December 21, 2008

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  I've been terribly absent but for a good reason.
  
  The Sunday evening after Thanksgiving my adopted Papa was taken to emergency by ambulance.  A friend drove Elisabeth and I to the hospital and we stayed until Papa was admitted and settled into his room.  That was about 12:30am.  I was too upset to drive myself.  I am very grateful for the ride there.  So then for the next 13 days I was at the hospital, sometimes for up to 10 hours and one day even more.  After many tests and so forth, Papa ended up having  quadruple bypass open heart surgery.  THAT was a very long day.  I got there at 5am so I could be with him before he went for surgery and I was there when they finished and brought him back to his room which was also his recovery room.  The surgery from start to finished lasted about 6 hours.  I got to put my long ago nursing skills to work and play private nurse while he was recuperating.  Then it was my pleasure to drive him home.  Now we are traveling twice a week to cardiac rehab.  Somehow we missed the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas and here it is already and you know....times are tough and the presents did not get bought but next to Jesus, we received the best gift of all.  Papa J came home to us and he did not have a heart attack and he is recovering very well.  He is here with me and for that I am so very grateful.  I do not need any other present.  We've been cooking some meals and doing grocery shopping for he and his wife and it has been a delight to be there for them.
  So, that is what I have been doing.  It got a bit stressful trying not to worry about it all but the Lord was so faithful and answered our prayers and now we need to encourage the drs. to allow him to go about this lifestyle change in diet naturally and holistically instead of the millions of drugs they want him to take.  The first check up with the surgeon is coming up this week.  These drugs are good for some things I know...but the side effects are so nasty.  There must be alternatives...I know there are and know what they are....it is just scary when you are dealing with something as serious as this.  But bless his heart...Papa is willing to try anything and has been so good at eating the right foods and maybe when it is all said and done I will have him eating vegan yet.  Shhhh...don't let him know that is my plan.    Oh and yes...I am doing it right along side him.  There is no way on this earth that I want to go through what he went through.....it can all be avoided by diet and lifestyle.  Right Papa?  I know you said you wanted to get the word out to younger folks....don't put off doing what you can do now to avoid a crisis later.

  

  
  I miss you all and I am so sorry I have not even been around to visit.  The computer was the last thing on my mind but I have been praying for you my friends.  I have not forgotten any of you and you are heavy on my mind.  May you have a most blessed Christmas!!!!!  Hug each other tightly and love deeply.
  
  
  PS....Picture taking has been kind of sporatic but I have managed to get a few shots in and entered this weeks contest...Christmas Cards. The contest will be up by Monday afternoon. You can vote for your favorite here.
  

  • 10:37 pm
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