A Week of Miracles

 I'm not really sure my words would do this post justice.  So many emotions have gone through us this week, that I'm not sure my words would truly express what our family, and more importantly, my dad, has gone through, but I'll give it a shot.

After months of a strange little cough, an increasing lack of energy, and a slight dizziness whenever he got up, my dad, who I lovingly refer to as KB, FINALLY decided to go see our family doctor.  This is a big deal.  KB hasn't seen a real live doctor for years.  For one reason, KB never really thinks he's sick.  Its just a little cold, or he's allergies kicked up, or maybe he's just getting old.  But he once and for all decided to go in and get a full physical with blood work, EKG, the works.

The red flag first went up when KB's EKG was abnormal.  So, the new doctor, Dr. Dominic Nardell, an adorable little Italian from Pennsylvania, comes in and tells him he needs an appointment with a cardiologist and probably some other doctors, just to get a thorough check up.  And so my dad started making all the appropriate appointments.  However, as many of you know, getting a quick appointment with any specialist here in Vegas is nearly impossible, and so most of his appointments weren't going to be for 2 weeks to almost a month.

Fast forward 24 hours, as my dad and Byron sat down for lunch.  Dr. Nardell calls, and asked KB if he sitting down and if he was driving.  This obviously concerned KB and when he asked what was wrong, the doc explained that from the blood tests, they could see KB's red blood cell count, which normally should be a 15, was at a 5.5!  He would inevitably pass out either that day or the next if he did not get to a hospital for a blood transfusion.  Now, those of you who know KB know he is very much a tough guy, with few emotions.  But Byron told me this news really shook KB up.  And who can blame him, this was frightening news and no one likes to go to the hospital.

Even though going to the hospital was a scary thing, we realized later, that is was a blessing in disguise.  Instead of waiting for a month for the doctor visits with the cardiologists and other docs, all the doctors came to the hospital to see KB within 2 days.  KB had the lovely experience of getting an endoscopy and a colonoscopy to find the source of the bleeding.  There they discovered KB had a 2 in mass, later to be diagnosed as a cancerous tumor in his colon or large intestine.  It had been bleeding there for probably months, which was the reason for the low red blood cell count.  And on a side note, can I just tell you that though that was some of the scariest news we've ever gotten, my dad complained more about drinking the dang "GoLightly" stuff to clean out your intestines for the procedure?  He still complains about it!  That was a bigger trial to him than any of this!  Silly KB!  In the nearby picture, you can see Wyatt doing his best to keep KB busy with Spiderman puzzles.  I think being stuck in a hospital was also a big challenge for him, and so we tried our best to keep him busy.

On top of finding the tumor, there was still this abnormal EKG to deal with.  So KB had to go in for an angiogram, where we learned he had an "electrical" problem with his heart.  The bottom left chamber wasn't beating properly, and so instead of pumping out 50% of his blood, his heart was only pumping out 20%, a very low percentage. 
So here's where the dilemma began and the decision that needed to be made by dad and the doctors.  Do you operate and remove a cancerous tumor on a man who's heart may be too weak for the surgery, or do you implant a pacemaker on the heart and wait for it to get stronger, while risking the cancer in the colon to grow?  Fortunately, though all this news was very scary, both the cardiologist and the colon surgeon assured us that the cancer and the heart problems were very serious and needed to be fixed, but not truly as urgent as we were feeling.  And so they made the decision to go forward with the colon surgery, take heart meds for 3 months to strengthen the heart, and then decide if the pacemaker was needed.  This was still very scary because KB was at a large risk to have a cardiac "event" during surgery, such as cardiac failure or arrest.  And so that is what we all focused our prayers on.  We became very aware that my father may go into surgery and not wake up, which frightened me to death.  But we all knew this had to be done, including my dad.

I said earlier that KB is not a man of many emotions.  We are not a lovey dovey kind of a family, we don't really say I love you or show PDA, and I can honestly say I have only seen my father tear up at 2 or 3 times in my entire life, which were probably at funerals of his mother, my grandfather, things like that.  But I knew his heart was touched, when he would tear up at the news that his friends were praying for him.  I told him of messages I received that his Stake Presidency knelt in prayer for him at 7 am on the Sunday of his surgery, and that his name was being prayed for all the way in the Guatemala City Temple.  We later on found out that the spirit in his ward was so incredibly strong because all of his wonderful friends mentioned his name in every single prayer said that day in church.  And we all got a little teary eyed as we gave him our hugs and love and watched the nursing attendant (who was the sweetest thing offering Wyatt juice) pushed his bed down the hallway to the operating room.

Then we waited.  Wyatt kept my mother's mind occupied and my friends' wonderful text messages kept me busy.  Byron and Wyatt later on went to church and Mom, Nini, and I sat and chatted.  Soon we were surrounded by more family and friends, just waiting.  A couple of things could have gone on while we waited.  A normal surgery would have been about 2 hours.  If dad's heart started having an "event" the surgeon would not be able to do the surgery laproscopically, but rather would have to cut his entire abdomen open (sorry for the graphics) to quickly cut to the tumor and get back out.  And though it would have been quicker, it would probably take the surgeon longer to come out and talk to us.  However, just over 2 hours later, the surgeon came out and not only told us KB was fine, but his heart did just fine and the surgery was able to be done laproscopically with very small incisions.  Had it been just my mom, Nini, and I, the conversation with the doctor would have been very quiet and discreet.  However our group nearly doubled by the time to doctor got out and we had such as joyous reaction to his news, I think we scared him a little.

Amazingly, Dad healed faster than anyone had planned and was able to go home this past Wednesday.  He spent a total of 8 days in the hospital.  He has lots of doctor appointments coming up (probably to make up for all the ones he would have for years and years!), but things seem to be going really well.  The cancerous tumor did not go through the colon wall, the lungs, lymph nodes, liver, and blood are all clear from cancer, which most likely means no radiation or chemotherapy.  The plan for the heart is to be on medicine for 3 months to strengthen the heart and then decide if a pacemaker is needed.  This picture is KB, just one day after surgery, up and walking, telling the sweet nurse that the weekend nurses have no sense of humor.  (It was a Monday and she agreed!)

Easter is going to be a very special day this year.  I realized that Easter has been around the time that my loved ones that have past usually get to their worst.  I have lost my great-grandmother, my grandfather, and Byron's father all around Easter time.  I am so glad that I don't have to add my father to that list.  I do think that Heavenly Father must be telling me something, that I need to pay more attention and gain a better appreciation for the Atonement and for Jesus Christ's sacrifice for me and the ones that I love.  I pray that this Easter, you too will remember His sacrifice and love for you.