Time is flying by and the end of January and all of February have just been full of stress. Sam says I need to chill out but I can't lol. The idea of moving across the country finally settled and has now sent me into a new gear. A go-go, stressful gear. Wedding planning like a mad woman and trying to organize and pack for the next 3 months of my life. It's mostly been exciting, because I really enjoy most of the wedding planning, minus the invitation. Sam and I strongly agree the worst part of this whole wedding planning was the invitations, not fun picking them and spending the money on paper. "Paper they're just going to throw away", says Sam. So we have accomplished the 5 main goals I wanted before Sam left: finished wedding invitations, picked out our wedding bands :), met with caterer, met with DJ, and finished our registries!! It feels good!
The bad stress... At the end of January Sam's dad underwent triple bypass surgery on his heart. I can't remember the last time I have been that scared. We found out on wednesday afternoon (Jan 30) and surgery was 7:30 the next morning. It was a very long 2 days and there was a lot of crying, and every emotion under the sun. At first it was shock, disbelief, and scared. Then when we finally made it to the hospital and we could see Mark, it was a little relief and still scared. And confused because he looked like normal (which is not a typical pre-open heart patient.) Once we were all together, there was definitely that scared underlying feeling, but it still amazes me how the feeling of love was emanating through. Above all, love, so strong so supportive. I am so blessed to become a part of this family. I love them so much. When the family is together, we always have fun, we always hug and kiss and laugh a lot! So even in this time, in this situation we laughed through our tears. We all did the right things, we hugged, we prayed, we showed love for each other, we put our faith in God, and we trusted the health care providers.
Through this entire experience, I have really grown to love everyone so much more. It is amazing how strong and wonderful each of them are and how these strengths really beam through in a tough situation. From the first time I met Mark, I knew he was a true role model and I admired so many of his qualities. For the last 2 years, I have looked up to him and I have taken joy in seeing the same qualities developing in Sam. One of my favorite things about Mark is how appreciative he is of everything. He is full of life and really knows how to find the optimism in any situation. Sam was incredible throughout the entire experience. I am so proud and thankful that he's mine. :) From the moment we heard about the surgery, Sam immediately jumped into alpha male role. (I mean he's already in it usually, but this was super alpha.) Even though, he was also scared and crying at times, Sam was very calm and kept everyone else calm. His thought process is amazing to me, he was sensitive to the situation but looked at it from a positive and logical perspective. His words were that "it was better to be proactive in a controlled situation, than to be reactive to a traumatic situation." Sam stepped into a man of the house role and took care of everyone and truly was the rock for me, Lauri, Anna, and Joe. Not to mention I'm sure that he sent a lot of calming energy to Mark as well. I am so blessed to have this strong man by my side for the rest of my hardships.
As scary as open heart surgery sounds (and it still is) somehow Mark flew through it with flying colors. How do you do that? Well from the beginning it has gone as smooth as it gets. Like all great things, it's a combination of luck, blessings from God, being smart, and proactive. Upon minimal symptoms, he was diagnosed with blocked arteries earlier than most people would ever notice. He chose open heart surgery, as he is in otherwise great health and no co-morbidities. Surgery went smoothly. He was a textbook patient with an isolated problem. He was extubated 3 hours post-op. Transferred to the step-down unit and up in a chair the next morning. He was discharged monday morning, POD #4. Now he is doing great, and feeling better than before. A visit to AZ is planned for him the week we move out there in March!
You have to take control of your life. Live smart. Tell those you love that you love them. Show emotion. Live your life!
One last Hoorah in Ohio with great friends! We are all moving. Leah & Jerry to Nashville, TN, and Taryn Scott to New Hampshire! Cheers!
Fat Cat Murphy
Because he makes me smile!!
