Whirlwind of Activity

Where do I begin???? These past few days have been a series of ups and downs. Mostly ups though! I will just start at the beginning:

Thursday I went to school and prepared as much material as I could think of (while brain dead) for my sub, Kelly (who is AWESOME to me! thanks!) for Friday. I get home a little later than normal and of course put off packing for this weekend's trip to the hospital. I ditched yoga because my better half wanted me to go with him to his dad's in Palestine. I sat around out there and ended up eating a pretty darn yummy steak dinner. By this time, it was well after 8p. I am fairly sure that my laundry had not washed itself and my suitcase had not packed itself. I am getting cranky. I know it was just stress over my dad, but it became a little overwhelming.

What had been hanging around in my mind for a few days was the possibility (strong) that my dad would have the big "C"..cancer. I mean the man smokes a LOT and he never has been a healthy eater and I literally could come up with loads of reasons that this could become very real, very quickly. It was a subject that neither one of us would mention to the other. I know he mentioned it to others and so did I; but NOT to each other. That would have been too much.

On Friday morning, I am up, packed, and ready to go by 545. He arrives on time as usual. We drive to LR and talked about everything and nothing the whole way. Miraculously, we get straight in to pre-op. I can tell he is pretty nervous. Who wouldn't be??? But they gave him a little of that "don't give a care" medicine and it gets a lot better from there. I personally wish they could have spared a little of that for me! He goes back, as scheduled, at 1030 sharp. I am excused to the waiting room and told to expect the doctor in a little over an hour.

I hadn't been out there 35 minutes when Dr. Gibbs came out. I am not going to lie here...I thought that was NOT a good sign. It was just an awful moment. I am there by myself and kind of wish that I wasn't. Alas, all this was for naught!!!! The man is GOOD. He took Dad's gallbladder out AND fixed his regular old run-of-the-mill bowel obstruction in 30 minutes flat! WOW! No mass...No cancer... All better! It was just an old appendectomy scar that was causing all his problems. I am stunned, relieved, and thankful all at once.

I get Dad settled into his room and share with him the good news. I swear as soon as he knows he's going to LIVE, he's back to his old cantankerous self. LOL I get out of there pretty quickly after that and head to Hot Springs!

I had such a great time with my college sorority sisters Andrea and Dede (plus Austin, her hubby who's just like one of the gals--and not in an ookey way:)). I hadn't seen them in a little over 2 years. WOW...it's amazing how some friendships are so comfortable and never change. We drank a little, ate a little, and laughed a LOT! We laughed until we literally were crying! It was a wonderful end to the day! They were going to the races the next day, but I had to get back to LR to pick up dad. We plan on getting together next month. I can hardly wait!

Before the drive home, I insisted that Dad take a pain pill. Not so much for him.. but for me! LOL I needed him to sleep as much as possible on the way home. He was dying for a cigarette and I figured if I could get him knocked out I wouldn't have to be the subject of his nicotine withdrawal. Sad, but true. Of course they didn't feed him before we left and he had to have a McDonald's fish sandwich. We get tickled because I made SURE he knew that we were going to Prothro NOT Galloway. (If you don't get this joke read my last post) Dad's fish sandwich was actually a tartar sauce sandwich with a little fish. And he had issues with top of his drink. It was pretty funny. Guess you had to be there.

I threw him out at home. Just kidding. I walked him in and everything. His dog was there and he seemed to be feeling pretty good. I left him and the last info I got was that he was resting. That's a good thing.

All in all, it was a pretty good if not exhausting weekend. I look forward to NEXT weekend where hopefully I don't have to do ANYTHING. Later.......

Sidebar #1: My Buffalo Bills signed T.O.!!!! What the crap? I did not see that one coming. I am not sure but maybe this will at least get us to a post season game! LOL

Sidebar #2: I turn 41 tomorrow and just hope I get a nap. :)