What is a monkeybox?

When I was a little girl, we had a pet monkey named Amanda. My Dad worked in the produce business, so each night he brought home that days culls in a big box - spotty cucumbers, pithy apples, limp celery, moldy oranges and the like. We called it a monkeybox. It was really just trash, but my Mom would take each piece of fruit and trim it, pare it and cut it up to make a beautiful fruit platter for Amanda. Even though it was deemed trash by one, it still had life left in it and was good for the purpose we needed it. That's how I live my life - thrifting, yard saling, looking for another's trash to be my treasure.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

We Interrupt This Blog

...to bring you real life.

Friday morning my Dad calls to say he is dizzy and has a bad headache.  He wants to go to the doctor or to the ER.  I get dressed, drive the 25 miles to his house, call the doctor for an appointment, they say they can't see him because they are booked, so just take him to the ER.  I load him up, drive the twenty miles to the hospital, drop him at the door (at his insistence), park the car and go in the ER.  A nurse is taking his blood pressure and heart beat when she says, "200 BEATS PER MINUTE" and all hell breaks loose in the ER.  Suddenly, he is on a gurney, big eyed thinking he only has a headache, but in reality, his heart is beating 200 beats per minute and he is on the verge of passing out and minutes away from dying.  Twelve people are in the room and doing all sorts of things, stripping off his clothes, putting in an IV, administering oxygen, hooking him up to monitors, and the worst one - a nurse is rubbing those paddles together getting ready to shock his heart.  All the while, he is just looking at me like, "What the hell?"

The doctor tells me that his heart rate is non-life supportive at the moment and if the drugs do not bring it down immediately, he will be shocked.  "This is bad," he says, "really bad". Speaking of shocked, my face must have been white as a ghost, because suddenly three nurses descend upon me, pushing me into a chair asking if I can breathe, etc.  I felt fine...I was shocked, but I honestly thought they had the wrong guy.  He has a headache I kept saying......

Luckily, the meds worked right away and his heart rate dropped to about 80 and has stayed that way since.  Today he had an angiogram or an angioplasty or something and they determined that he didn't have any blockage.  He will have a pacemaker installed on Monday.  All quite the shock to say the least.  I know so many people have pacemakers and they have saved their lives.  We watched a video today and learned a lot.  It looks like a pretty simple procedure and he should just be sore and housebound for a few days. 

A month ago he got a new cornea, this week a pacemaker.  He'll be completely bionic before we know it!  Thanks in advance for all the well wishes.  And, if you know anyone with a Pacemaker - tell me.  I bet there are LOTS!

15 comments:

  1. Thank goodness you were there to answer that phone! I bet he's going to feel like a new man when he gets that pacemaker. I'll keep him and your whole family in my thoughts and prayers!

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  2. Your father certainly has an angel in you, Miss Shara!~~~My best wishes for a speedy recovery to your bionic dad!~~~XXOO, Beth

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  3. The fact that he lived while waiting for you to get there and then to the hospital is something.
    My step dad has a pacemaker it went in pretty easy.and he is fine now.
    Cathy

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  4. Oh my goodness! I am so glad you were there to take him to the ER and that they got to him immediately! Big hugs to you! Linda

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  5. Shara, that must have been SO frightening! I'm so thankful that you were able to get him to the ER at the right time and that they were on top of things there and helped him right away. I'll be thinking of you and your sweet dad!

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  6. Oh how scary! I am glad he has you to help him. I hope it all goes well and he is well on the mend by Christmas.

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  7. my FIL has had a pacemaker for years...

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  8. Wow...just so grateful you were there for your Dad. Wishing him a full recovery...pacemakers are so common now, but it will all be new for him. You are all in my prayers. *e*

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  9. OMG Shara, how scary for you - good thing you didn't know before hand his heart was beating so fast!

    My friend got a pacemaker this summer. She had periods of fast heart beat and they watched it for a while - then decided on the pacemaker.

    She had an uneventful time getting it and couldn't put her left arm over her head for a month or so.

    She's good now and just told me the other day she forgets she even has it!

    I hope you Dad feels better soon - I'm keeping you all in my prayers!

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  10. Thank goodness you were able to get him there in time! It must have been pretty scary once they realized what was going on with him!

    My grandma had a pacemaker and a pig valve, and she recovered very quickly from both surgeries. She had both for many years-the doctor could even check the pacemaker over the phone-without her having to go in as often!

    I'll be praying for him (and you and the rest of the family).

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  11. Wow, many prayers heading your way. I'm so glad that he was able to call you and that you were home.

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  12. Good grief. That sounds terrifying. Hope he has a speedy recovery and that you recover from all that excitement, too. (I think I would have needed the paddles if I'd been in your shoes.)

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  13. Sending you a big hug, and prayers for your Dad for a speedy recovery from surgery!

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  14. GLAD all is on the mend!! What a scarey time for you!

    My Dad got a pacemaker a year ago... Your Dad doesn't weld or use a chainsaw in his day-to-day activities does he? ...he WON'T be able to afterwards, and they may not inform him of this before hand.

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  15. I'm so pleased you were able to take your Dad to the ER and get him attended to quickly. Sending very best wishes for a speedy recovery.
    Best wishes
    Rose H
    xx

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