Last Day

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! 

VIP parking close to the door!  Score!!

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.   

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 18^th 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