24 hours. That is one full day. So much can happen within a 24 hour time
span. So many highs and lows can be
experienced.
Yesterday, my last day of my Pennsylvania trip,
started out normal enough. Mom, Dad, and
I awoke and prepared to make the hour drive south to go to the Farm Show with
my twin, his wife, their cute little baby, and my sister-in-law’s Dad. After a very light breakfast, we hit the road
and met up at Liz’s parents’ house in Harrisburg. We piled into the van received the VIP
treatment thanks to Mark being a state trooper.
We barely waited in line and were able to find a parking spot just a few
feet away from the door!
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| VIP parking close to the door! Score!! |
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| Thomas was excited about going to his first Farm Show, complete with "corn" hat! |
I had thought
that Mom and Dad had been to the Farm Show before but upon arrival, I learned
that this was their first trip there!
Little did they realize what they were about to experience. The PA Farm Show’s description from their
website states: “Pennsylvania is proud
to host the largest indoor agricultural exposition in the country, with nearly 6,000 animals, 10,000 competitive exhibits
and 300 commercial exhibits.
Thanks for joining us for the 96th Pennsylvania Farm Show to celebrate
agriculture – from farm gate to dinner plate.”
Little Thomas’
eyes were bigger and rounder than usual as he took in all the sights, sounds,
and uh, smells that comprise the PA Farm Show.
The sheer number of people, let alone animals and food, could be very
overwhelming at times but we all enjoyed ourselves as we wandered from exhibits
to vendors. We saw horses pulling
chariots, bulls with rings in their noses posing for pictures, a butter
sculpture, bees a makin’ honey, and peacocks strutting their stuff. There were tractors that were larger than
life and every kind of food imaginable available for purchase. After a few hours of walking, sampling salsa
and other home-made spreads, and buying some cool goods, we decided it was past
time for lunch and that it was time to make our way over to the food
court.
It was then that
things unexpectedly changed from being a carefree day of checking out all
things agriculturally related to an afternoon and evening of anxiety. We herded our way through the doors to the
escalators and made our way upstairs. As
we came off the escalator, I saw my Dad make a beeline for a window. He sat upon the wide windowsill and was pale
in color. He felt clammy, lightheaded,
and nauseous but was not experiencing shortness of breath, numbness, or
pain. We didn’t think this sudden onset
of illness was related to his heart but then again he had JUST had heart
surgery 15 days earlier…he had just been doing so well and was being extra
active that it was easy to forget and to think he was back better than
ever! Looking back, this trip to the
Farm Show was the first strenuous type of activity Dad underwent in terms of
walking and ground covered as the Complex is HUGE.
As Dad was treated
by paramedics in the First Aid center and then transported to Harrisburg
Hospital yesterday afternoon, we figured he would be released and it would be
back to business as usual. I was
thankful to have little Thomas in my arms as we waited outside the First Aid
area. He was extra cuddly since he was
sleepy and tucked comfortably into my arms and rested his little head on my
shoulder or just under my neck as I held him.
While his body gave off the appearance of being relaxed, his eyes were
very alert and wide open, taking in all that was going on around us. So, as I cuddled sweet Thomas and focused my
attention on holding such a sweet little angel, I kept my thoughts on expecting
Dad to be able to come along with us once the paramedics were through with
him. That was not the case as they said
he needed to go to the hospital where it was decided he needed to stay
overnight after we had been at the hospital in the Emergency Department for 3
to 4 hours. This morning there was talk
of a blockage in his carotid artery and stroke-related conversations. That was when I got even more worried. Then, I googled carotid artery blockages and
got downright terrified as I read through some articles.
It would be
another 3 hours before Dad was placed in a room at 11pm last night. Mark and Liz were kind enough to drive me
back to Frackville so that I could tend to the dogs and finish packing as I was
to leave for NC today. Poor Mark and Liz
had to drive back to Harrisburg to drop items off at the hospital before
returning to Liz’s parents’ home where their sleeping baby waited for them at
2am.
After a night of
no sleep, I got up, took care of the pups, then went to St. Ann’s. St. Ann’s was probably the church I least
attended while growing up since we lived on the other end of town at that
time. In my mind’s eye, the church is
still decorated as it was when I was a child so each time I go there, as an
adult, I’m reminded of the remodeling and renovations this little church has
undergone over the years.
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| Unfortunately, I didn't think to take a picture of the statues to the right of the altar... |
This morning,
I especially loved looking up at the statue of St. Ann with the child Mary and
the statue right next to them of St. Anthony of Padua with the infant in his
arms. Seeing St. Ann on the altar
reminded me of how loving of a mother my Mom is and what a good wife she is to
my Dad. Through the last 18 days, she
has been with him through it all, refusing to leave his side, even when he
insisted she come home with me. Sleeping
on hospital chairs and eating bits of food nurses scrounged around for and
taking in all that the doctors and nurses were saying at three different
hospitals in three different cities, Mom has been a rock. I also thought of my sister-in-law, Liz, and how
superb of a wife and a mother she is to my twin and their son. Along with her family, their support
yesterday mean the world to me (and my family) and they definitely helped to
make our little adventure in Harrisburg yesterday and last night a more
pleasant one.
Thinking back…to
the events that took place less than 24 hours ago, after a couple hours of
being on our feet and walking, all the while, carrying little Thomas in her
belly strapper on thingamajig, Liz sprang to action when Dad made that beeline
for the windowsill. Without a second
thought, she dashed through the throng of people, to find and bring back with
her a state trooper and some drinks for Dad.
At first, we thought he was in need of sugar/food due to his diabetes
and hoped that by drinking some soda and/or eating pretzels he would feel
better. Once the trooper arrived, he
sent for paramedics. After we were
transported downstairs to the First Aid area, Liz again took off for some food
while I cuddled Thomas. Her upbeat
attitude and personality have always been one of the attributes I love about
her but they were more welcome even more so yesterday as an aversion to the
constant worry.
I don’t know
where she gets the energy but it never abated as the long afternoon/night wore
on…from driving back to her parents’ and the hospital twice, caring for Thomas,
being there for Mark, and even riding with us up to Frackville to bring me home
before returning to Harrisburg, Liz was an example of what you do for loved ones in times of trouble. Liz’s
family was the same way, bringing us snacks at the hospital, providing Mark
some coffee for the drive up 81, and sneaking me some Christmas cookies to take
with me on my drive back to NC today. My
twin is so blessed to have found a true partner in Liz and such a loving family
who takes on him (and us) as one of their own.
I can only hope to someday find that for myself as well. As I tended to the pups and got ready for bed
last night, thinking about how tired my Mom and Dad must be in the hospital and
how utterly exhausted Mark and Liz must have been going back down 81, I’m so
thankful that each one has the other spouse to lean on in good times and bad,
in times of sickness and health.
So, as I sat in
the pew this morning, and gazed upon the statues of St. Ann, Mary, and St.
Anthony, I invoked St. Anthony’s intercession to please grant a miracle and
allow my Dad to come home today. Today
is also called the 3 Kings Day or the Epiphany of the Lord. In today’s mass we heard about the 3 Kings
(Magi) coming to see the newborn Jesus, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense,
and myrrh by following the star until it brought them to Jesus. I had to giggle as I couldn’t remember from
which pew I had exited when coming back to it after Communion. I sat in the wrong pew before looking to the
window and realizing I had been closer to the window and was able to correct my
seating. The reason I knew which window
I had been near was because I had spent some time studying it before mass
started as well.
I love how in this
image, Mary is lovingly cradling Jesus, much like how Liz and I did with little
Thomas yesterday afternoon, and Joseph is glancing over to make sure his wife
and child are comfortable while the protection of the angel’s wings remind us
that God is always near. As I fell asleep
last night, I was grateful that while physically, I was alone in my parents’
home (well, besides the two doggies), spiritually, God is always there. Silent but strong, His presence is always
there and for that I’m grateful. For
now, it will have to be enough.
It dawned on me,
halfway through mass, that much like I was supposed
to take a trip back to NC today, the 3 Kings and Mary also faced a diversion in
that she and her little family and the Magi also had to take a different from
planned course to avoid Herod when they set out upon their trips. After being in PA since December 18th
for the holidays, I was to return to NC first thing this morning but I delayed
the trip by a day to help with the dogs and be here for my parents. When I came home from church, a couple of
hours later, I got the call that Dad is being released from the hospital!
According to the
doctor, there are seven medications that cause the lightheadedness, clamminess,
feelings of passing out, etc. and my Dad is on all seven of them. This medical cocktail will cause my Dad to
experience these sudden bouts of illness so he will need to force himself to
take it easy, to train himself to move slower, to try to prevent the more
frequent attacks of dizziness, almost passing out, etc. which I know for my active
parents, this will be hard to do. With
four children and five grandchildren to see in three different states and the
world of retirement wide open upon them, forcing them to stay put and slow down
will be a difficult task.
I will tell you
that after hearing yet again, in the ER last night, all of the health issues my
Dad faces (e.g., heart history, heart attacks, bypasses, high cholesterol, high
blood pressure, diabetes, COPD, knee replacements, etc.), I am ready more than
ever to get back to my regular Zumba classes & being more active after the
last 3 weeks of Christmas sweets/cookie eating and being snowbound.
Thanks to the
understanding of the faculty I work for, I’m able to make up my missed hours of
work tomorrow so that I can return to NC on Monday instead of on Sunday. What a gift to receive today on Epiphany
Sunday to have not only my parents come home, the love of family, and
supportive friends, but to have an understanding work network! Many thanks to those who called, texted (one even
offering her home as a place to stay), and prayed for my Dad…we thank you from
the bottom of our very full hearts!
"Love
endures in adversity, is moderate in prosperity; brave under harsh
sufferings, cheerful in good works; utterly reliable in temptation,
utterly open-handed in hospitality; as happy as can be among true
brothers and sisters, as patient as you can get among the false
one's."-St.Augustine of Hippo
