Running in New Jersey

I just took a look and saw that I haven’t blogged since December 2nd.  That seems like ages ago now.  It’s amazing how much life has happened in the past several weeks…makes you really step back and take a look at your life.  My main concern on the 2nd was making sure I put in an extra mile the next day in my run.   Can’t say that I ever addressed that concern.

The next day I got a call that my Dad was being admitted to the hospital.  Lately he had been having balance issues and trouble seeing.  After a few tests, the results weren’t good: brain tumor.  Just like that, everything else faded into the background…work, running, Christmas, etc.  My main focus became my Dad and my family.  That I night and the following day I stayed at the hospital with my family while they did some more tests to confirm what they had originally found.  I got a picture of the tumor…man was it big.

That Saturday morning I went for a 10 miler, hoping that it would help relieve some stress from everything that was going on.  It did not.  It was a pretty miserable run actually…very cold and very windy.  I just couldn’t get behind it.  I did not run on Sunday.

We found out that my dad would be having surgery to remove the tumor.  Brain Surgery.  Very scary words no matter how educated you are on the topic.  However, they would have to wait a week for him to be off the blood thinners he’s been on since his second heart attack (first heart attack warrented a 5-bypass surgery).  So, not only was there the worry of the brain tumor, there’s also the worry of another heart attack.  My dad has been through too much in the past 5 years: broken leg, broken neck, 2 heart attacks, 5-bypass surgery, losing a son to cancer, and now this.  My Dad is the strongest man I know…I don’t know anyone else who could get through all of those and still be the great man that he is.

Monday I headed down to Atlantic City for work (we have a convention we host each year), figuring there wasn’t much to do until we knew the exact surgery date.  Monday night at around 11  I get a text from my brother:  Dad is in the ER, thinks he’s had a heart attack.  Needless to say I pack all my stuff up, text my boss that I’m leaving, and head back up to Jersey Shore Medical Center.  Luckily it turned out to be more of a panic attack (which gave us all panic attacks), but I decided to stay up from Atlantic City and work in the office the rest of the week.

Surgery was originally scheduled for the 14th, but got moved up to the 11th.  I went and visited him the night before, and rightfully so he was nervous and anxious about the surgery.  The next day we were in the hospital all day while his surgery took place.  When I say “we”, I mean me and about 15 other family members.  When times get tough, we as a family know how to come together.  My dad’s sisters and my nephew had even drove up from Florida.  Finally, in the late afternoon, the surgeon came in with a smile on his face.  The surgery had gone well, and my dad was already awake and talking and able to move everything!

The next 2 days he was still quite groggy and a little bit doped up…morphine + percocet will do that to you.  However, he quickly moved from the ICU to a regular room, and was discharged to rehab by either Monday or Tuesday.   In rehab he’s been doing speech, vision, and physical therapy.  The first few days he was still in the a lot of pain.  However, he seems to be doing much better in that department now.  He still is having vision problems and some balance issues…but the man had brain surgery.  It’s to be expected.

Luckily he was able to get a day pass from rehab to come home for Christmas.  We spent the day at my parent’s house and at my sister’s house (right next door), surrounded by lots of family.  It was a great day, and even better because he was able to join us for it.

Best news of all: He’s coming home this Wednesday!  Granted, he’ll still be having care by the visiting nurse service, and he’ll likely still have to do outpatient rehab, but he’ll be home!!  From tumor with brain surgery to being home in less than a month…I think that’s pretty fantastic.

It still hasn’t been discussed whether he’ll need chemo or radiation  yet, but we’re taking it one step at a time.  Right now we’re just thankful he’s alive, thankful he’s doing well, and thankful he’s on his way home.

I want to personally thank everyone who offered up prayers and words of support during everything that was going on.  If you ever doubted before, let that doubt go: my Dad is living proof of the power of prayer.

I’ll catch you all up on my running soon (I was able to get some good runs in despite everything that was going on).  I know I haven’t said it in a while, but I still mean it… Run on Friends!

Snowy Run Day After Blizzard