Down in Florida

[ellen_datlow]

I will be posting only intermittently because of a very slow dial-up connection from my parent's place for 6 days.
So my flight was an hour late yesterday because of bad weather in NYC. On the way home my parents tell me that my dad went for his regular checkup at the VA hospital Monday by himself and that he had an irregular heartbeat. They wanted him to stay overnight to be monitored and he said no way --his wife was home alone, his daughter was coming the next day, and forget it. So...he checked himself out.....

My mother and I dragooned him back to the hospital today (we warned them we were coming back and he said he should go straight to the ER to be checked in, no problem. We brought some stuff for him to have while in overnight. The ER room was pretty empty and they took him in right away. After about half an hour my mom and I were able to go in and sit with him while doctors came and examined him and questioned him (it was good that my mom and I could fill in some gaps about his recent health) and got him ready to be registered for an overnight stay. He was hooked up to the monitors and getting meds to slow down his heartbeat and thin his blood (for now). He most likely will not remain on the blood thinners once he gets out because he has bad balance and if he falls on blood thinners it would be very bad.

We didn't know when he'd actually get a bed so we bought him some lunch at the canteen which he ate like he was starving (my dad gets extremely grumpy when he's hungry). He was charming with the docs and nurses--a resident saw him and then an intern and he'll be seeing a cardiologist either tonight or tomorrow. We left around 3:30 and soon after we got home he called and gave us his phone # in the room he was taken to. They're hoping to find out why his heartbesat is irregular but warned us that often they never find out what the problem is.
Hopefully everything will be ok and he'll be checked out tomorrow. We shall see.

I'm not worried (yet) but I'm really glad this happened while I'm down here because I know it totally freaks out my mom.

Meanwhile, the weather is balmy and the moon is a gorgeous hug disc in the sky.

Sunday update: We picked my dad up today and he's home, napping. He slept terribly all three nights in the hospital. He's off some meds and on some others (he doesn't need many, considering his age). No more caffeine for him.
Thanks for everyone's kind concern over the past few days.

Comments

[fastfwd.livejournal.com]

Give your Mom and Dad my love. And take some for yourself, while you're at it.

[gillpolack.livejournal.com]

You're having a rotten run of health-luck. I hope this is an end of that run and things start picking up for both you and your family!

[charlesatan.livejournal.com]

Hope everyone's health (yours and your dad's) is doing well.

[pds-lit.livejournal.com]

Have a nice visit with the folks even though you are seeing the inside of another hospital. Good thoughts coming your dad's way.

[robinbailey.livejournal.com]

My best wishes to your father, Ellen, and to you, too. On the bright side, you're in Florida! I'm gonna miss my trip to Florida this year, and New York isn't certain. Looking forward to seeing you in May, though.

[maryrobinette.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you can be there, too.

[jongibbs.livejournal.com]

I hope your dad feels better soon.

[scottedelman.livejournal.com]

Fingers crossed for your Dad, Ellen.

[realthog.livejournal.com]

Bundles of good thoughts coming your way, dearest E.

[rhondaparrish.livejournal.com]

I hope they find out what's wrong and that it's nothing to worry about.

[lingster1.livejournal.com]

My best wishes for your father's health, Ellen. And to you and your mother, too. Don't neglect your own well-being.

[(Anonymous)]

I'm convinced, w/ my Dad having dementia and being in the VA home, and my Mom undergoing numerous surgeries for different ailments, that aging/ill parents are payback for all the crap we gave them as teenagers. ;)

Hope your Dad's okay, and good for him and your Mom that you're there.

Jeff P.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

We visited today and stayed about 2 1/2 hours, saw a few different docs (including the cardiologist). We all sat in the day room, which is much nicer than the hospital room. My father's wearing his street clothes-he didn't like the pjs-said they were uncomfortable.

He's on beta blockers for the heart rate and they're still monitoring him although they don't see any reason that he can't come home tomorrow. He is really bored--no tennis all ball games on the tv today/tonight.

sorry to hear...

[themadblonde]

he's been poorly, but yes, it is good that this happened while you were there to help.