Dad

Hi Everyone I know I’ve not been around much for the last month, but I’m home now and will try catch up with you all soon as I can.

Dad

On the 6th of July after twenty four hours in hospital my Dad was put on the Flying Doctor to Perth. Ross, Mum and I left right away by car, when Dad got to the hospital in Perth my sister Rachael was waiting there for him,

Within twenty four hours of dad getting to Perth, he was on the operating table for what should have been a two hour op, but end up being seven as Dad had massive bleed and they had to do CPR on him while he was still being operated on.

We as family sat in the waiting room and waited for what seem like days, for us it would been so much hard had it not been for the wonderful staff, one young man, come over to us again and again to let us know what was going on and it was thanks to him, that after it was all over that we had not one but two phone calls from Dad's Doctor.

Dad did not make it back to the ward till 9.30pm at night, we where worry at how we would find him, as he had been through so much for a man of his age. He was awake and asked what time it was, if it was, morning or night and if it was still raining. On being told, it was night and yes it was still raining, he told us to go take Mum home and for all of us to get some sleep as we look tired.

As we were leaving the Doctor come to see how he was going, he told us the next forty eight hour would be Dad hardest.

That was ten day ago, it now the 16th July and Dad is doing well, they have taken all the ten tubs and thirty eight stiches out and now it a matter of getting him well and strong again, He is up walking and has been from three days after the op, he back eating and is dying to have fish and chips.

One of the nurse told him all his walking(3km a day) and all the Tai Chi has paid off and that he was only here because he was so fit for his age.

We are now just waiting for a bed to come up in the Geraldton Hospital, so he can be move back there and I think once that happen he will come on more as he will have more friends and family around him.

25^th July, after much stuffing around by the pen pusher at the hospital and a week of waiting we took things it to our own hand and found Dad a bed in a hospital in Geraldton, and we are going home tomorrow.

Thanks, to Nurse Kathy and Doctor Sam, who when out of their way to help us out. These two wonderful young people, who took the time to tell us how to go about doing what need to be done to get Dad back to Geraldton and we got all that need to be done in one hour, the Hospital pen pusher had not been able to get it done in a week.

26^th July today Ross drove Dad back to St John Hospital in Geraldton and he is doing well; while in the hospital in Perth, he got a bug called VRE, well not just him but everyone on the same floor got it, all these people now have this bug for life, it will only be a problem, if they are in hospital, for an operation, and they will have to have special drugs for it, and the hospital will need to take care that it does not spreads to others.

Dad is doing well and looking forward to going home, and he is getting stronger by the day.

31^st August, Dad came home today, he is still weak, he lost 10kg and is working on getting fit again, he has started to walk around the outside of the house, five or six time a day and is doing some light Tai Chi to get his legs strong again.

1^st August,

There is no way I can Thank, all those who help us out, But our Thanks must goes to The Flying Doctor and all who craw her, the Nurse and Doctors of both Hospitals, for with out there skill, my Father would not still be with us, I don’t think we truly understand, what these people do or the long hours they work, till we need them.

S.M. Mac Arthur ©