B Positive: Relaxation…at last!

Well…there WAS some relaxation in the last couple of weeks.

But I'm going to start with my dad. He's not had a good summer. Stroke, falls, air conditioning went out…you name it, he had it. I'm hoping that after today the roller coaster is on the way UP instead of the way DOWN.

He has fallen over six times in the last month. After the fall last week (while we were on the cruise) the cardiologist recommended a pacemaker. That is why I am at Holmes Regional today…actually, that is why DAD is at Holmes Regional today. I flew in yesterday afternoon. Got up at 6 this morning to get him here at 7. They got him in at around 8:15. Around 9:00 I was sitting in the lobby and Dr. Patel came out to talk to me-I thought it was done. He came out BEFORE the procedure to talk to me. Wow. That's never happened before. I actually talked to Dr. Patel twice last week-I had questions and didn't have to go through the nurse to get answers. That's pretty impressive if you ask me. After he talked to me, he went in to start the procedure - he was out again in 40 minutes.

Got to see dad about 20 minutes later. He has been awake - said he feels better already. They just got him up to walk - and he's almost running. They have a sling on him, just as a reminder not to raise his arm. There are leads from the pacemaker to the heart and it takes about a month for scar tissue to secure them. I'm only here til Saturday, so Home Instead will take over after I leave. And the Home Health Care Nurse. So far, so good. Even if it IS only a few hours, I like what I'm seeing already.

Dad BEFORE (that's the pacemaker - they made an incision and a pocket to put it in-with leads to the heart)

Dad AFTER

Nick and Donny both think he has more color. I do too. (Nick says "I'm always right. Except with Meredith. And I said "So is your dad, right Donny" and he said "Yes Dear" I have him well trained!

So here I sit, finally with a chance to update the blog. Oh - and another interesting thing happened today. When dad got back to the room (in recovery) we decided to watch his favorite show "The Price is Right". It was the Halloween show. Drew Carey was dressed as Dracula and everyone in the audience was dressed up-and all the prizes were Halloween themed. Sue's (my sister who passed away last year) birthday is Halloween. I TRULY believe that it was her way of letting dad know that she is here with him! You know that we believe in signs!

Anyway, hopefully he will get a room soon, because I am meeting Tricia for dinner (one of the girls who took his blood last time I was here when he was in the hospital). She doesn't work here anymore, but in a doctor's office. We have kept in touch since June - she still wears her FORT bracelet!

Dad and Tricia

So NOW I get to the relaxation part…after his second (or third) fall, I got him all set up again with Home Instead on a daily basis, and Home Health Care Nurses. So I felt somewhat comfortable going on vacation. I would be out of the country with no way for him to contact me. So Nick was in charge for the week - and he did a great job. I'll get to that later.

Our vacation was with Curt (Mange) and Mary Clifford again. Another cruise - but this time we started with two days in Ft. Lauderdale…

Left for the cruise from Port Canaveral on Saturday morning…first stop-Grand Turk…

another massage on the beach...

Mange and Donny relaxing poolside

Donny Pam & Mange relaxing in the pool bar…Mary is in the pool taking pictures!

Mange shared his strawberry margarita with me!

Dinner back on the ship...

Next stop… Dominican Republic

No excursions or anything exciting here…took a bus into town for about an hour and a half-they had a flea market set up in the center of town. Interesting. Mary did some bargaining for sunglasses for Mange-other than that, we were back on the boat relaxing.

This was on the tv in our room every day - you could see your current location. The right side of the island is Dominican Republic, left side is Haiti.

They had several replicas of professional baseball players from the Dominican Republic - this is Davey Concepcion.

Mary bargaining for sunglasses...

Right off the ship...

Next port - Curacao ~

Cabana Beach

Donny's favorite place...

interesting graffiti on a building in town...

Of course we are ALWAYS looking for signs from Melissa...

back to the ship...

Captain Don

Captain Don and Mange (Mange could have been a captain too…but NOOOOO….)

Next stop, and my favorite…

Wow. I love this place. I would love to go back someday for an entire week. At least.

We were about 16 miles from Venezuela

our bus!

Another sign from Melissa - she sends me the #38 all the time. (Nick's # in college…a reminder not to forget that he's still here…)

this was a cactus fence around a house!

Really awesome rock formations…the trees are Christmas Cactus!

An elementary school in Aruba

The first chapel in Aruba - built in 1750

View from the top of the rock formation

Our cruise ship in the distance

a gecko

Me, lighting a candle for Melissa

the green candle in the third row is for Melissa

Mary, lighting a candle for Courtney

Mange and Mary. Last time Mary was in Aruba, Courtney was with her at this chapel. It was bittersweet for them...

I stayed on the bus at the lighthouse - trying to fix my camera!

a view from the bus…BEAUTIFUL!

Donny & Mange…two guesses what they are talking about...

Donny & Mary

Pam & Mange

Me & Donny

I think this is a gecko too...

We take FORT bracelets and cards everywhere we go…she's EVERYWHERE!

'nut said…unfortunately we didn't know about this...

and YES, I love Aruba.

Back on the ship~ Mange and Mary met these couples - the guy in the orange was from Portsmouth and graduated from the same high school, one year ahead of Mary! The guy in the dark shirt is good friends with Greg Gillum, one of Nick's coaches from Akron.

Elegant night...

We were at the 70s bar the first night - saw a guy that looked like Kyle Ramey (former administrator for Kettering Schools - now Oakwood Superintendant)…it WAS Kyle Ramey. And his wife Phyllis (and their two daughters!)

Our waitress the last night we were there - from the Ukraine. Left an eight year old daughter behind with her mom - working to make a better life for her daughter.

Heading back to Ft. Lauderdale!

Last night of the cruise. Next morning, Sunday morning, we got off the ship around 9:30. Got to the airport around 10:30 for a 4:30 flight…a straight flight to Columbus. Bumped from that flight, the next flight - and Donny worked hard to get us bumped from the THIRD flight. Got lots of vouchers for future travels (in the next year). Donny was turning it into a JOB. We already have plans for those vouchers!

***

First thing I did was check my phone (no phone service on the ship)…had a message from my cousin that dad had been in the hospital. Then I called Nick. Dad fell again and was in the hospital - but Nick took care of everything. They wanted to do the pacemaker then, but Nick didn't want to make that decision, so here we are.

Had a busy week when we got home - Mange and Mary came up for two nights for concerts at the Fraze, my 40th class reunion was Saturday afternoon. We had a very nice luncheon at The Tropics (where we had Donny's 60th) with a great turnout.

Me and my good friend Patti

Me, Nancy, Patti

Me and Mike Fink

Me & John Williams - we share a birthday…and he was my junior prom date!

Patsy-her brother Greg was my brother's best friend

Me & Ozell

Not a bad turnout for a Saturday afternoon

Carla, Jodi, Cathy and Val

Kevin, me & Tom Andrew

Me & Carol - she lost her only son three years ago…

Brenda, Mike, Rox

Another good friend, Roxanne

Dad fell again on Thursday morning, which pushed up the procedure. Didn't want to wait any longer.

***

Dad is sleeping right now, but when he was awake he said "I feel better already".

Other than the fact that we are still in RECOVERY (since 10:00 this morning) and it's 3:30, everything went well. They got him up to walk a little bit ago - and he was moving pretty good. Just need to keep him from using his left arm - for a month.

Needless to say, I am anxious to get home (even though I JUST got here.) I miss my grandsons. Only saw them a couple times this summer….

so without further ado…I end with my grandsons. What Melissa would expect….

Took em out for ice cream…not enough this summer!