The calendar has turned over... welcome to 2015. There is always something promising about a blank slate in front of you, the anticipation of watching a new year unfold.
I know now that we can't predict what will lie ahead. It's foolish to try. I'm learning to take it as it comes, adjust when necessary, and persevere. No bold predictions here, just a quiet understanding that I hope for better days ahead, but there are no guarantees.
I have spent the past two days resting as best I can. To be honest, I have been exhausted. The first 10 days after my surgery involved, Christmas Eve and Day celebrations, sending Erin off on her adventure, retrieving Erin from her aborted trip, hosting Ed and Tess for two days, and then visiting my dad in the hospital. Not exactly laying low in my own recovery...
So, these past few days, I'm making up for lost time - sleep in, watch movies, nap, shower (maybe), repeat... Needless to say, I didn't see midnight. Didn't even have a drink on New Year's Eve. Damn, I'm old...
Erin escaped the boredom around here by spending New Year's Eve will her bestie, Emily. They've been friends since 4th grade and have been spending NYE together since 2011 when we returned from Memphis. Erin and Emily loves each other like sisters. Thank god for that...
Erin will come home and we will lounge around today, snacking and watching bowl games, including the Gophers.
My dad continues his treatment at Hennepin County Medical Center. The clinical trial using the hyperbaric chamber has given him some light sensitivity back in his eye, but Papa has come to terms with the fact that he won't get much sight back in that eye. He has been told that people can live and do most anything with one eye. Over time, the brain will retrain itself to help him cope with the disability.
The bigger question is what caused the clot in the first place. Two possibilities - the initial thought was arterial fibrillation, but further testing has also shown significant blockage and plaque in his left carotid artery. So now, there is no definitive answer.
The plan going forward is to put in a heart loop monitor and check his heart rhythm over the next six months. During that time, he will stay on blood thinners to prevent any further strokes/episodes. If the heart rhythm is not the culprit, then potentially surgery may be performed to clear the carotid artery.
Papa will most likely be released from the hospital on Friday and he and mom will head back to Nevada this weekend. What an adventure... and not the good kind...
So, 2014 ended in a jumbled mess of emotions. A blank slate starts today. I have no idea what it will hold. Here's to 2015...
