Monday, July 16, 2012

Another side of the story...

So I (Jordan) am here at the hospital without my kids and thought I would use this opportunity to write down my story while it is fresh in my mind...not that it will ever leave. It feels very overwhelming to even think of where to start. So I will just start with Whitney and Greg's phone call to Clint on Tuesday. This my be a little long so readers beware :)
Clint got the call from Greg Tuesday night right before we were going to bed. I was upstairs and could hear Clint's side of the call. He was asking questions like "did he fall, can he follow your finger, what do you mean by weird?" Then he ended the conversation with "just watch him through the night and if he still has the headache in the morning you should take him in." So when he got up stairs I asked him if that was Greg asking about on of his friends. I thought someone fell off a long board and got a concussion. Then Clint told me it was about my Dad. That is when a little red flag went up in my head. And of course, being married to a Dr. he has told me horror stories about things like this. So I am thinking my dad has had a stroke or an aneurysm. Clint calmed me down and said that Whit and Greg were going to keep an eye on him and not to worry.
So the next day I called Whit and asked her how dad was. She said that he still had a little headache but was doing better. So I thought maybe it was just a migraine. I was going to call dad, but thought I would just be bugging him. (He doesn't like to be looked after :)) So I decided that I would leave him alone. But I was still really worried. Clint had called to check on him throughout the day so I thought that it was going to be fine. I was so wrong.
Thursday afternoon I got a call from my Mom that Sean was taking Dad to the ER. She said Sean had gone to lunch with him and he couldn't complete a sentence. So we were going to find out what was wrong. As soon as I hung up the phone I broke down. I knew something was wrong. I tried to call Clint, but he was seeing patients so I texted him and told him to call me ASAP. He called a few minutes later and I couldn't even talk. I was just sobbing. He told me that it was going to be alright and told me to start praying. I don't think I had stopped praying for my dad since Tuesday. While all of the drama was going on my family was trying to keep me updated as best they could. I have never felt so scared in my life then I was waiting to get those texts. Being in Texas and not being able to be at the hospital was such a helpless feeling. My poor kids were very worried about me. I was just sobbing and couldn't take care of them. As soon as Clint came home I just melted. I couldn't breathe. I didn't know what was happening and all I wanted to do was to be in Utah.
I had an interview that night that I had to go to and I feel really bad for those that interviewed me. I was at the church when I got the news that it was a tumor. I just started sobbing again. I was so puffy and red faced. I looked like a hot mess :)
By the time I got home Clint had already bought me and the kids tickets to go to Utah. He took one look at me and just grabbed me. We just sat and cried. All I could think about is that I hadn't talked to my dad this week. I didn't call him. I couldn't remember the last time I talked to him. I was so scared that the last time I saw my dad was in February. That couldn't be the last time I saw my dad. I can't tell you how great it was to have such a wonderful husband, who is/was so supportive when I needed someone to be with.
Saturday came and I was just about to board my plane when my mom told me that the surgery was over, but that it was cancer. It took everything inside of me not to just breakdown. I had to just make it through my flights. After the flights from hell and 4 hours later than what I was supposed to be in I made it to Utah. I have never been so glad to see those mountains. We got in around 11:30 and went straight to bed. Sunday I took my kids to my in-laws house and headed to the hospital. Once I got there I was greeted by all my bald brothers and my sisters. I can't believe how amazing my family is. How close we are and how supportive we are of one another. It was so good to see everyone. They let me go in to see dad by myself and I was so shocked. His face was swollen, had a black eye and was sitting in a wheelchair. I gave him a hug and told him I loved him and then went to the corner and just started to bawl. My brother came and hugged me and told me they had all done it. It just didn't look like my dad who could do anything. Who would give anyone the shirt off his back. It was my dad, but not the way I wanted to see him.
Things have been better and he is doing amazing!!! I am honestly not surprised of all the things that he is doing. That is just my dad. Proving everyone wrong, not letting people help him, ripping out his IV's in the middle of the night, refusing to follow any rule, and never saying no to a challenge. His sense of humor is there and he is making us laugh all the time. We have made many "too soon" jokes and lots of bodily noises :) Which lets me know that he is still my dad.
I shouldn't be so shocked at all the love and support that we have received because my dad is so easy to love. But it still overwhelms me when I think of it. The support system that my family has will help us while we kick this cancer's booty.
Sorry for the novel, but I had to make sure I got in everything. We love all of you and thank you again!!

7 comments:

Rachel said...

Glad you are here Dode. I want to see you when you are here maybe we can catch up at your parents house one night. Love you!

Alexi Bullock Design said...

This is so sweet! I feel for you being out in Texas! I'm glad you got to go to UT to visit and be there to support the fam! So glad that things have turned out the way they have with all of these blessings. Take care of Greggers for me!

Andrea said...

So glad you were able to travel up Jordan. I haven't stopped thinking about your family since I saw Ryan's post on FB on Thursday. Love you guys so much!

Jennica said...

Good post, Dode! Your Dad is a little fighter. And he will kick that cancer's booty! Praying for ya and sending love!

Wendy said...

So sweet jord, we love all of you bulls!

grammajill said...

So glad you are here Jordie, it wouldn't be the same without you here. It must have been so hard being so far away, glad you are here now. We love your dad, too and our whole family is praying for him and your family.

Heather O'Brien said...

You are so sweet Jordan. I'm glad that you are able to be there with your family. We are thinking and praying for you guys. What a great family you have. Lots of love.