One morning, Kyle's brings my cell phone to me..."you missed a call from your mom". It's 5:45 am. I lay in bed for a minute and as I become more awake and aware, I begin to get the feeling that something isn't right. Why would my mom be calling this early in the morning?
When I call my mom back, the first thing I remember her saying is "your dad's had a major heart attack..." At that moment my world stopped. I thought he was gone. Turns out, he was alive and in critical condition in the ICU after the insertion of two stents into two completely blocked coronary arteries. By 10:30 that morning I had made it to Dallas and after telling my grandmother the bad news, was on my way in her car to Longview. Thankfully, by the time I got to see dad, his breathing tube and the tube draining blood from his stomach had been removed.
Five days later, dad was sent home. After the New Year, the plan is to place another stent into a third artery...
We are so lucky and there is so much for which to be thankful. I am thankful for the doctors and nurses in Marshall that recognized a critical situation: within an hour of getting dad to the hospital in Marshall, he had been shipped to Longview and into surgery. I am thankful that dad recognized he might be having a heart attack and was able to get that aspirin bottle open. I am thankful my mom rushed him to the hospital so quickly. I am thankful that the cardiologist was at Good Shepherd when they brought my dad in so that they could rush him into surgery. I am thankful that I was able to be home for a week to be with my mom and dad. I am thankful that my parents have the strength to make difficult choices during difficult times. And I was so thankful to get to see my dad this past weekend at our extended family Christmas party in Forney. Things could have turned out very differently!
On a lighter night, I am thankful that Kyle seems to enjoy living in Lubbock. Because it looks like we will be here at least until 2014, when I graduate from TTUHSC School of Medicine with my M.D.! I will be starting medical school at Tech in the fall, and I can't begin to explain how excited I am to have the opportunity to chase this dream (and to have a family and husband that support my endless career as a student...only four more years guys!).
Here are a few pictures:
This is the suit I wore for my interview at Tech. Do I look like a future M.D.? Turbo thinks so! The admissions committee must have thought there was one hiding in there somewhere, b/c they let me in!
Mom, Kyle says thanks for the Lowe's gift card! The garage looks awesome thanks to you : )
Just for grins...
Mom, love the Cinnabar Baker. Perfect for grilled cilantro and butter trout and veggies : )
