LOVE YOUR HEART

 This is day one of Toms surgery for quadruple surgery. Time approx. 10:30am May 15/09

This is the day after Tom’s surgery, approx. 12 hours later.

Can you believe how good he looks after coming through that. At 7pm the evening of his surgery, he was sitting up, and called me on the phone and he sounded wonderful! No pain, cheerful and so happy it was over! Amazing man!!!!

He’s back in a room now, and they will have his walking later this evening. His only complaint is where they took the vein out in his leg, which has a nagging ache. Otherwise, he’s doing fantastic. The nurse’s just love him, and he has them laughing and joking with him, and him with them, all the time. They hated for him to leave the CSICU unit and they all came out to say goodbye to him and promised to meet for a reunion next March 17th, for St. Patrick’s Day at Dublin Crossing. (A couple nurses happened to be from Ireland.)

He’s had so much fun, teasing and joking with the nurses, that one nurse told me that one of Tom’s laughing comments was “I never knew cardiac surgery could be so much fun!”

That nearly put all them into stitches from laughing so hard!!

He only has a small bit of pain medication, most of the tubes are removed and by tomorrow, the rest will also come out.

I am so lucky to have a wonderful neighbour who took me over to the hospital this morning at 9:30. I left the hospital at 3PM, as his family will be soon arriving for a visit and he needed to get some rest. It is just a short walk down Burrard Street to where I catch the bus home, so no more will I risk mine and everyone else’s life, driving the car!!

St. Paul’s Hospital

So, now, I’m home, made myself a nice orange smoothie and going now to enjoy the sunshine on the patio and just relax!

IT’S THUMBS UP

It’s a GOOD DAY!! Tom, was very successful in coming though with flying colours, a quadruple bi-pass this morning in about a 3-4 hour operation.

When I arrived this morning, about 6:30 am he was in his usual upbeat, happy humour, after having what he said was a very good sleep. They had him all scrubbed for surgery and he sat and talked with his daughter Meredith and myself, until they came with the stretcher.

As he was wheeled down, I knew he had many fearful thoughts going through his head, and rightly so. He was heading down for extremely serious surgery at an age, where surgery is not a good thing to have!

We were allowed into see him in intensive care after surgery, and our first reaction was that of shock and tears. Oh, what a scary sight with all those tubes and machines going. Of course, I took a picture!! However, until I have Tom’s permission to show it on here, I’ll have to wait to put it on the blog.

It’s now 2:36 pm, and I’m home, and made the drive through Vancouver without any incidents. Every Vancouverite is now safe to hit the trails this weekend, as I’ll be taking the bus for the next few days. It doesn’t get any easier for me either! I HATE driving in the city!!!

I think the possibility of him coming home will be Thursday. Then everyday, will be one step closer to life being back to normal and feeling good again for him…and me!

Thank you everyone for your great support, of E-mail, phone calls, and prayers!!  He will get to read them all when he gets back home and will be very surprised how everyone was so concerned for him.

More later…I’m going for a snooze! I’m exhausted!!!

UPDATE TWO ON TOM’S SURGERY

Hi everyone, with the latest on Tom’s upcoming quad bi-pass, which will take place at 7 am tomorrow morning. We are so relieved that they won’t be waiting until after the long weekend to operate.

For someone with a heart in such bad shape, his colour is great, his cheeks has a nice rosy glow and he looks very healthy, and his humour is very much intact. His attitude is very positive, although there are moments when I can hear and see and feel his fears.

He’s had so many pokes and prods in his body today and has blood thinner going into his veins constantly.

I had a wonderful offer for a ride to the hospital door this morning, from one of our neighbours in the building, which for me was a Godsend, as driving in Vancouver is NOT my forte!! She pointed out all the bus route stops along the drive there, so now, I have a better idea how to get myself to the hospital by bus, which will be much easier for me and much safer for the other people on the road! I’m terrible driving in the city!!!

Tom’s sister Isabelle and husband Ken drove me home and out for dinner which was lovely of them.

Tomorrow, I WILL drive myself, as I’m leaving at 6 am..hardly anyone will be on the road and many parking spots available when I get there! So, if anyone from Vancouver will be on the road tomorrow afternoon when I return home, keep an wary eye out for me!!

Tom’s daughter and his sister will be there with me tomorrow. Lot’s of support!

I’m heading to bed now, in a lonely house, it’s not the same without him here.

I’ll let everyone know tomorrow, as soon as I can, how he made it though. I’m feeling positive the news will be good!!

Night night!

PS…I was going to put a scanned picture of his own diagnostic report of his heart that show’s the many blockages, but I’m just too tired to do it tonight. It’s an amazing and very scary looking report!!!

Thanks everyone for your email!! So very much appreciated!!

With much love

Linda

 

UPDATE ON TOM

Short blog tonight. Just wanted to let everyone know that Tom’s angioplasty did not go well. He is in the hospital as a priority case for Triple Bi-Pass Surgery! He has so many blockages, some 100%, some 90%, 80%, and on it goes, that I’m truly amazed he hasn’t had a heart attack before now.

We don’t know when the surgery will take place as they are trying to get a heart surgeon and a team together as soon as possible. The nurse didn’t think it would be tomorrow, possibly on Friday, but with the long weekend happening, it may not be until next week.

He’s wired up to tubes and blood thinners and is comfortable and still is the  usual upbeat, positive self that he always is, joking with the nurses and making them laugh. He’s already their pet!!

It was an outcome that left us pretty stunned, as it wasn’t expected, although over the past few days, Tom has said a few times, that he feels it’s going to be worse then just a stent put in to open the arteries. He was feeling pretty lousy. He was so right!

It’s not the same without him here, but I’m exhausted from the stress of the day, and just don’t have the energy to reply to everyone’s kind E-mails of good wishes for Tom, so instead, hopefully, this will suffice for now. I’ll keep everyone up to date with each passing day on what the next step is.

Just another small tidbit….my tooth is aching again!! Can things get worse?????

 

 

A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING FROM OLLIE AND LOIS, INDIAN LIFE, CAROL AND JACK, BILL AND DIANNE, ALI SHAHIDI, NEW CARS, FUN WITH FRIENDS AND GOOD LUCK TO TOM

As most of you know by now, the main focus in our life right now is Tom and his upcoming heart surgery tomorrow. Tom’s  just anxious to get it over with and I’m just anxious!! Although, I know he is strong and has not had heart problems in the past, and otherwise in good health, so underneath all my anxiety, I do know he will be fine and on the mend and back to the life we have enjoyed before his heart began to rob him of energy and breath. However, just the same, please keep your finger’s crossed and the odd prayer or two, sure wouldn’t hurt!

I’ve already had many friends and family sending get well wishes to him and we do appreciate them so much!

I’m going to include some of those friends in this blog,that have brought us up to date with what is going on in their life.

First from Ollie and Lois, who we met on our first cruise through the Panama Canal. We enjoyed fun times trying to win at Trivia Pursuit and collecting those “Dam Dollars”. Some people you meet on these trips remain friends forever, and we are so lucky to kept connected.

This is the latest adventure Ollie and Lois have been on that sounds very interesting with great pictures!!!

Linda and Tom,

Linda, we read your blog about the tooth and were about to send you a message of sympathy when we saw that you had recovered. Glad to hear this.

So Lois wanted to let you know about our latest "ride about". We headed for the Navaho Nation in Northern Arizona to see Monument Valley. It is truly a land of contrast, rather stark with beautiful cliffs and monoliths rising out of the ground. We had to have a Navaho guide who took us in his open air vehicle down the side of a mountain and at the bottom we stated on this "road?" that looks more like a rock "cow path". We stopped at all of the wonderful spectacles and he gave us the names history and Navaho lore connected to each one. We also stopped at a place called John Ford's Lookout which was the overlook where the Indians on horses were always shown high above looking down at John Wayne and the Cavalry below .  Had a rare opportunity to go into a Navaho Hogan and see great grandma in native dress carding wool to make thread for the Navaho rug she was working on. It was at this Hogan that we learned all about the matrical society of the Navaho people. We learned that you must always enter through the door which always faces East and progress clockwise around the Hogan. To the Navaho this represents the circle of life, you enter as a baby and progress around the Hogan through adulthood to old age and death. As we continued on we had to ford a river to see more exquisite beauty. Following four horses as they grazed down the "road" unattended and unbothered by our truck. Our journey came to an end as the truck we were riding in drove up the side of the mountain.  We were so awe inspired by God's beauty that we wanted to share some of our photos with you.

Photo attached. First is a wide view of the Valley, then a photo of Navaho grandma in her Hogan and finally a photo of her Hogan, the mud mound on the right.

What interesting pictures eh? Such an amazing world we live in with so much beauty everywhere!!

  

Next, we go to Carol and Jack, that we met heading to Alaska! Carol was my life savior when I had forgotten my camera charger and the photo department didn’t have one to help me out. I think I had asked almost everyone on the ship if they had a battery charger for my Lumix Panasonic Camera, but nobody did! I had given up hope of being able to take pictures on this fantastic trip, when who joined our dining table one evening and set her camera on the table beside her!!!  It was Carol and Jack! The same camera and she had a charger, and she was so kind to leave the table, right there and take my battery to her room and had it charged for me before dinner was finished!! Also she gave me her room number to get it charged any time I needed it!!! We had met new friends, that have stayed in touch! Wonderful!! Carol wrote this morning with well wished for Tom and also two picture’s from her camera! One a new car, and another of her beautiful flower!!!

Just checked your blog (5/11 edition), since I haven't had any emails from you lately.  Sounds like you had a lovely Mother's Day, indeed.  You don't know what "hot" is, tho, until you've been down here in the southern sun!  But the hats were cute.  I'll have to send you pix of my newest additions.  I've gone daylily crazy and trying to get "sporty" as I approach my supposedly more "mature" years.  Ha!

And all our best to Tom as he undergoes surgery Wed.  Our prayers and thoughts are with you both.

Love and light,

Carol

Nice car Carol!!! Suits you well!!!

My, OUR CAMERA takes great pictures eh????? Beautiful flowers!!!

Yesterday, we had our monthly fun lunch with Bill and Dianne (above) and we went to a restaurant, I have forgotten the name and I just asked Tom what it was called, only 10 minutes ago…..I’m at that age eh? Can’t remember anything for longer then 10 seconds!!

But it was great, fabulous menu, and great company. Dianne also brought some delicious scones to share and a CD of Leonard Cohen’s concert that we went to recently!!  I’ve nearly worn the cd out already!! Love it!!! It’s called Leonard Cohen, Live in London. It’s absolutely fantastic!!!

It was pouring rain when we came out, then all of a sudden it cleared up, but I still had my rain coat on and a sweater underneath that made me look like the Goodyear Man!

I loved their sign!! Lovely tulips!!

Now, we are heading around the world again, to visit with a few more pictures my friend and very talented man, Ali Shahidi. He has sent me a few more pictures of his very colorful artwork, and I’ve been promising for some time now to put them on the blog, and just didn’t get around to it, so now’s the time! I featured some of his work earlier, so if you didn’t see it before, go have a look!! Talent Galore!!!

Ali, also sent me some of his lovely poetry, but due to my inept at keeping good files I can’t find them!!! I’m sorry Ali!!

 

That’s it for tonight!!! Hope you enjoyed a little trip with friends, here and there!! More tomorrow, on Tom’s day!!!

 

HEY, DID YOU HEAR ABOUT…

 Well, it’s about time, I got back to serious blogging and told you about a few things happening on the West Coast!

My tooth is great now, no pain, still on antibiotics, and still have to have it capped, but other then the expense, it’s a piece of cake!!

Mother’s Day with my West Coast family was wonderful and very touching!! It was a beautiful sunny day and we were able to sit outside soaking up the rays and having a nice visit at Meredith and Dave’s beautiful home. Meredith is Tom’s daughter and my step daughter!!! I hope not the “mean” step-mother!!! We were invited for brunch and delicious it was!! It wasn’t the usual large group of family that are usually at these get-togethers, as the rest of the family had mothers and places to be as well. Joan, my other step-daughter also came and I got a lovely present and flowers from Meredith and Dave. Martin, my son in law, was away on his motorcycle and stopped in Princeton to call me on my cell phone to wish me a Happy Mother’s Day!! I was extremely touched, he’d do that and take the time. I’m one very fortunate lady to have such love from my “other family!'’ It was a wonderful day and many thanks to all of them!!

Meredith and Dave’s lovely home.

It was just a little hot out there, so Meredith rounded up hat’s’ for us to wear. We all look like idiots!! Tom didn’t  care what he looked like as long as he wasn’t squinting into the sun!! Isn’t he cute!! Become’s him eh?

   Of course I heard from my own two daughters in Belleville, and it made me cry to hear their voices, when we are so far away especially on this day! I love you kiddo’s!!

Because, I found this recipe on the net for Butternut Squash Curry, I copied it out, because it looked easy to make and Tom loves anything with curry! So, when we left Meredith and Dave’s we went down to the Punjabi Indian Market, for the stuff to make it. Darn….now, I have to cook it!!! While we where there, along came the NDP Candidate for British Columbia, and her campaign bus, so I got some pictures of her. I was right in with the big CBC and CTV camera’s, and was trying hard not to look like the idiot that stands and waves and grins and tries to get in the shot behind the candidate. However, we had to check out the TV news that evening to see if I had hit the “big time!” I didn’t!!! Thank goodness!!!! I just don’t think I could deal with Hollywood wanting me for that special part right now!!

I certainly hope she takes back BC from that crook Gordon Campbell!!!! Gosh, have I become political???

My moon shot over the Lions Gate Bridge, rounded off the day!!!

Now for the biggest news of all!!! On Wednesday (day after tomorrow), Tom goes into the hospital for heart surgery!

So far, we are hoping and praying it’s for angioplasty and maybe some shunts put into his two narrowing arteries that has been causing him much problem these past few months in being difficult for him to  be able to catch  his breath with the least exertion. So, I’m asking everyone to keep him in your thoughts early Wed. morning and say a few prayer’s that the procedure goes without a hitch and I have him home and recovering quickly.

I have more pictures and stories  of different things over the past few days, but I’ll quit now, and go read my book, while I know nearly everyone else, almost everywhere, is plunked in front of the TV to watch the hockey game!

Go Canucks!!!!