Sunday Morning and All is Well

Today is the 6th day since Dad crashed and we all scrambled. He's doing well.

Neither of us really slept the best last night cuz he's having to cough up all the stuff in his chest and with the suction tube making it's noise and the mist breather making gurgles and the nurse coming in giving him some meds and taking blood, along with my bed feeling like I was sleeping on a rock for some reason, well not the best night of sleep around.

However, with that said, I'm really glad he's doing well. We've had some great conversations just chatting, him in his hospital bed and me stretched out on the hospital chair that converts into a bed thingy. It is sure nice he can talk and tell us what he wants.

He's looking forward to breakfast, even though it will still be a liquid only deal - for now.

Dad's sister, Aunt Evie, got here late yesterday evening. She's got a week off and gonna spend it here with my folks instead of going to Tunisia where her son, who is with the state department, is stationed. So she told us she saved Dad's life yesterday because had she headed off to Tunisia - something would have happened to bring her back home. So all credit for Dad getting better goes to Aunt Evie! **GRIN**

Aunt Evie took us all to Olive Garden last night and we had a great time just chatting and catching her up on the details the past 6 days. Then we got to talking about Octomom, welfare and unions. We're against 'em all! :)

Got my ticket to return home last night. Wanted to wait until Dad got off the ventilator and see how he was doing before I bought a ticket to return a couple of days later. So I'll be leaving late Monday night and getting back to Atlanta even later Monday night and then drive the two hours home. At least I won't have to deal with Atlanta's AWFUL traffic!

It has been very, VERY good to be here. The roller coaster thing with hearing occasional news updates on the phone were helpful, but the pits! I liked being here and able to talk with the Dr's and nurses and be able to see for myself how he was doing, good or bad and what the plan of action was etc!

The nice thing about being at a teaching hospital Dad's got an Attending (Teaching) Doc with a Brand New Doc and then about 3 residents that are looking clinically and educationally at his situation and discussing treatment plans and what not. That along with the latest greatest info and medication, I believe has helped as well.

He's had some great nurses, who all work 12 hour shifts here. So Mike, the Australian was his first RN on Tuesday evening. He did great - other than freaking Mom out with talk about a possible lung transplant! Let's see, Wed Day was Amy a new ICU Trainee and John her trainer. She's a Mexican lady with a funny sense off humor and John was very efficient, a good teacher it seems and reminded me a little of Steven Segal with the same short dark ponytail hair. Next was Chrissy, on Wed, Thur and Fri night. She's the Gretta Van Sustern on Fox News' On the Record voice Twin. Sounded exactly like her. Thur and Friday day was Morgan, the short ice cream fan who reminded me more of a dancer than a RN. Then Sabbath Day was Nichole and her really cool therapeutic shoes for people who have to stand all day. Tonight, Sat night was ???, she never said her name when I've been around - interesting. She wears these really freaky 50's style glasses with the wing tips and they're lite blue with sparkly things all around the front - very throwback to the 50's with a bit of color now. Interesting!

With that said, I firmly believe that if someone is in the hospital, you need someone else there as much as possible to be an advocate for the sick person. Sometimes Dad needed something and the nurse was no where to be seen and no responding to the call button and I'd chase whomever I could to help Pop with whatever he needed at the time. I learned that when Doreen was in the hospital giving birth (at different times) to our kiddos.

They really have good people here at The University of Colorado Hospital. Oh yeah - better clear that one up too. In an earlier post, I thought the name of the hospital was Denver University Hospital or DUH... well I was wrong. Sorry - now I have corrected it. :)

The ladies, (Mom, my sisters, Judy and Aunt Evie) should be arriving shortly. We'll sit and chat and 'pester' dad for a while. Staci and Cindi will be leaving around noon to head home to get back to families, work and life in general. (Kinda feels like we've been in a holding pattern this last week.) I'll head over to Cousin Jeannie's to grab a shower and help Matt & Jeannie hook up a huge 57" TV they recently acquired downstairs before heading back to take up my night watchman post at the hospital one more time before I head home Monday evening myself.

I've been very blessed to be able to be here, but hanging out in a hospital is not my idea of a really fun trip! I've been really glad to be here, but I can't wait to get home, I miss my wife and kiddos and my home, my bed and even my job. Plus, I need to get a racquetball league game played so I don't have to take a forfeit and automatically get dropped into the one loss bracket. I need to get beaten fair and square by my next opponent! :)

More later...