We arrived to find my dad's leg in intense pain and not being able to walk. It was so scary. He was wailing in pain and needed meds. Dad had just returned from hunting on Saturday night around 7 pm. He went to Carolyn's for dinner and ice cream and felt fine. As he was driving home, he felt excruciating pain in his leg and could barely get himself in his house. Once he made it in, he called Carolyn and she rushed right over.
They got him right back to a room in the ER and started running tests. They had to call in several people to do certain tests that were not too happy about being there. One tech walked in about 1:30 am and said "Mr. Jones." My dad startled and said "Oh, sorry I was sound asleep." She said "So was I!" Ugh, it took all I had to bite my lip.
They determined that my dad had a blood clot in his femoral artery. Since Carolyn has been working in the Schumpert system for so long she was like a celebrity. We got to go in to different back rooms and see things we normally wouldn't get to see or take pictures of! The X-ray tech even let me take a picture of the clot.
It is crazy to think that my dad was hunting just a few hours before all this clot stuff happened. This is a picture he received from Cousin Don while in the hospital.
We were very thankful for these things in the midst of all this scariness:
- Thankful that my dad was not still in tiny Corsicana, TX
- Thankful he wasn't driving on the interstate hours away
- Thankful that the nurse rushed him back
- Thankful that the clot did not cause a stroke
- Thankful we got to the hospital when we did
- Thankful for Rebecca being at our house to help with the party so Neil could go with me
- Thankful for all the prayers from friends and family
- Thankful for all the calls, texts, e-mails, and help from friends and family
- Thankful for Carolyn knowing all she knows and being a trooper for staying up for 36 hours straight
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| These arteries or vein (don't know which) are the 2 going down his legs. The one on the left is obviously blocked. It is just crazy to see this so vividly! |
Carolyn was a total trooper through the entire thing. She told me to go on home about 2 am from the ER and that she would call me if she needed me to sign anything. Well, she called about 5 am and I was so dead asleep I didn't even hear the phone. I ended up getting to the hospital about 8 am to sign off on the surgery. When I walked in, my dad was under anesthesia and it was scary to see. Like I said, Carolyn is a celeb up there and got us in all the fancy places. The vascular surgeon decided Dad needed surgery to remove the clot and plaque that formed in his leg.
The surgery last about an hour and he did great. Carolyn and I just waited and waited. Neil brought us breakfast and Amy gave me a ride home so that I could go to Bennett's party. I felt like I shouldn't go to Bennett's party but I was torn between caring for my dad and caring for my kids. I knew he was in good hands with Carolyn, so I headed to the party.
Dad was told he was going home on Monday, then on Tuesday, and then on Wednesday. He was not too happy and wanted to get home. He did have to stay in ICU from Sunday-Tuesday. We were able to get to a regular room on Tuesday so he could shower and walk around. Carolyn was a little annoyed in ICU because the nurses were being lazy and wouldn't get my dad up to walk. I've never seen that feisty side of her but I liked it!
Dad wanted Bennett and I to bring his Christmas tree in and decorate it so that is how we helped. I am glad he got to come home to a festive house!
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| My BIG boy! |
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| This is how we made ourselves useful. |
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| We brought a couple things up to the hospital for Dad. Bennett was a little scared, but Dad was glad to see him |
| Once he finally got to his room, he was glad to get up and walk around. He looks good in his Sigma Kappa Parent's weekend t-shirt circa 2001 |
That sounds so scary but I'm thankful that he is okay! What a stressful time for all of you.
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