Good News from Duke

So, Reid weighs himself of Friday, 192, and on Monday morning, 198!!! What's wrong with this picture? Now some of you that know him might think that "hops and barley" were involved, but not only has he lost his taste for such, his eating is still not totally back. So we begin our detective work, and what do we discover, but large ankles, a little water weight gain. Being the good "Nurse Ratchet" that I am, I have read all my material and know that we need to make a phone call. And we did, and we saw Dr. Kowalski that afternoon. After sharing with him this new information, his reply was, and I quote,"This is easy!!!!!" He put Reid on Lasix and said go forth and urinate. (actually he did not say that, I just improvised)
And this morning, Reid has lost 3 lbs, YEA! Ain't modern medicine grand!
He walked the Burlington Mall yesterday and today. He walked Costco on Sunday, pushing a cart with 40lbs of dog food, and a few other things I thought we needed. He is working hard, and not complaining.
Now, the good news from Duke is that they have moved up his appt from April to the end of February!!! We think that the good doctor from Burlington (Dr.K) called and asked and we sure are glad!! He will have a MRI on February 26th to get a "picture" of his heart and determine the next step, which we hope is a defibrillator/pacemaker. We will go on
March 13th for that report and go forward from there. We were very excited. And he goes for orientation for his Cardio Rehab on Feb 4th. So, for now, more walking at the mall, Walmart, Lowes, lots of places!!! And we have been blessed with lots of good food this week from lots of good friends. We certainly have been thankful, we are a lucky bunch!!
LYMI, B___

And We Move Forward

The lake was great!!! New scenery is wonderful, and the snow was sooo pretty. And Barrett did not have class so she came and spent the night, and that was a treat!! We got back home on Thursday afternoon. We had to stop at Walmart in Biscoe to get antifreeze, we got a "low coolant" message on the Suburban. Now, do we know how to have fun or not!!!!! The Biscoe Walmart is very clean and very well organized. I was so impressed. And then there were several issues with phone calls, and such that it wasn't until around 7pm that we stopped. And Lawson came home, so we were blessed with visits from both of our children. We are lucky folks.
Reid continues to move forward. he is walking, the Walmart in Albemarle is great! We are going to keep moving.
He is so thankful... for friends, for family, for co-workers, and for God's grace.
LYMI, B___

New Scenery

So.... Reid decided that he needed a change of scenery, so we came to the lake. Fortunately we got here last night, before the snow. And it was such a lovely scene this morning so see the white stuff!! And while it may be my imagination, I think Reid looks better. And he said that he feels better....YEA!!! Sometimes you just need something different to look at, it can be the best medicine. I am sure he had grown weary of the 4 walls on Saddle Club, and his nurse as well.
At least now he has a new view, if not a new nurse!! Cheap labor is hard to find!!!!
We continue to be grateful for each day and for strength gained.
LYMI, B___

Opps, an omission!

Bubba came by Saturday too!!!!! He just sat and visited too. And of course he reminded Reid that his nickname would no longer be Lorraine, Spike, or even jacka**, it was now "Lucky"!
And Reid agreed. He also shared that he had bought the beanie with the propeller, and had the plaid shorts ready, should Reid need them!! Thank goodness for friends!!! LYMI, B___

Another Milestone

It is Sunday morning. Reid has been home a week...Hallelujah!!!
His biggest hurdle right now is ridding himself of this incidious GOUT!!! He is taking his medicine for the dreaded ailment and has been told to eat cherries and drink cherry juice. Luckily HT has cherries on special(FYI, for Reid, it is important that the cherries be on special or they would not taste as good!!!) and he has been popping them as often as he can. On Friday, we walked Target, always a good idea in my book. And Dr. Benfield stopped by for a visit. Reid was happy to see him and be able to share with him in person, his heartfelt thanks for his leadership and geniune kindness. He also spoke with Trey of his appreciation to his collegues, Dr. Michael Marino, Dr. Elana Shaner, Dr. Jennifer Powell, and Dr. Erin Jackson. They have worked like a well oiled machine, not missing a beat, giving Reid their love and support, allowing him the time he needs to heal. He and I have talked often of our gratitude to them professionally and personally. We very simply do not know what we would do without them. And for the record, we are grateful to the folks that work with Reid and these doctors in all the offices. They have certainly understood the need to step up to the plate, and have done so beautifully. We are thankful and grateful to each of them.
His brother and sister-in-law, Steve and Dia, came by Friday night and brought dinner. We were both so glad to see them. Steve was my right arm during Reid's hospital adventure. He gave me quiet strength, was my second set of ears, and just helped me deal... And he did his best to "stare" the intubation tube out of Reid's mouth. And Dia took care of Steve, and being married to a Patty as well, I understand what she had to do. They are a determined bunch, for which I have been most grateful of late, but it does pose its issues as well. And then on Saturday, my brother and sister-in-law, Burt and Melissa, came and brought lunch. I love this eating thing!!!! I was certainly glad to see them, and Reid was happy to be able to spend time with them as well. Burt reminded Reid of when he and I first started dating and when Reid would come to my house, he and Burt would play basketball for hours. And believe it or not, they did not have one altercation!! Burt commented on how much that meant to a 13 year old kid.
If there is any one thing that continues to ring true for us, it is the impact you can have on other's lives. It seems that time is the biggest commoditiy, and we can give that any time...
I will close for today, being grateful for time, on so many levels. And as you see fit, we would love to share time with you all now, I think that Reid is ready.
I love you all and I truly mean it, B___

We Continue Forward Momentum

Reid went to his first visit with Dr. Kowalski yesterday. I am sure he was a bit apprehensive, not knowing what was on the agenda. Dr. Kowalski was awesome! He did a great job of bringing us up to speed on what had gone on with the heart attack and stent procedure, why he was on the meds he was on and what they did, and what lies ahead. He seemed please with Reid's progress as he keeps reminding us of where Reid came from. It is a sobering thought that less than 4 weeks ago, we were at Duke, unsure of the next hour, and now I watch Reid and marvel at God's grace. He is still working on grasping the magnitude of his progress. I tend to forget that I have 8 days head start on processing this miracle. He and I have been given a great gift... TIME. We are trying to remember that 'This Day' is the only day. We went to Four Seasons Mall today and walked, and he did great!!! And we talked about what a gift we had been given to have this time together, and that through all that we have faced, there is a new found intimacy that we treasure. And Lawson and Barrett feel it too. They call daily to check on their dad, and to discuss his progress. So far they are pleased with him and his nurse!! Thank goodness, or I would be replaced!! Reid will start Cardiac Rehab next week, and will probably have to have a defibrillator implanted early spring. Right now he is working on getting stronger and staying positive, and I will help with that positive part! He and I speak daily of the love that we feel for all of you. We continue to be humbled by your kindness!
Hopefully Reid will be ready for company next week, I am about ready to see some folks. I realize this is not about me, but I can only take so much!!!!!! Love you mean it, Beth

A Lost Day

Funny how time flies when you are having fun!
My desire to update all my friends on how I felt yesterday seemed forever to be waylaid by the occasional nap, the feeling of my strength sapping, and the inevitable need to see what Rachel Ray was cooking. Lots to do, only so much time to do it and once again me carrying the ball, a rough life. Seriously, for someone who has been lucky to miss only a few days over the years, it has taken an effort to make myself relax, even with Beth's daily encouragement.
It is true what everyone who has had a heart attack says that one of the hardest things is to trust yourself that it is not going to happen again. As a result, simply bending over to tie your shoe or pick up a blanket off the floor seems to be something you think about long enough that you just don't do it. I am apprehensive about my visit with Dr. Kowalski later today. Guess I have always been one of those people who expects blue sky and sunshine and I am not sure what I will hear today about the long term prognosis. Questions I was asked at Duke included my age... Am I young?... I guess so, relatively speaking. Do I smoke?... Other than the occasional stogie with Bubba on a camping trip, No... And finally, do I exercise?
This is where we all lie. While I have been in pretty good shape, and people usually say I seem pretty strong, in reality exercise for me usually means I get up, work all day, come home, drink a beer, watch Andy Griffith, eat supper, lay on the couch and fall asleep, then repeat daily. I don't think that is what they had in mind. I encourage you to stay strong, because in three weeks my legs feel like cooked spaghetti and my arms look like my Dad's.
Now comes the fun part. Lets see if we can put it back together and I will learn about that today at 4:00pm. Thanks for all your kind comments and for all of you that have followed this journey with us. Barrett and Lawson are happy in school, and Beth continues to amaze me with all she does for me and for our family. I will let you know how the doctor's visit goes.

Back to me again......

Well, Christmas is, truly, over, I guess, when the kid's leave for school, and, it is just me and Mom to carry on, and, that happened yesterday.
I will miss them, perhaps, a little more than usual, this time, but, I know it is time for them to get back to work, and, for me to begin to make a few more of the "baby steps" on my own.
I will miss the gentle touch that I did not know that Lawson had as he sat and held my hand, and, I will never forget that he kissed me, on the lips, when he left, and, he told me that he loved me.
I will miss having watched Barrett become a young woman. She protected me, like her Mother would have, with the doctors and nurses, and, for all of you that know Beth, she did it just like Beth would have done.
Then, just as quickly, she would read to me, or, tell me some wonderful story, and, at least for a moment, I would be transformed from where I was.
I'll miss them both.

A good day so far.......feel better, just not very strong. Still some problems with my stomach.
A work in progress......

This "blog" thing is wonderful.
I was speaking, earlier today, with Jolee, in Burlington, and, she said they all had been following the insertions, instead of calling.
I told her that, if you know me, and, really, really, know me, then you know I do not talk on the phone well at all. Most of you have an experience when you called, and, was told I was not there, and, you, correctly, suspected that I was. You've left me a call back, never knowing if it would come. Or, if you did, by some happenchance, get me on the phone, and, felt I was blowing you off...then, you are not alone.
I'm just not good on the phone, so, thank goodness for the "blog"!
In closing, I feel like a part of this healing is to make a list of the things you can change, and, to put an action plan into place.
One of the many, for me, will be to relish the voice of a friend, and, to embrace it, hold it, and, to take the time to remember the love it carries.
The kindness and love that you all have shown me will, forever, light the path I will be asked to follow.
Talk to you all soon.

Reid

Home, and, all that means....

What a beautiful Sunday morning.
I did make it home, on Friday, and, the last two days have been sporadic, to say the least......lots of goods, some bads, but, overall, there is, truly, "no place like home.".
I guess I am going through the time frame where your mind is telling your body,....."OK, sport, looks like your not going to die, so, we need to get everybody back on board, and, kick this thing back into gear!".
Funny thing is that this is when you realize your age, the limitiations of what your body can do, and, most of all, that, all of us, have allowed our bodies to, pretty much, do what it wants to do,.......it ain't easy to wake it back up.
My good friend, Dr. Bruce Kowalski, has agreed to continue my medical care, later this week, and, this will include a "cardiac rehabilitiation tract", which should help......won't be easy, but, it will bring me back.
Lawson says I am the most deterimined, and, frustrating of people. I had told him, weeks ago, that one of my goals, for 2009, was to lose weight and get in better shape. He will tell you that this is probably the way I chose to do it! Not the right way, but, MY WAY!
I still feel weak, but, I am getting stronger. Everyday has increased my appetite, and foods are finally starting to taste good again.
Thanks for all of your support. I feel like I am on the road to recovery after a rough three weeks.
This will be a Christmas I will never forget.
The first thought, I guess, is that it was full of sadness, very few presents, and not much friviolity.
The end thought is that it will be remembered as the best.
Friendships remembered and renewed. Patients reaching out to ask what they can do for me. My staff pulling together and saying "you just get better" People giving me the space to recover and heal, all the time letting me know how much they love me. The remembrance, for the zillionth time, of just how special my family is to me.
Now, that's what Christmas is, and I am blessed!!


Talk to you soon

Reid

Its homecoming y'all!

Ha. just thought I would be funny with the title. Dad is home, showered, fed, and watching golf. So now we are all sitting on the couch relaxing. Dad is making his circles and walking around the house like he supposed to. For those of you who do not know we have three dogs. A dachshund(sp?) named maggie, a sheltie named gracie, and a cockapoo named Bella. Bella lives with me at school but the other two stay at home. They are also large barkers so our next goal of the day is to attach some bark collars to our lovely pups. I tell you once we conquer one challenge it is onto the next! Ha but it has been good fun. Dad is especially fond of our weiner dog maggie and I think he will be glad to have his weiner back! (the dog I mean... DUH.) So we are all back together again. Lawson and I go back to school on Sunday so I trust that you wonderful people will be there to help my parental units get back into the swing of things! Maybe we will actually get a good nights rest tonight! I hope that you all rest easy and relax and know that we are all doing OK today. Mom has been talking with the doctors and gotten some appointments lined up for next week for Dad's care so Yay for taking care of ourselves! :) Have a wonderful afternoon friends!!
loveyoumeanit X infinity,
Barrett

This Day

This day.....
This day we feel God's grace.
This day we celebrate.
This day has been a while coming.
And as we are learning, this is the only day.
My husband,your father, your brother, you son, our friend takes another turn in his journey.
This day he is coming home!!!!!
To say that he is ready is a "mild" understatement!!!
He says that just seeing home will be the best medicine ever, for him and for us!!!
I want to express to each of you the unending gratitude that I feel for your continued
love. I do feel it every minute of every day. And while you may feel at a loss as to what to do,
just know that what you have been doing by loving us continues to sustain us.
I do have one more request, and that is you be patient a bit longer while Reid acclimates to home and give him some space as you have been so generous with in the past.
I love you and I mean it, Beth

Ready to be home.

So today was another good day for Dad. He was continuing to respond well to the medications and the doctors are ready to kick him out tomorrow! Long day of getting things ready and signing papers and all that mess tomorrow but a successful day today. Mom has been kidnapped by her buddies for a night to relax and lawson and I are taking a night to hang with friends and relax as well. I will make sure to alert you as soon as the patient is securely back in our home and I am sure as they set up cardiac rehab times he will be ready to visit with all of you! That is provided he and mom don't kill each other! :)
lymi,
BB

The Patient Speaks Again!

For somebody who has been blessed with pretty good health, and never spent much time in the hospital, going into my 3rd week at Duke has been an interesting experience. Beth said yesterday that I was pretty frustrated and she was right but everyday has some new perspective that seems to remind me to be patient and to realize these folks are trying so hard to help me. An interesting experience has been that the nurses from CICU have come by and visited and checked on me to be sure I was doing okay. Sometimes when they come by to see the folks they had gotten close they learn that they did not survived, so it made me thankful that they came to visit me and that I was still kicking!!! I'll never lose the reality I have now of how precious your health is and how quickly it can be gone. Just like you should treat everyday as a precious gift, appreciating the fact that you can lift something, mow the grass, or wash the dishes is just as much a gift. A really cool guy is my doctor, Dr. Zubin, who I don't have any doubt has my best interest at heart. He is excited that this is going well. Between a cholesterol med, heart regulator, diuretic, blood thinner, now he wants to tweak it with a baby dose of a beta blocker. Nice guy, but that's why those folks at Duke never get anything done micromanaging everything!! Guess he knows if left to my own vices, it won't be that long before I cause all those problems all over again. So I am really treating this as a life style and nutrition change so that maybe this won't happen again. Not sure of when I will be home, just wanted to let you know I am still here. But I do hope to be home soon. It is going to take some recovery time, some days I feel weak as a little boy, other days I feel pretty strong, but that's just when Beth is around.
Thanks for all of your kind comments on the blog, and all the cards. It means so much to me that you care and support us all so well. Nothing good about a heart attack, but on the other hand, I don't know that I would have ever understood the magnitude of all the friendships that I have. In the years I have left, this will be a gift that I will always treasure probably in ways I would never have understood had this not have happened. Thank you all for sharing a part of your life with me and allowing me to share a part of mine with you. Talk to you soon, Reid

Another Day Closer

This has been another good day. Barrett spent the night last night. She would share with you that it was at times a challenge. Her father apparently is ready to be home, and shared with her his displeasure with the hospital food, the persistent nurses checking his vital signs, and those dreaded blood suckers wanting more and more of the red stuff!!! And while we are all very glad to see that Reid has the determination to become strong again, we also recognize the energy we will all need to 'help' him with his recovery. Wish us luck!!!!
He does continue to respond to the medicines well. The doctors add a new one each day with the thought that if something goes poorly, they know what it is. As he weans from IV's to oral meds, he gets closer and closer to his homecoming. He is walking more and sitting in a chair most of the day. And he somehow has gotten the notion that he is in charge. We will have to work on that. The doctors did share with him today that indeed he did not have the "widow maker" heart attack. His attack was in a deeper place and that most folks with this type of attack don't survive, so they haven't had to name it. A sobering thought! It allows us all some perspective, and causes us to pause and be very humbled. We are a lucky bunch! And we continue to feel gratitude to each of you for your kind thoughts and deeds, your prayers, and your love. We feel the peace that you are sending our way. And we love you.
LYMI, B___

Two week update

From the patient:
Well, two weeks ago tonight was when all this happened to me. Beth tells me that it is the type of heart attack that they call a "widow maker" because it hurts so much most people just lay there. Like Tommy Spoon was a tough man he could handle the pain. I was not as tough as Tommy.
Beth tells me to take baby steps and I am trying. But when you are used to trying to do things for your family it is awful hard to stop. A joy today was greeted with a negative. They tell me that stopping the Dobutamine potentially could have put my heart into shock and kind of started everything all over but the injection fractions remain good and my BP is around 88/55 which is good. They are supposed to begin my Coumadin therapy tonight and I have been on heparin to help remove the blood clot in my heart. Anyway that all seems good. The down side is I have a lung infection of some sort. I guess just sitting too much and not being active enough. I continue to fight to go home, in fact today I said that today was the two week anniversary and it would be nice to go home.... I don't think he really cared. Barrett is with me tonight, she fixed me a wonderful dinner of potato soup, homemade bread (from the Farlows!) and a coke! Beth has taken the night at home. She is a real trouper. They told me to go "NPR" after midnight. They haven't told me what procedures they have left before I get home, but I am willing to do whatever.
Thanks to all of you who have written. The office staff said its amazing how many of you have called, patients, colleagues, and friends. It sure does mean a lot to me.
In closing, I am hanging on. Thought I would be home by now, but baby steps. It makes me appreciate that old saying, you don't know what you had in your health till its gone and I will work hard to get mine back. I will be in touch soon. Thanks again to Beth and Barrett for keeping this updated. Beth is usually with me most of the time and Lawson is the afternoon man. Barrett is my evening nurse and blogger with Beth. This has already meant a lot to me but as the years go on it will be mean even more how much of you care. Friends that I don't see very often like Ron and Elaine White are still there. Even though I suck at golf Steve Slott still likes to play with me. Its just a nice thing. I will be in touch soon. Hope I get a chance to hug you all soon! Goodnight.
Reid

restful night

Dad had a restful night with mom. She said he slept pretty well and had a nice breakfast this morning. They were able to wean him off most of the Dobutamine (we are at 1 instead of 3 this morning whatever that means :) ), which is the medicine that is helping his heart pump Lawson is taking the afternoon and mom is home now. I am on for dinner and the night. :) Hope to have him off the rest of the Dobutamine by the end of the day. There is a lung infection that is being investigated but we dont quite know the outcome of that yet and Dad is having a hard time understanding what "baby steps" means. :) Typical Pops. :) No worries though. Beth Patty is taking care of that! HA.
lymi,
BB

Sundays Info

Dad had a somewhat busy day. Lots of labwork and walking down the hall and such. When Jacob and I got to the hospital this afternoon he had taken a nice long nap and was getting ready to take a ride with mom around the hospital! So we tagged along and chatted. His spirits were high and after not sleeping very well last night I know he felt better after his nap today. He now only has two IV meds which is COOL! and they are working on getting him off those soon. Mom is spending the night tonight... I think she missed her boy. :) Luckily I think there was some good TV tonight! Dad's new room is cool. Nice view of the helicopter pad and such. So he was ready to get to bed tonight. I ate dinner with him last night and he had a large meal of a turkey sandwich and fruit which was the most I have seen him eat since he woke up. Very exciting! He is definately gaining his strength back. I see improvements every time I see him. :) I am very happy to see all these positive changes! Once I hear from mom in the morning I will post the plan for tomorrow!! :)
lymi,
BB

Our new favorite word STEP DOWN!

I have been granted permission by Barrett to update the blog today.
And the only reason said permission was given was because she is at
Duke helping Reid move to the STEP DOWN unit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So while he may not have been coming home on Saturday, he certainly did
make a move.
His vital signs continue to improve, and the transition from IV meds to
oral meds has been smooth. He is learning to take baby steps, and that
is a hard lesson, but a necessary one. We are all on this big learning curve,
we have had many more days to adjust than Reid has and he is working on getting up to speed
with this new philosophy.
As a measure of his improvement, he is deciding on where to put the beach band
in his room for the party next week, and he has already started a menu for the snacks!
Some things never change....THANKFULLY!
He continues to express his appreciation to all for respecting his privacy. It won't be long now that he will be ready to share this experience with his friends. He is still very humbled by the love and kindness that you all have shown him and us. He told us just today that whatever kindness he may have shown in the past, has been returned tenfold to us all. And our response to that is "THANKS"!!!
There may be another update tonight if this version does not live up to You Know Whose expectations! Wish me luck!
LYMI, B___

Just to let you know!!

Dad will not be home on Sunday. Some wishful thinking on his part! We do hope he will be moved to the step down unit by Sunday! we have no idea when he will be home, but he was hoping to be home soon!!! Anyways just wanted to correct that! sorry for the confusion! he wanted to say hello to everyone and we want him to keep his motivation up!!
lymi
BB

Finally some news from the big guy!

First let me say how much I love you all. Each and everyone of you if you read this or wrote it or whatever. You are a part of me and I love you. This was some scary shit. If you have ever had a heart attack its like your heart is collapsing on your chest.
I told Mom that I was a little bit pissed with God because I wanted him to let me be ok and here I am! I will have to speak with him about that.... just kidding. It has been a rough two weeks and I appreciate, so much, all of your cards and letters and for those of you who know me I appreciate you giving me some space. I don't know why I have to deal with things on my own, but I do. So thank you for being considerate. Barrett is with me tonight and we are in Durham at the ICU and we are writing this note. I hope to come home Sunday, but I really don't know.
I saw a man today in the hospital who was a "spiritual healer" who was trying to help me to sleep because I have not been able to. He was giving me some "spiritual guidance." He was basically telling me what Beth always says... Life is full of changes. Lots of changes coming up, but we will make them together.
Thanks again for all of your love and support and for looking after Beth, Barrett, and Lawson. I love you all and I will be home soon.
I didn't die... just feel like it!
with much appreciation,
Reid Patty

Movement is good!

Well today is another quiet-ish day. They are working on sitting Dad up in bed more and hope to let him dangle his feet off the bed and possibly move to the new chair in his room. If he can dangle his feet then he gets his catheter out! Something I believe he is very ready for. Mom took the morning shift and will be home around 1. Lawson is the 12-2 shift. (They close the CICU from 2-4:30 to let the patients rest) So I will take the 4:30 to bedtime shift. It is very funny cause Dad keeps telling us to leave and go home and do whatever we want. Mom has suggested that perhaps visiting and talking with him IS what we want to do! We also heard from the nurse that once 4:30 rolled around yesterday he began asking where we were! So I am making sure that I am on time today! Once mom gets home there will be yet another update. :)

On a side note I did receive a request for more updates! I am literally posting info as soon as I can, But I will make sure to do another update at night to cover what in fact did go on that day and what they are planning for the night:) Hope this helps!! I get to talk to Dad tonight about how many people have been asking about him! He is going to be blown away.
Email me with questions cause I am just chilling out this afternoon. until 4:30 of course!
Loveyoumeanit!
BB

One happy camper.

Today is a new day of hope. Dad was very alert and excited to see us when we got here. He, of course, had already talked to his doctors and had discussed his current condition and the plan for the next couple of days. BLESS HIM! Ha. We sat back and chatted with him to make sure he passed his swallowing test. He did! So he had some delicious thickened apple juice, ice chips, milk, and tried some grits, but they didnt taste so good. Leave it to my Dad to go 9 days without eating real food and then pass on some grits. Ha we have laughed already. He was in good spirits and looking forward to the plans for the day. After he had some good breakfast and they sat him up in his bed (which turns into a chair! COOL) he was ready to get shaved and cleaned up. We decided to let Mom be in charge of that! :) The next goal of today is to get him WALKING. Just to his chair in his room, but hey thats still out of bed! He is, of course, already ready to do that. We have spent the last 9 days learning some serious patience, now it is his turn!
More to come when he passes each test. He is one determined little fellow.

I must say how extremely fortunate we have been in this situation. While I would never have wished for something like this to happen I feel so very blessed by your constant concern for my dad's health and your support of my family. On that same note we have been so lucky to have the Tuttle's here with us and we are so pleased with the progress of sweet baby heath! I did get to go visit him yesterday after he had almost a whole cup of applesauce!! (He hasnt had real food in a month!) It has been nice to have friends like you who have been ready at a moments notice to help us in any way. It has opened my eyes to the community of friends and family that my dad has created. He, as you must know, is a very special person. And 10 days ago he would have dropped anything to help any of you and it has been so nice to see that you would do the same for him. So I can complain all I want about small town Burlington, but on thing is for damn sure. Burlington is a family. No matter our differences we are always willing to help one another out. (Of course as soon as we are all healthy we can go back to talking about each other ;) ) Thus far we have heard from over 400 families who were concerned with my Dad's health. I am so very proud to be the daughter of such a well respected and cared for man. Mom told him yesterday how proud we were of his progress and how hard he has worked to get his body back to recovery. I just felt his arms and muscles. Its astounding how much strength that man has.
I must also say that the care we have received at Duke has been phenomenal to say the least. The nurses, doctors, and staff have been so very kind. Every nurse has checked in on him at any chance they had. (He is the most popular patient on the hall :) ) Probably because he is so darn cute, and funny as heck. He has been a big flirt with the nurses. BUT, he did tell Mom yesterday that she was the prettiest woman he had ever met, so he isn't too stupid. His doctors have been very thorough and optomistic about his health. It is very refreshing. And while it absolutely kills me to say this. I will never say another bad thing about Duke. While I won't exactly consider myself a fan (I am a Carolina girl at heart.) I believe that Duke and I will have a mutual respect for one another. They have brought my daddy back so I really cant complain.
I wish you all a very happy new year! It will certainly be a new year for us, full of changes and progress. Our family new years resolution will be to take care of ourselves because we still have many years of life and love to live. Oh what a good feeling this new year brings. :)
So today I am one happy camper... Long road ahead, but we are up for the challenge.
One day soon when I get a chance I will post all the funny things he has said, but the best thing he has said yet was yesterday. The nurse commented on what a funny/weird family we were. Dad said, "Yeah we are joke around, but we also look out for each other." What a great statement. We fight, talk about each other, laugh, complain about what TV show we are watching, disagree on politics, disagree on lots, but we are family first and foremost and while it might be ok for us to yell disagree and talk about each other, it is certainly not ok for anyone else to do so!! ha :) We have more love between the four of us than many people know in a lifetime and I am so so SO thankful for all of the above. We are crazy. but I love it.
So today begins our long road home. But we have each other and the strength we share together. We also have you and the strength you have given us over the past 9 days. We know we can count on you all for anything and believe me as soon as the time comes expect those phones to be ringing!! Today the doctors said we still have to keep his visitation to just me mom and lawson, but as soon as he gets sick of us and the doctors say its ok I will let you all know!
Enjoy your new years day!!!
LOVEYOUMEANIT!!!
BB