I need some positive thoughts for my family.
Last week was a little dramatic as my dad thought of quitting his job. They had decided, prior, to stay in the pricey Bay Area and to retire there they will have to work longer. Well, my dad will. He will be working until the bitter end regardless. He LIKES working. Probably where I get it from.
Anyway drama at work, and unsure if the place will survive anyway, thinking of quitting for sanity and maybe a little pre-emptive too. Of course, this means a large possibility that they may just retire and move (like, anywhere - because anywhere would be cheaper). Though they aren't sold on Sacramento (summer heat & lack of engineering jobs) I guess I can work on them. At least housing prices are rock bottom.
So I Was both a little bummed and worried about all this. My dad had a 2-week vacation coming up and was basically going to "sleep on it." I know they will be fine. But you know how it goes.
Fast forward to Monday. I am home sick and feel like hell. I am trying to REST but dh wakes me up to tell me my dad is in the emergency room.
Details are vague, but in the end it seems he suffered a "mini-stroke."
That was the original diagnosis. They sent him home and he has a slew of tests and doctor appointments. They sent him home after CAT Scan showed no signs of stroke.
I started out panicked because my mom hands the phone to him and I realize talking to him how dire the situation is.
Things calmed down when they sent him home.
This morning he had an appointment and no one called me. I started calling around noon but phone is busy all afternoon. I finally talk to my dad around 3pm, who sounds horrible and I can barely understand what he is saying. I talked to my mom who tells me he sounds worse. Yeah, no kidding.
So of course this got me MORE worried.
I guess the unofficial diagnosis is TIA (mini-stroke - which means 30% more likely to suffer a stroke). However, dh told me from his internet reading that a TIA is when the symptoms last less than 24 hours. So it worries me it's been longer and he sounds worse.
He has some appointment to ultrasound some artery tomorrow (to check for blockage) and a MRI later in the week.
I guess once we got more info yesterday we thought, this sucks but we will get through it. Today I guess it is sinking in how serious this all may be. He can not speak very well and can not write either. No one has assured us the damage is not permanent.
His mother had PArkinson's so they are evaluating him for that. He also has an appointment with a neurologist.
I watch that show Medical Diagnosis way too much. Where it sometimes takes YEARS to diagnose these things. I only hope we can have more answers sooner.
My dad is only 57...
He's one of those who has 9 lives. If anyone can beat this thing, whatever it is, he can do it. I think it's the only reason I am not falling apart right now. We weren't going to go see them until Thursday, since I wasn't feeling well enough to travel yesterday, and things had settled down. Now I am not so sure.
Anyway, my family has had a rough few days. Some positive thoughts would be appreciated.
*sigh*
May 20th, 2009 at 01:39 am
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May 20th, 2009 at 02:02 am 1242781372
My dad is 62 now, but when he was around your dad's age, he had a heart attack and quadruple bypass. Holy cow! Up until that point I just figured he'd live forever. Don't forget to take care of YOU too. That was a really tough time for me emotionally.
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May 20th, 2009 at 05:19 am 1242793172
If you need anything, I am in the area, just drop me a line and i'll do anything to help.
May 20th, 2009 at 02:57 pm 1242827827
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May 20th, 2009 at 04:40 pm 1242834047
So sorry to hear of your family's difficulties. Hope things get improve with your dad's health. Wishing you the best.
May 20th, 2009 at 10:30 pm 1242855012
I'll be sending healing/relaxing vibes your way!
May 25th, 2009 at 05:15 pm 1243268152
May 27th, 2009 at 05:56 am 1243400190