Another Dad update...

First, I just want to say thank you to everyone for all the calls, texts, and PRAYERS!  My dad is hanging in there, even doing a little better, and I KNOW it is because of everyone praying for him!  Here is an update on what's been going on.

After my last blog posts things got worse.  Friday night we were able to visit Dad, but as I was getting ready to fall asleep later that night my phone rang.  My mom called and said the nurse had called her and said we needed to come up to the hospital because Dad was having a lot of trouble breathing.  We rushed up and walked into his room.  There were several nurses around him and they were giving him oxygen and trying to calm the breathing episode he was having.  I lost it...although I was trying so hard to be strong.  They were moving him into the Cardio-Thorasic Unit, and after they rushed out, the nurse was alone with mom and I.  We kept trying to ask questions, but all she would tell us was "we will just need to talk to the doctor."  They took mom and I into a conference room on his CTU floor and we waited for a doctor to tell us what was going on.  In the meantime, we called my sister, who was visiting Curt's family in Knoxville.   The doctor came in and basically said that his breathing trouble was related to his heart condition.  His aortic valve has been leaking for a long time, so long and so slowly that his body has just been absorbing the infection, but it is now really corroded and has to be replaced.  The doctor said that they want him to be on antibiotics for 3-4 more days before he has open heart surgery, because the more the infection can go down now, the better after the surgery.  He kept telling us how serious this was, and that we should probably have my sister come in from Knoxville.  We just sat there and said "how did this happen?  Two weeks ago he was fine."  It was a really terrible few minutes.  They let us go back and see Dad, who was on a bi-pap (this breathing thing).  We talked to him for a few minutes and said some encouraging words and then left so he could sleep (at this point it was around midnight).  They told us that we should go home to sleep since we only live about 5 minutes from the hospital, and that they would call us if we needed to come up.  At this point, Lindsey and Curt were driving through the night to get here, although they ended up stopping at their apartment in Nashville because they were both so tired.  I don't think any of us slept much at all that night; I was so afraid my phone was going to ring.  He did okay for the rest of the night, praise the Lord.  We both got up the next morning and sent out emails to our church family and friends and begged them to pray for specific things...that his body would respond to the antibiotic, that he would be able to breathe better on his own, that he could hold off a few days to gain strength before the surgery, etc.  MANY people began praying!  When we got to the hospital things were looking better.  He hadn't had any more fever and he was feeling better.  He was off the bi-pap and just using the oxygen things through his nose.  They said they felt like his body was responding to the antibiotic and doing better.  Thank you God!

Now today is Monday.  He has had a good weekend and the doctors are proud of his progress.  He is really tired, and we don't visit too long before he needs to rest.  But since he is feeling better (not much fever, etc.) he is starting to worry about the upcoming surgery.  The plan right now is to do an angiogram tomorrow, to see if any of his arteries are blocked.  If they are, they will have to do some bypass stuff during his open heart surgery, in addition to replacing his valve.  They are thinking they will do the surgery on Thursday.  Please please please continue to pray for him.  Right now please pray that he will not be anxious about the surgery, that the surgery will go smoothly, and that he will make a full recovery.   

We've been spending a LOT of time up at the hospital.  Only two or three of us can go in at a time, so the other ones just stay out and play with Brynn and hang out.  Brynn thinks she OWNS the place...she just runs  up and down all the hallways nearby and likes to "hide" and have us find her.  Here are a few pictures from yesterday...

She has been OBSESSED with riding the elevators.  She wants everyone to take her on it.  HA!

The CTU waiting area is really big, and there are some pretty empty hallways nearby...so...

they have become her new playground!

Obviously this has been a scary time, but also a time for us to come together as a family and rely on God.  We are trusting in His plan, and praying that He will continue to keep Dad safe.  Thank you for praying with us!!  I told Dad the other day "Dad, I'm writing about you on the blog.  Do you want to say anything?"  He said for me to tell everyone thank you so much for the prayers and please continue to pray!