Prayers are being answered
3+ weeks ago, my 80 year old Dad was admitted to the hospital with blood clots in both lungs. As they did testing, they found a serious clot in his right leg. Doctors installed a blood clot "screen" thru his neck to catch any clots that moved. He was then placed on blood thinners.
A day or so after the blood thinners were started, he began serious bleeding from his bladder. Further testing showed a lemon-sized tumor in his bladder. He went in for surgery just hours after this was found. As my Mom and I sat and listened post-surgery to the urologist who performed the procedure to remove the tumor, we both feared the worst. The Dr said by far most of this kind of tumor are cancerous. It was. Chemo was started the next day.
Dad continued to bleed seriously and days later a second procedure was done to cauterize the bladder bleeding. He had to get 8 units of blood.
We are now almost 4 weeks since he was admitted to the hospital and my Mom and I have kept vigil. My Mom has slept in her own bed 2 nights since his 1st day there. My only sibling lives several states away and he can only come sparingly. At 79, she is wearing herself out but refuses to leave her companion of 61 years.
Dad is doing better. His white cell count has bottomed out and is slowly starting to rise. Hopefully he will get to come home later this week and his future chemo treatments will be out-patient.
All thru this, many friends whom I never knew until I became a member of Crappie.com have pretty much daily contacted me by phone or text to check on Dad, Mom and our family. To a person, they have all mentioned we are in their prayers. I have been a Christian most of my life but not the kind to hold up as an example of how we should live. Lots of times folks here have asked for prayers and I was willing to lift up a short prayer for their situation. My family has felt the hand of the Lord on us, my Dad, and the doctors and staff at Lourdes Hospital in Paducah,KY. We truly feel it is from the many prayers and concerns that have been sent our way.
Thanks to all here who were aware of Dad's condition. Thanks to Ed for allowing us to ask for prayers here. That is not the politically correct thing any more that it once was.
The next time somebody asks for prayers here, I'll be much more mindful of how much support is given with that request.
I'm hoping Dad will tolerate the chemo over the next several months enough for us to be able to pull some cranks later in the fall. Somebody on the Mississippi Forum said we should be mindful of our parents as much as we are our kids. I can say I'm blessed to still have both of mine and will try to enjoy each day we have left.Here are a couple of pics from our recent times on KY lake. Funny thing is they were taken 2 years apart but he appears to have the same clothes on.
http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m...pshrak7qro.jpg
http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps1ca2f9af.jpg
