#26 DAD

I am finding it difficult to catch up on my blogs, I really want to blog about what has just happened in my family rather than filling you in on what has happened over the past couple of months. So here goes!

While I was away on holidays early January, my dad was due to have a hip replacement which is all very standard. In fact the operation went very well and a couple of days later he was up and walking around the hospital doing physio and getting along just fine.

Unfortunately he developed an infection for which the doctors could not find the source. They started treating him with antibiotics & found he had extensive pneumonia. This progressively got worse & finally my eldest sister (a nurse) flew to Victoria to see what was happening. The next day my other sister (Kim who had come & looked after me when I had my op) called and told me she had just had a panicked call from mum saying dad has had a bad turn. She suggested I head down to see him! So in a panic I packed some clothes, not knowing how long I would be there for & booked a 0500 flight the next morning.

When I arrived at the hospital Tuesday morning dad was on oxygen with a mask that covered his whole face. I made a comment about not wanting to miss the party, he laughed & had a joke back at me. These were the last words I would be having with my dad! Ever!

By the afternoon, he had been intubated & sedated. Therefore unable to communicate with any of us. Over the next two days we sat by his bedside throughout the day watching him deteriorate. Going back to my sisters each night (she lived about an hour & a half away from the hospital) Mum & my eldest sister were staying with friends near the hospital.

On Thursday evening when we were all planning on leaving the hospital the nurses suggested we stay & speak with the doctor. He advised us that he may not last the night! His kidney's had failed & so had his liver by this stage! Kim & I sat with him all night, Karen took mum to a motel for a couple of hours to try & get some sleep & one of my dad's brother's who had come to see him that day, decided to stay also. We sat with dad getting my uncle to tell us stories of them growing up!

It was a long night, mum came back about 1am and we all just sat with him until the end 0650 Friday morning! I will never forget sitting with him right until the end holding his hand & talking to him.

We were all devastated, especially mum! To her it was so unexpected they had been married for 54 years!
I am so grateful that the family had been together only a month earlier & that dad had been so happy at that time. I will miss him always.........................

Rest well dad, I love you xoxo

With my younges & my mum at Dad's wake........

#25 Tamworth

Well I'm sorry for being so tardy with my blogging. I'll try & give you all an accurate update of my progress!

So much has happened & it all feels like it was so long ago! I went back to work as you all know after my surgery & was doing short shifts up until Christmas. Each week I was feeling stronger & not so tired afterwards. Christmas party's were starting to happen & I was feeling well enough to attend my previous works dinner late November & then a couple of weeks later my current works party! All was going quiet well. I have previously mentioned that I had a family party to attend in Tamworth the week before Christmas & was very excited to see all my family after all I had been through.

This weekend started to look like it was never going to happen. There had been a lot of flooding around the country especially in NSW leading up to this & getting to Tamworth was looking to be a challenge for all the family, as we were coming from different States. Dad was due to have a hip replacement Op in January & his cardiologist wanted him to have a pacemaker before this surgery. Mum & Dad were not sure they were going to make the party (Dad's 80th & my brother's 50th combined) as they thought the pacemaker surgery was going to be around the same time. My eldest sister had a death in the extended family (her brother in law) & the funeral was still to be scheduled. My surgery was the least of every ones worries. Things were not looking good!

We were all due to arrive in Tamworth on the Friday for dinner & it wasn't until Wednesday night that I received a call from mum saying they would be there as the surgery was scheduled after the weekend & my sister could also attend as the funeral  was also to be after the weekend! Yay, finally it was all falling into place.

Finally we were heading off, after several detours due to flooding we managed to get to Tamworth 10 hours later just in time for dinner. We were the last to arrive! It was so amazing walking into the pub & seeing all my family. I felt very emotional after all I had been through!

The weekend was so lovely & the party on Saturday night was fantastic! My brother (A chef) made a surfboard sushi platter, that Dad thought was just for him. Photo's to follow :-)
We spent Sunday doing Christmas presents & final goodbyes as everyone had a long trip home. Little did we know it would be the last time we would all be together!

Dad enjoying his Sushi

The whole family together (minus one nephew)