Gratituesday: He is ok.

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Not Very Grateful Sounding Intro ...
Can I just tell you, before we get on with the grateful festivities, that I hate having to preface all of my entries lately with, "I'm so sorry I haven't been around. I'll do better, I swear."? I do. I wish I could blog full time and not have to worry about any of it. Life does not agree with this idea right now ... pulling me from blogging to school, homework, housework, sleep, managing Be's injuries and doctor's appointments, and a host of other less fun things to do than write for you. I feel like I have to apologize for my life, if there are any of you out there left to apologize to. I'm (secretly) currently afraid of my stats counter. *sigh* Today is not the day for pity parties about time management. Today is Tuesday! Gratituesday! And now on with it ...

Much more Grateful Sounding Here ...
My dad had open heart surgery yesterday. They cracked open his chest and did a quadruple bypass of some mostly blocked arteries. I am still kind of in a blur about the whole thing. He was not a cardiac patient, really, until about 2 weeks ago. He did not have a slow decline of repetitious pills and appointments and the like. He had some high blood pressure, but it was managed well with medications. Then, boom! Chest pain led to a stress test which led to a cardiac cath which lead to an appointment for open heart surgery yesterday.

First and foremost, I am grateful for his surgery being successful. As I write today, he's still on a ventilator (standard post-open heart procedure, fyi). I just talked to the critical care nurse in his room (because the hospital is 40 minutes from here ... in the opposite direction of school ... ) and they're going to try to get rid of the tube this afternoon. He was already waking up when I saw him yesterday. He didn't experience any major surgical complications, and honestly save the hundred tubes everywhere, he didn't look all that bad post-op. For all of that, I am grateful. For the grace that saves him, I don't even have words.

I am resisting telling you all about how cool my dad is because it sounds too much like eulogizing in my very superstitious head right now. He's a funny guy, though. You might like him. After many, many cloudy days, I'm just grateful that the sun is starting to peek out.

Thank you, thank you.


Simply,

Em.