They feel what happened was a weakening of the walls of a diverticulum, which ruptured, and due to his blood-thinning meds, it didn’t heal itself. Apparently, this isn’t uncommon (the rupturing), but it generally heals itself quickly, and the individual is none the wiser. But being on an anticoagulant, Dad just kept bleeding.
I was alarmed when I heard him say that his BP had dropped to something like 40/20 (this is what he said, so I can’t vouch for what it really was, but Brandon, the Emergency Room guy, apparently saved his life by stabilizing him as quickly as he did. You go, Brandon).
But that’s past. His body will heal itself. He was able to walk all the way to the end of the hallway and back today. He ate solid food today (pancakes for breakfast, pot roast for lunch, ziti for dinner – he’s eating better than I am!). And he may be coming home tomorrow. We’re all hoping so. At any rate, he should be home sometime this weekend.
Thanks for all your kind wishes. I appreciate you more than I can say, my friends. Bless you all.
DAVEW: I’m sure it’s difficult living through these ups and downs. Life is hard enough with our own problems without having to watch a loved one go through medical problems. Hope you’re holding up, and know that my thoughts are with you.
Well, I did include the disclaimer that forty over twenty BP was what my dad said. Not being a doctor, I don’t know if this is impossible to survive or not. But the point is, his BP plummeted, and it was a little dodgy for some moments there.
And yeah, he’s a tough ol’ bird. At 76, he’s annoyed at the fact that he’s slowing down, and can’t do the amount of yard work and repairs around the house he used to do. Three quarters of a century old, and he’s chafing over the fact that he can’t get around on the fastball like he used to.
Having lost both my parents and most of my family, I’m here to tell ya that any time gained is a blessing. It’s impossible to stop the tide but every damned minute saved is to be treasured. Seize the moment.