Pic from my HHS 30 year reunion

Picture of Tony and I taken from my 30 year reunion dinner ....I think he looks pretty good, for someone who was 16 days post-major heart surgery when this was taken :)

(for those of you who might be confused? I went to 3 different high schools......I grew up in Michigan and went to Parchment H.S. for 2 years, went to Monseignour John R. Hackett H.S. in Kalamazoo my junior year...yay! for Catholic high schools.....and then moved to Virginia and went to Harrisonburg H.S. my senior year.)

The Healing is continuing....

Tony continues to do well in his recovery, and I went back to work last Thursday and worked 4 days straight,lol, after being off so long.....I also got Older, we celebrated my birthday on Oct.18 and son Kyle (or should I say 'former son Kyle',lol) bought me a cake that said

"Happy Almost 50 Mom"...........ROFL.

Dustin comes home for a visit tomorrow, and so I expect it'll be another silent time on the old blog here.....we'll be busy:)

Blessings along the way.......

We were so blessed in so many ways, during our recent ordeal (more my Husband's ordeal than mine, of course, no one cracked My chest open!)......

we were blessed that Tony had Not had a heart attack before the blockage was discovered, as the docs had said they're not sure he'd have survived it.

we were blessed that, although the blockages in his heart were so bad, there was no other damage to the Rest of his heart.

we were blessed that we Hadn't taken our vacation yet, to go to Michigan for my 30th reunion at one of my former high schools, so I still had some time left to take off from work.

we were blessed that the docs decided to admit him, and rearranged their surgery schedule to get his surgery done so quickly.

we were blessed by so many prayers and good wishes, from so many loving family and friends and co-workers.

we were blessed that my Mom is so tech-savvy, and kept so many folks updated for us, so I didn't have to worry about that.

we were blessed that I had a room provided for the whole visit, so that I didn't have to drive 2 1/2 hours to come home, and keep having to run back and forth.

we were blessed by so many random people in the hospital, like the nurse whose name I ever even knew, who went out of her way to tell me about the other hospital's cafeteria.....I just crossed paths with her several times, she wasn't even one of Tony's nurses......

or the folks who it turned out lived in the same area, who before they left from Their hospital stay, gave us better directions for how to drive home.....

my previously mentioned 'Angel' friend, who took time out of her weekend to do so much for both me, and Us :)

one of the most unexpected blessings, for me, was the last night of our stay (although I didn't know it was the last night at the time:).......
I had left Tony's room, and stopped at the drink machine to get a drink.....and heard the most beautiful piano music. There was a piano in the main lobby, and the atrium I was in on the second floor overlooked the lobby.......I looked down, and someone was playing the piano.

sat down to listen, and the person played for about half an hour, I just closed my eyes and listened to the beautiful melodies, and felt my cares sloughing off......a true moment that 'refreshed the soul'....a delightfully calming way to end that evening.

I could go on and on, we really felt the hand of the Lord covering us in so Many ways throughout this.........

but the bottom line for both of us was, for all the above and so many other reasons......we have felt Truly Blessed.

Adventures in Hospital Land part 2

The other story I wanted to share is that, on the weekends, the cafeteria in the V.A. center that families can use is closed.
(and the few times I ventured out from the hospital? I Always got lost, lol.....but, I've now seen Howard University...nice university.....although not really right next door to the V.A. hospital:)

anyway, there is a hospital right across the street from the V.A. hospital in DC, and happily, one of the nurses at the V.A. had told me that the cafeteria at the hospital across the street Was open on the weekends.....

so, on the Sunday, I decided to walk over there......to get there,it was kind of a long city block.

On my way to the cafeteria, I passed a gift store at the other hospital, so I decided to stop back by there after I got my food. They didn't allow flowers or cards in the SICU, so I was looking for balloons.

I found "The Most Annoying Get Well Balloon EVER",lol....it Sings...."Don't Worry,Be Happy"...every time you tap the balloon.

So ,of course, I bought it :)

(LOL......which led Tony to say later....A"what kind of nurse Are you?"....and B"why would you
Do that to someone recovering from surgery"??????)

after several days, he said "ok, I think it's funny Now".

the real story though, was if only someone could have caught on video, me walking back from the cafeteria/gift shop....I was carrying a bag with my food, had decided to buy both a drink And a coffee......and I had the balloon ribbon wrapped around my hand, because it was really Windy out.

so, every time the wind blew, it blew the @#$% balloon into my head.....and then that %$#@ Song would start playing again....while at the same time, more of my coffee kept sloshing out the top of the cup over my hand and shirt front.....

(there's a reason I'm a card carrying member of "Dork's r Us",lol, if you hadn't figured that out by now:)

halfway back, I was thinking to myself, as the balloon once again bopped me in the head and started singing 'don't worry, be happy".....'if I hadn't spent so much money on this *&%$ balloon? I'd pop the darn thing right now!"

anyway....just another story from our totally unexpected and unplanned 'adventure' in hospital land :)

Adventures in Hospital Land Part I

For the 'lighter side' of our recent sojourn at the V. A. Hospital in DC , just wanted to share the story of when Tony first woke up after surgery and was still on the ventilator (they don't immediately remove people from the ventilator post-surgery)

I had been told that it was very likely he wouldn't remember my first few brief visits back to the Surgical ICU (SICU).....the first visit, he wasn't awake.

The Second visit, he grabbed my hand and started trying to spell onto my palm....however, he just kept drawing 2 lines, so I really couldn't figure out what word he was trying to spell....I said 'honey, I'm just not that good at charades".....the look he gave me,lol....

The next visit, he first spelled "W H A T " and when I said "what?" he nodded, so then I said "well.....what 'what'?"again, the 'look',lol....

then he kept holding up 4 fingers, and then spelling "H E A .." and before he could finish I kept saying "no, honey, they didn't have to do a quadruple bypass , they only had to do a triple bypass" (see, I was so sure he was trying to spell "H E A R T" and asking if they had had to bypass all 4 arteries to the heart....I also finish other people's sentences,lol:)

Finally, 45 minutes later.....I realize he's trying to spell "4 Head"......I said "oh would you like me to wipe off your forehead?" the look on his face,lol, said "my gosh, she finally gets it!"

The next morning, when they had taken the vent tube out, I asked him "how much do you remember?" He looked at me and said "One, you're not that good at charades, and Two.....don't try and finish people's words for them when they are spelling them out!"

darn it...what happened to "he'll be too groggy to remember much" ? :)

Yay,we're Home:)

On October 8th, Tony had triple heart bypass surgery.....he has come through fine, and is recovering well, and we just now got home from the hospital today:)

Thanks for everyone who sent so much love, support, and prayers.

More later........