York but was from Wisconsin. He knew the odds were adding up against him but he never gave up hope. His family and our family met and became friends when we were both on the ICU 7th floor. Everyday twice a day he would walk around the ICU unit just to get out of his room and bed. He had 3 nurses following him. One in front and the other two behind pushing the machines that were keeping him alive. He would visit my dad and always tell him to not give up and keep fighting. :(
I'm sharing this information cause I need to get it out. I feel happy as heck that my father is coming home. But feel so sad inside for Steve who won't be coming home. I feel even worse for his loved ones. We were so close to loosing my father it still shakes the shit out of me. At times I wonder and I have told my dad this. Why did the powers above save my father and not take him? What purpose does he have for still being here? It's amazing what all goes threw your mind when your loved one is on death's door. Literally mins away from passing on and then it all turns around. But for 3 weeks after we didn't know how bad if any damage there was to his body or brain. It was alot of days of being at the hospital from early morning until late at nite. Sitting in the waiting room and taking turns going to see him. Watching him and myself wondering will I ever get to talk to him again. This stuff just fucks with your mind and emotions.
Who knows what lies ahead for him or any of us. Tomorrow he is getting his G tube/feeding tube taken out of him. After that is done were taking him up to the 7th floor were he stayed for almost 2 months. I'm sure they will get a kick seeing him again. These were the people that saw him at his worst and took great care of him. Anyway alot of things to do this week as we get ready for his return home. Installing more safety bars and moving furniture around. I so need a vacation. lol
Thanks for listening.
Threw this long ordeal we have met many doctors and nurses and other medical staff. Also other patients and their family members we have met and become friends with some. You see these people everyday and they are going threw the same situation or even worse. You end up talking and sharing stories and sometimes comforting when bad news arrives. You hope for the best for them and even add them in your daily prayers.
Friday we got the news that my father is well enough and is coming home in 2 weeks. He has come a very long way and has been threw fucking hell and back. The word ''miracle'' has been used to describe my father's condition. He had tremendous odds and he beat them. He still has many months of rehab but for the most part he is ok. We were so happy to get the news and just glad he can come home. What makes this bittersweet is we also found out that one family we met along the way lost their loved one yesterday.
Steve who was waiting for a heart transplant for the past year and literally having machines keep him alive passed due to complications yesterday morning. He was 38 lived in New York but was from Wisconsin. He knew the odds were adding up against him but he never gave up hope. His family and our family met and became friends when we were both on the ICU 7th floor. Everyday twice a day he would walk around the ICU unit just to get out of his room and bed. He had 3 nurses following him. One in front and the other two behind pushing the machines that were keeping him alive. He would visit my dad and always tell him to not give up and keep fighting. :(
I'm sharing this information cause I need to get it out. I feel happy as heck that my father is coming home. But feel so sad inside for Steve who won't be coming home. I feel even worse for his loved ones. We were so close to loosing my father it still shakes the shit out of me. At times I wonder and I have told my dad this. Why did the powers above save my father and not take him? What purpose does he have for still being here? It's amazing what all goes threw your mind when your loved one is on death's door. Literally mins away from passing on and then it all turns around. But for 3 weeks after we didn't know how bad if any damage there was to his body or brain. It was alot of days of being at the hospital from early morning until late at nite. Sitting in the waiting room and taking turns going to see him. Watching him and myself wondering will I ever get to talk to him again. This stuff just fucks with your mind and emotions.
Who knows what lies ahead for him or any of us. Tomorrow he is getting his G tube/feeding tube taken out of him. After that is done were taking him up to the 7th floor were he stayed for almost 2 months. I'm sure they will get a kick seeing him again. These were the people that saw him at his worst and took great care of him. Anyway alot of things to do this week as we get ready for his return home. Installing more safety bars and moving furniture around. I so need a vacation. lol
Thanks for listening.
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it pains me to hear about people like steve....38 is way too young to walk the long road
Miracles happen here.
EV: Los Angeles 4.12.2008, Los Angeles 4.13.2008, Nashville 6.17.2009, Nashville 6.18.2009, Memphis 6.20.2009
It shocked us when we got the call about his passing. He was so strong and seemed it was gonna work out. He wanted to make it to a Yankee's game this season.
It is tragic about Steve. My heart goes out to him and his family. As Norm said, thirty-eight is far too young. His life may have been cut short, but it sounds as if he made an amazing impression on so many that he met.
I'm thankful that you had such amazing care and support from the staff (and from other families) as you and your family went through this experience. It is truly remarkable how often these people can make the unbearable times bearable.
Our outlook on life has dramatically changed and we no longer take each other (or anyone/anything) for granted.
I wish your Dad, you and your family well.
{{{Hugs}}} and best wishes to you and your family as well.
It is so sad in CCUs, etc. My sister had a lot of stays there in her lifetime and is very difficult.
Take care ....
Where I'm not ugly and you're lookin' at me
Well wishes to all parties. Take care.
EV- 08/09,10/2008.06/08,09/2009
but as another 38 year old named steve, that sucks about the other person.
Who is to say who lives and who dies, I guess that all depends on your faith.
I’m sorry for Steve and his family, but am happy for yours.
I hope you don’t mind, but I’m going to do it again.
I can not stress the importance of blood donations. When a family member/loved one becomes ill, you come to realize that total strangers who were willing to donate, literally, their blood, will play a part in saving your loved one’s life.
30,000 units of donated blood are transfused into patients every day across the United States alone.
Think about it.
And thanks for all the well wishes from everybody.
On a side note I look forward to going back to Denver at the end of April.
I don't know where to begin to explain.
It's just alot harder then it seemed it was gonna be. His walking should be alot better and it's not. It's gonna take some time but I hope it gets better. Not just for him but for my family also. I worry about my mother cause she has been threw alot and has had to make alot of decisions. He is listed as home bound so the PT and OT nurses have been over. That's just a little sample of what its like. IMO he is not ready to be home alone. Were all taking turns helping out. God I don't want him to fall and break a hip or something. But today its been a ok day.
I can imagine it's hard to watch though. You feel helpless. But I'm sure your being there means alot to both of your parents.
Denver will always be there.
My nephew, age 38, stays with them now, but he's very irresponsible, but at least they are not alone. They refuse to move from their home to any of ours.
I pray you have the strength to continue. Take care of yourself as much as you can or you are of no use to them. If you have to sllep, then sleep. Let someone else take over.
We never got a ramp on the house, so its a big ordeal to get them out for doctor appointments. Thatr's where the nurses benefit us so much. It decreases the times we may have to had taken them out.
Good luck to you.
This week we started with all the OT and PT stuff. He had speech and swallow but he's coming along well in that area so he doesn't need it right now. I don't know all the details but my father has 45 visits in a year with all of the nurses and stuff. We have to pick and choose in what areas he needs the most. I see how its all a game and stuff. Each nurse telling us different info on certain stuff. It's gets to be too much. And now its too much daily. It's nice that they do come to the house. Just something new we have to get used too. Since October its been something new almost daily.
I'm really not worried about me but I do have moments. I'm more concerned about my mother. She has the shortest fuse I've ever seen now. I understand why she feels how she feels. But even myself or my sisters have to tell her to leave the room sometimes. She jokes she's on borrowed time. Meaning she has been alive 2 more years longer then any other woman on her side of the family. I hate when she starts talking about it.
I know all of this is way to much and I wish it would ease up for her. We get our rest when we can. Thanks for your thoughts.
Be well.
good luck!
Oh she gets out. I think today she did go out this morning and get her haircut. Next week she has work to go back too. My sisters do get her out but they do separate things together alot of the time. My two sisters do not get along at all. And that's a whole other chapter in this ordeal.
My mother is the oldest of four kids and has always taken care of everybody and everything. As a kid she went to school and came home and worked the family bar. lol She's a tough lady who doesn't take any shit. She does have a few close friend's and family that get threw to her. They also take her out and do things with her. Help take her mind off this all. Thanks for the advice from and you and everybody.
It seems, at last, that each of us has found our own place in their care. We each can handle different areas in different ways. So, we do what suits each of us best. Like, I would never want to clip my dads toe nails, eeww!!! My nephew has no problem with it.
I honestly hope your dad gets through this, as well as your mom and the rest of the family. Its tough and I know it.