Swim Team 2009

It's hard to believe that summer is half over. Unfortunately, most of the summer has been consumed with my dad's ongoing medical problems, and I feel bad for the kids that we have been unable to take part in our usual summer activities. However, one of the bright spots for all of us was taking part in our neighborhood swim team. The kids always have a great time doing this and the exercise is great too! They are able to meet children who live in the neighborhood and do some socializing with kids their own age in a fun environment. Our team, The Seahorses, went undefeated and were declared the division champions at our All-Star Meet. Wolfie was asked to swim in the all-stars this year and he was so proud! It takes place downtown at the pool were Michael Phelps recently swam when he was in town so it was a BIG deal to the kids. Here are some pictures from our end of season party......

There was terrific food and a DJ and the kids got to dance and act silly. Oh, to be a kid again.......

My dad is still about the same. They have reduced the rate of the respirator so that he is breathing more on his own which is good. It did make him feel panicked and short of breath, so they had to give him some Ativan to calm him, which knocked him out again. He is running a fever of about 102 so that is concerning the doctors. They have been running all sorts of tests to see where the infection could be. This is beginning to sound so familiar to what I went through with my "mystery fever" after DQ was born. Hopefully, they will be able to discover the cause of the fever soon and get it treated with the appropriate antibiotic before it gets worse.

We are planning to get "Back to School" on Monday. I think this will work because I don't normally go down to the hospital until later in the day anyway. The kids are all moaning and groaning but it is time. I think it will help them to be on more of a normal routine and they won't feel so "out of sorts" like they have over the past few weeks. Dad's illness has been really hard on the kids (and DH) without mommy being home and they can definitely pick up on the fact that everything is not going as planned. I think the more normal I can make things, the better it will be for all of us........

Raven Knob 2009

I know this blog has been consumed lately with my dad's health problems so I wanted to post some pictures from Wolfie's trip to Boy Scout Camp. He went for a week up to the mountains and had a great time. He even learned how to sail by himself :)

My dad has not really improved much. He is stable as far as the heart goes but they are having alot of trouble with getting him off the respirator becuase of his damaged lumgs. They are giving him a tracheotomy (sp?) today in the hopes it will help his condition. At least he will have that tube out of his mouth and I think it will make him more comfortable......

My dad is still in a medical coma. We are hoping that thye are going to begin waking him up today or tomorrow. Please pray that everything goes smoothly and he does not get agitated and undo the work of the surgeons.

No One's Laughing at God

I found this song on one of my favorite blogs this am. It really touched me. I hope you enjoy it too.........





Laughing With Lyrics:

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one's laughing at God when they're starving or freezing or so very poor

No one laughs at God when the doctor calls after some routine tests
No one's laughing at God when it's gotten real late and their kid's not back from that party yet

No one laughs at God when their airplane starts to uncontrollably shake
No one's laughing at God when they see the one they love hand in hand with someone else and they hope that they're mistaken

No one laughs at God when the cops knock on their door and they say "We've got some bad new, sir,"
No one's laughing at God when there's a famine, fire or flood

But God can be funny
At a cocktail party while listening to a good God-themed joke or
Or when the crazies say he hates us and they get so red in the head you think that they're about to choke

God can be funny
When told he'll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie
Who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus
God can be so hilarious
Ha ha
Ha ha

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a warNo one's laughing at God when they've lost all they got and they don't know what for

No one laughs at God on the day they realize that the last sight they'll ever see is a pair of hateful eyes
No one's laughing at God when they're saying their goodbyes

But God can be funny
At a cocktail party while listening to a good God-themed joke or
Or when the crazies say he hates us and they get so red in the head you think that they're about to choke

God can be funny
When told he'll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie
Who does magic like HoudiniOr grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus
God can be so hilarious

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war

No one's laughing at God in a hospital
No one's laughing at God in a war

No one's laughing at God when they're starving or freezing or so very poor

No one's laughing at God
No one's laughing at God
No one's laughing at God
We're all laughing with God


HT:http://mommylife.net/

2 Giant Steps Backward

My dad ended up back in surgery yesterday. Apparently the wires that were holding his rib cage together pulled apart the bone on his ribs and that is why he has had so much pain when he coughed. Each time he coughed the bone fragments would hit each other. He will be in a medicine induced coma for 4-5 days while they grow the cultures taken from his chest to see if he has an infection. My mom and I are exhausted and this will give us the opportunity to get some rest while he is sleeping becuase he is going to have a very long recovery from this. They are still concerned about his pneumonia but everything is in God's hands now.....

Time Warp

I feel like I have been living in a time warp. My dad is still in the hospital but he is finally beginning to improve. It has been a long 10 days of ups and downs. I have spent a lot of time with him at the hospital because he gets very anxious if he doesn't have family with him. My other family members have hospital "psycho"sis and are very uncomfortable being there, especially my mom, so voila! I get the job. I used to be afraid like that too, but after everything I have been through over the last few years, it doesn't really bother me anymore. I think of hospitals as places of healing and rebirth. The only thing that has bothered me is all of the beeping from the monitors every time there is a change in the rhythm of the heart or oxygen level. At first those beeps made me want to jump out of my skin but I'm used to them now and hardly look up to see what's going on. I would like to thank my mother-in-law and sister-in-law for their guidance on some of the withdrawal issues my dad has experienced as well. They are both seasoned nurses and were both spot on with their advice. Thank You!

My dad will be in the hospital for at least a few more days, maybe into the middle of next week. The doctors have told us that most of his problems are directly linked to his heavy smoking. The challenge for us is going to be to keep him from smoking when he gets home. He is very stubborn and will probably deny that it was smoking that got him there in the first place. I probably should have video taped those first few days in the hospital, so he could see himself gasping for air. My sister is also a smoker so I am praying that after seeing all of this she may have a change of heart too.

The kids have been doing okay through this. They are acting out of sorts. With me being at the hospital so much, especially at night, they have been very clingy and emotional. They can sense that something is wrong and are hanging around to eavesdrop in on the "adult" conversation. We tried 2 sleepovers for the girls, with Ms. Ann & Aunt Sara, but they ended up wanting to come home. They got to go see Grandpa yesterday for the first time and I think it helped relieve their fears to see him. It was good for Grandpa too!

Before all this happened, we had planned to go to the beach for the 4th of July. We were supposed to leave today but obviously our plans have been side railed. But, I think we have worked out a plan. My brother and his family are going to go down over the weekend while I stay here and help at the hospital. Then on Sunday, he is going to come back and Sara and I and the girls (Charlie's going to boyscout camp for the week) are going to go down and join his wife and kids for the rest of the week. That way my brother can stay over at my mom's all week and help her when My dad comes home. My sister is ready to help now too. She has been sick with the flu, that my whole family had before the surgery, and has not been able to come to the hospital all last week because the babies have been sick. So, I guess I shouldn't feel guilty if I leave and go the beach for a few days? I am so exhausted.....and I do feel guilty. What if something happens while I am away? I am so torn.

It's hard watching a parent go through this. How did they become so "old" overnight. My dad is only 70 but this last year, he has aged so much. One of my very good friends mother has just been diagnosed with Alzheimer's at 68. She told me the other day that her mom did not recognize her one evening and it just broke my heart to see her pain. I don't want to ever burden my own children in this way if I can take steps now to try and prevent it. My husband has been very affected also by my dad and the passing of Michael Jackson and Billy Mays of heart disease at age 50! That is only a few years older than he is. He has started swimming again at the Y and I am so glad to see him making the effort.

Life is a gift and we only have one vessel. We need to take care of ourselves because that is what God wants us to do. We need to manage the stress in our lives, eat better, and spend LOTS of time with our loved ones. I think I will go to the beach. I think He will watch over my dad for me while I take some time to repair my vessel from all of the worry and stress of this period.

Thanks for listening to my rambles.... This blogging really is good for the soul.....and STAY TUNED, we will get back to our regularly programmed schooling very soon!