The heart breaking memories of my fathers death. |
Branded by the agony that was endured On a beautiful September day, 2002. Awakened with the information that my father had unexpectedly died, at home, in my mothers arms. Devastated by the news, my siblings and I planned his funeral. Ironing the shirt, that he was to be laid to rest in, paying special attention to the tear stains that had fallen from my eyes. Thinking how naive of me to believe that my parents were immortal. The burial ceremony was upon us, I couldn't fathom how could anyone describe what a wonderful father he had been. How could we give him the praise that he deserved for giving his all and being so selfless? After the funeral, we carried mother back to her house. She expressed her need to be alone and would not listen to reasoning. At 12:00am, I was awakened by the telephone, it was my brother. He advised me that he was on his way to the hospital with mother. She was having chest pains. Within 20 minutes, I was at the hospital, being told that it was a massive heart attack. Emergency surgery had to be performed, stents were put into her heart. Four hours after surgery, her heart exploded, blowing a hole in her heart the size of a silver dollar.Before the second emergency surgery, the surgeon explained that she had a 20% or less chance to live. Honestly, at that moment my world, as I had known it, ended. For the first time, I felt so alone. My mind suddenly shut down, uncontrolable shaking and crying followed by prayer. What seemed forever, we were informed that she had survived. After a couple of days another surgery was needed. A defibrillator/ pacemaker was installed to regulate her heart rate.Spending three weeks in intensive care and another three weeks in a nursing facility. Relearning how to walk and do other things, all the while nurses montoring her. I recall praying on my knees in the hospital chapel, begging God to spare my mothers life. Promising that if she survived, I would dedicate my life to caring for her and to make her as happy, as possible. Mother is now living with me, and has ever since she was released from the hospitals. She is doing as well as possible. Doctors have found an aneurysm on her heart, about six months after surgery. Doctors can't ever open her heart again, for fear of her dying. So we control it with a blood thinner. We take each day, one step at a time. It took the death of my father, and nearly losing my mother for me to become the person,that I am today. I only wish he could have witnessed, my growing up at forty three. |