Keeping Dad.

Bypass surgery for my Dad had been on the backburner for a few months. He was not as energetic as usual and had to take things quite a bit easier. He needed bypass surgery but the process is so long and drawn out. He would be lucky to have it before Christmas, that is until his body said, no I need it now! The other week he started having some feelings he hadn't felt before and decided to go to Emergency. They determined it was serious enough to require his bypass as soon as possible. He was moved to Winnipeg to await surgery a couple days later. We drove out last weekend thinking he could go in immediately, then it was Tuesday, then Thursday, then finally he had it on Friday.

The whole family was out. I was pretty content and calm waiting for the surgery. My mind generally accepts that everything will always work out. It's not that I'm not realistic, but my mind doesn't dwell on the potential negative outcome. Sometimes handy sometimes not. I, and I believe most of the others, were most emotional upon being told that the surgery was over, went well and dad was doing fine. For some reason that's when it hit, what could have happened! What the doctor could have said! Thanks to God that the emotion we felt was relief and not grief.

The worst part was my first visit a few hours after surgery to dad in ICU. It wasn't the tubes and wires or bandages all over, it was seeing dad in a lot of pain. It was extremely hard. The pain was not unexpected to him and being a father/husband myself gives me the unique perspective that he decided to have the surgery not just for self preservation or a better quality of life, but probably more so, that we as the family would not go through the grief of losing him yet, or that someone wouldn't have to explain to all the very young grandchildren why they can't see Grandpa anymore. When I think about the possibility of being killed in an accident this is what hurts the most, the hurt that my family would have to go through. Anyway, I thank him for taking the steps necessary to spend a little more time with us down here on earth regardless of the pain it would cause.

Relief came on the second visit a few hours after the first one when he appeared much more comfortable then on Saturday we brought the kids in to see him, he was sitting in a chair eating supper and looked much better. We warned the kids that Grandpa wouldn't look well and had tubes and wires coming out of him, but they were helping him heal faster by going to see him. My daughter is still a little young I think and her personality is a little different she had no problems. My son was calm and glad he went in, but had problems looking at him.

We came home Sunday, and he came out of ICU that day and has been feeling better hour by hour. He has been up walking a little bit. We look forward to getting back at Christmas. We thank you for you prayers, we thank God for helping his heart start again after the surgery and we pray that the healing will continue quickly and fully.