This year’s Kunilou Kristmas Story actually starts on December 18, when my wife’s father suffered a dizzy spell and then passed out at his home. Naturally, he was alone at the time. He woke up and was taken to the hospital.
My wife managed to actually catch the proverbial next flight out and was at her father’s bedside within 4 hours. For the next few days he was subjected to every test known to medical science. He continued to suffer dizzy spells, but the tests didn’t turn up anything.
They finally discharged him on December 24. My wife took him back to his house. He was still a little unsteady, but much happier being home.
Christmas happened to be his 86th birthday, and also the day for the big family Christmas/birthday party. My wife didn’t want him to go, but he would have been crushed. so she agreed to take him to the party.
Once there he was in very good spirits, until my wife suddenly slumped down in her chair. She distinctly remembers people at the party asking her if she was okay. What she doesn’t remember is that her response was completely incoherent; nor does she remember a period of approximately 10 minutes after that until the paramedics loaded her into the ambulance.
It was too late in the evening for me to catch the next flight out, so I drove the 550 miles. When I got there, she was feeling fine, except for the humiliation of being subjected to every test known to medical science.
The tests revealed… nothing, actually. In fact, by every objective standard my wife is in much better health than I am. She was discharged Saturday, and we drove home today. For the time being, her father is staying with her brother.
We’re all planning a quiet New Year’s.