A Time For Miracles

We always hear that Christmas is a time for miracles. Many of us agree but never see them or at least don't think we see them. Then one day when we least expect it we see them happen to us, our loved ones, friends or complete strangers.

This year my family received our Christmas Miracle. On Sunday December 2, 2007 my dad had a mini stroke also known as a TIA. I was never so afraid of loosing my dad in my life as I was that evening. I thank God that me and my family were visiting at the time that it happened. We had gathered for a Christmas supper with the other tenants of the Northside Lodge along with the board of directors. We had an angel with us there that night in Peggy, she called 911 got the First Responders to my dad's in less than 10 minutes, about 15 minutes not even later the ambulance arrived. We had my dad at the hospital within 1 hr of his stroke. My dad went from not being able to verbally communicate with us to being able to talk within 5 - 10 minutes. I had to stay out of the room as it was upsetting my dad to see me scared and upset.

My wonderful husband rode with my dad in the ambulance to the hospital. What a difference in treatment when you arrive by ambulance than when you drive someone in. They checked for everything right away. Dad received the medications he needed immediately. The doctors and nurses in the ER that night were awesome. They kept me informed of everything. I left that night feeling much better than when I arrived.

Monday wasn't a great day for me, my dad was admitted to the hospital. The nurses didn't read his chart from the ER so they had no idea of what was going on or even why my dad was in the hospital until he told him, you tell me I came in with the ambulance last night. AHHHHHH.....how frustrating that day was. I didn't see a single doctor that day so when I left my dad's room I was in tears by the time I hit the elevator and cried most of the way home.

Tuesday I met with my dad's doctor who had been up to see my dad that morning. He told me that my dad is doing very well. The CT Scan showed no neurological damage from the TIA, thanks GOD. They were waiting to have an Eco cardiogram done of dad's heart to see if the clots were coming from there...again good news no clots there.....but his heart is weak. Working about about 1/2 of a healthy normal heart with no damage, but with the proper medications they believe that my dad's heart with strengthen from 35% to 45 - 50 %, it will never reach the 65% of the blood that a healthy heart pumps out with each beat but will be stronger. This is going to take time.

I was very surprised when the doctor told me that my dad should be able to go home in a few days. It was hard for me to believe the doctor when he told me that my dad would be able to come home I just couldn't see it. My husband told me that I was looking too hard for the negative affects of a stroke, this was clouding me from seeing how well my dad was really doing. It was on Wednesday when I finally believe them, I walked into my dad's room in the hospital and for the first time since Sunday I seen my dad, his color was great, he had sparkle in his eyes, no heart monitor and no oxygen. It was my dad as I know him, not my dad who was sick and in hospital.

Thursday came and I was able to bring my dad home to my house. This is one of the happiest days of my life next to the day I married my wonderful husband and the days that my 3 children were born. Every day I see my dad improving, getting stronger. Tomorrow he goes to the see the doctor and if he says that my dad is strong enough to stay in his own apartment on his own we will take home on Friday. This will be hard for me to do, but my dad needs to be able to do things himself so that he can keep getting stronger and stronger.

I thank God everyday for the blessings he has given us and for the blessing of healing that he as given to my dad and for blessing the doctors with the knowledge of how to treat my dad's condition.

Yes Miracles do happen at Christmas, my dad is living proof of that for me and my family. We received our miracle when things looked the blackest we found a shining star. My dad means the world to me and to my family, we are very close the 6 of us. We all received the best Christmas present 3 weeks early this year, my dad coming home.