Thanksgiving

I would like to start by offering my condolences to the Mayer family. Drew, who was a groomsman in my wedding, called Tuesday night and informed me that his Opa had passed away. They were a very close family, so I know that he is hurting.

Also for Emily’s Grandfather (lin’s Father) who passed 2 weeks ago. He had a un expected death. We were both very happy that he was able to make our wedding and make it into our wedding album. They say death’s happen in three’s.

JOB UPDATE

I had orientation Tuesday afternoon with a room full of high school kids who love to talk about their pot smoking out loud. Not where I thought I would be with a college degree and owning my own business for the past 3 years. Oh, what boredom will drive a man to do. I have sales training Thursday and then next week I have to work the “line” for 25 hours before I start selling. The line is cleaning cars. So, if you are near the Water Way in Westport next week, swing by and I will clean your car….you better tip me. Ha

Grandpa

Alright, now the sappy part starts. I normally do not write about these experiences, but what happened last weekend with my Grandpa was emotionally draining and has had a profound impact on me. Grandpa has been in and out of the hospital for the better part of 6 months. He has been having heart problems, which when your heart is not operating at 100%, it messes with the rest of your organs, such as your kidneys and lungs. He has been needing stints in his heart put in, but the doctor was waiting for him to recover from his last surgery. He had been doing much better, and then Friday happened.

Emily and I headed down to the Lake Friday to do a little bit of shopping and see Moma. Our family always does a family Christmas, with about 25 of us. This year, since ½ the family sees a snow flake and looses their damn mind and can’t even mention the word driving without having panic attack, we decided to combine Thanksgiving and our family Christmas. Last year it was canceled and moved until January. Aunt Connie and my cousin Tony, who live in Reno, flew in for their first family Christmas in many years. We always do a white elephant gift exchange and for those of you who don’t know: Everyone brings a gift between $20-25. We all draw numbers and #1 grabs a gift and opens it. #2 can either steal #1’s gift or open a new gift, and so forth until everyone has gone. Each gift can only be stolen 3 times. I hate to use vicious when describing a family Christmas, but damint, it gets vicious: and we look forward to it every year!

So, I called the cousins to see if anyone else wanted to head down Friday instead of Saturday and we could grab a few drinks. We don’t get much time with just the cousins and no kids around. Tiffany and Tony were the only 2 cousins who seem to love me enough to come down early (My new two favorites). Mom, Emily, Winston and myself were on the way to a drive through light park and then they were going to drop me off at the bar to meet up with Tiffany and Tony. On our way Mom gets a call that Grandpa was having heart problems and would be heading to the hospital. We drop off Winston and head back to the hospital.

After a several hours of waiting and wondering and many test later, we learned that he had pneumonia, which didn’t seem to explain his vomiting, cold sweats and not being able to breath. They had sedated him in the ambulance in order to put a breathing tube down his throat, which is never a good sign. But, he was stable and they were going to move him to an ICU room for the night. The time was now 12:30am and we decided that we will make sure he gets to his room okay and then head home and get some much needed sleep. Around 1:00 the nurse asks for Kathy Tyler, who is the power of attorney for Grandpa, and technically has the final say in what happens. 15 minutes later all the brothers and sisters were called in for a meeting. At this point, Tiffany, Tony, Emily and my self knew that something was not right. 20 minutes later they come out teary eyed and tell us to go say our last good bye’s to Grandpa. In the matter of 30 minutes Grandpa went from stable to getting ready to take his last breathe. I will never forget the walk back to his ICU room. I had so many emotions rolling around in my head. I had no clue what the hell just happened and the thought of telling someone that you love good bye for the last time is something that I have never gone through. I have lost 5 very close people in my life, but I have never been there at their side as they take their last breathe. And this was what I was preparing to do.

The doctor said that he was not sedated any more and should have woken up 2 hours ago. They have been trying to wake up, but with no luck. With the 45 minutes of almost no oxygen to him, they assumed he was brain dead and at this point, he was just running on the medicine they gave him to keep him alive. It would be just a matter of minutes until he took his last breath. I called Justin right away, he had keep his phone close, and informed him what was going on. I could sense the total feeling of helplessness in his voice. I knew he desperately wanted to be there; not only to say good bye, but for Mom. We decided that driving at 2:00am was not the best idea, and the chances of Grandpa still being there were very slim. I hung up with phone with Justin knowing the he would not sleep the rest of the night.

The Chaplin came in around 2:15 to do the final prayer with us, and after that I said my final goodbye, told him I loved him and walked back to the waiting room knowing that was the last time I would see my Grandfather. I had made peace with this. He had put up a good fight, but he was tired. Worn out after a long battle and this was his time. Grandpa had lived a great life and touched so many people; this seemed like the time for him to take his trip to the sky.

We made it back to Mom’s around 2:45, just awaiting a phone call from the few family members that stayed in the waiting room. 7:00 comes around and Aunt Vickie, who was sleeping on Mom’s couch, wake up with no phone call. We called up there and we were told that he had responded to a needle by pulling his hand back. I quickly get ready and Tony, Aunt Vickie and myself head up to see him…again. When we got there, the family that had stayed all night went home to get some sleep and I was left with Uncle Mike to hold down the waiting room and inform the family on any changes. At 9:30 the nurse comes out and says that he is up right in bed, still with a breathing tube, but is responsive and can have visitors. So, less than 12 hours, I make the same walk where I had made peace with the passing of my Grandpa, now walking it with new hope that he is still around. And sure enough, we walk into that room and Grandpa’s eyes light up and he waved. He couldn’t talk, since the tube was in his throat, but there he was, alive and kicking. I left the hospital at 2:30 when new family arrived to take my place to hear Grandpa talking like nothing had happened 12 hours earlier. By Sunday he was the same ol Grandpa, just hooked up to machines.

All the nurses and doctors were calling him the miracle man. I am not sure what everyone believes, but I believe that miracles happen, and this was not Grandpa’s time. Aunt Connie said that he went up to Heaven and Grandma pushed him back out the door.

Update: We did learn that at one point he did have a heart attack. The pneumonia has been going on for a few weeks, but his body was so frail that he didn’t feel it. At this point, I am not sure at what point he had the heart attack. We will know more in a month on the condition of his heart.
He had surgery Monday to put the stints in, which was risky due to his frail condition, but it had to happen. He came out of surgery okay and is still doing great. Crazy…just plain crazy.
The whole experience has made me appreciate life more and just how precious it is. The feeling of making peace with his passing and then less than 12 hours being able to communicate with him is just surreal. I can not think of any other word to describe it. As I sit in writing this blog, I am still awestruck by what I experience Friday night. I just shake my head and marvel at the fight in that man that I call Grandpa. My grandpa, who I love with all my heart and is the glue that holds our family together, literally fought for his life and came out ahead to live another day.

I have always loved and appreciated my family, on both my Mom’s and Dad’s side. My Mom’s side is extremely close. Those who know my family understand 100% what I mean, if you don’t, you need to meet them. I talk to my cousins more than most people talk to their own brother and sisters. It is such a blessing to have such a wonderful family. Don’t get me wrong, there is bickering and whining, just with ever family, but our family solves it with a beer and hugs it out.

My dad’s side is also very close and super awesome. I know super awesome sounds like a 4th grade saying, but it the best way to describe them. Both sides are amazing people and I am very lucky to have them all in my life. My uncles on my Dad’s side are actually my 2nd cousins, so, their kids are my 3rd cousins. Norah and Caleb’s kids are 4th cousins and they know each other, fairly well. I don’t know of another family were 3rd and 4th cousins are the same as 1st cousins.

The point of this rambling is that I appreciate my family, and as a kid I took them for granted, not realizing how special my family is and how rare it is to be this close with your extended family.

If you took the time to read my random thoughts, thank you very much, this was something that I have been wanting to blog about for a few days.

In the mean time: Keep on keeping on…mrrrrrrr