A Day In The Life!

 "Squad 51 , engine 51..." Man, I loved this show as a kid! 

It is 17:43 and I am completely exhausted and I do not do caffeine so I have learned to cope with being sleepy. I think I had written that I would update you on the last few days so I will, at the very least, do that.

I went to my mom and dad's yesterday morning to take my dad to the hospital for his back surgery. It was day surgery but, since he is on a medicine called coumadin he had to spend the night. Coumadin is a blood thinner so, since he takes that, he had to stay the night at Rush-Copley Hospital so they could make sure that he would not have any complications. So, since my mom cannot be left by herself because she has some issues that require monitoring, I stayed at their house in my childhood (7th grade until college) bedroom. Anyway, the surgery went very well and they cleaned some plaque from his spine between vertebrae three and four and four and five or something like that. Everything went well and mom and I headed back up to the hospital the next morning and picked him up. We stopped at Jewel/Osco to pick up his new medicines (they waited in the car while I got the scripts filled). We drove to their house and I parked near their door in the driveway and turned off the car. I helped my mom out of the car and then went around to help dad. He got out and suddenly went slightly limp in my arms and closed his eyes. I said, "Dad" and he opened his eyes. I told him that it seemed like he had passed-out for a second. I asked how he felt and he said, "fine" and then his 170ish-pound body went limp and his eyes closed. He would not wake-up and I lowered him to the ground on his concrete driveway. I lightly tapped his cheek and he opened his eyes but he had a distant look. He faded in and out and I said, "dad, stay with me." For a moment I thought that I was going lose my dad right in front of me in his driveway, He kept trying to fade-out but I was persistent in keeping him alert. I knew he was bad and had thought of performing CPR (working for the police department makes me know how to handle these sorts of situations and I have been properly trained and certified). However, this is a man who, I knew for a fact, had just had back surgery and just recently (this year) had heart bypass surgery so I was not going to try this until I was certain it was a life or death issue. I got him to become a bit more responsive by tapping him lightly on his cheeks and speaking to him. So I told mom, "go in the house and call 911!" She left to go into the house but I am not sure if she was calling anyone (I am pretty sure she did not call anyone at all). I immediate took out my cell phone and called 911 and told the operator the details and an ambulance arrived shortly thereafter (11 minutes and 41 seconds to be precise). Actually that seems kind of long now that I can analyze it with fresh eyes. It seemed like five minutes while it was happening - it always takes less time when I use the police radio. So they took his vitals and everything seemed fine and he refused to let them take him back to the hospital to get checked-out despite my urging to do that.

Cha Cha and Fabio came over to their house a bit later and Cha Cha stayed with and entertained my mom while Fabio and I took dad to the medical clinic to have an EKG... Everything checked-out and we went back to their house. We went back ti their home  a little later and I went over and got them some food and brought it back to them.

  That a boy, Clarence (via friends)! 

I spoke to my dad about two hours ago and he is doing very well today. He had texted me earlier today (while I was at my day gig) to let me know that he was good. He said mom seems fine today though I doubt she remembers anything that transpired over the past few days.

Cha Cha has surgery  next week(minor - like my dad's) so let's home minor with no complications works better this time. I can see why people don't like Mondays ("tell me why..."). Maybe the doctors are still thinking about yesterday's golf game?

That is all I really wanted to write today because I eluded (actually, almost promised) that I would be more than vague as I had been in my Facebook posts. Thank you for all of your kind words and thoughts and prayers and whatever comfort you passed,our ways. Maybe some force in the world or in nature or in the sky heard that and you helped George Bailey by sending Clarence our way yesterday.

It sounds like I may have to work another 12-hour "staff-up" this coming "weekend" (weekends are not always Fridays, Saturday, and Sundays in certain circles). I really hope that is not the case because of Cha Cha's surgery. I think I may have a knack for this and might have to start a private business of taking people to hospitals and the doctors and saving their lives when required. It sound like something The Green Hornet might do since Kato was his chauffeur (the driving people places) and together they could kick some major butt and save people. I need to get my hands on a Black Beauty and a driver (not necessarily Asian or even a male - I am open to all applicants). Can anybody find and customize a 1965 Chrysler Imperial for me?

All serious applications will be considered!

Thanks again for all of your positive energy and love - IT REALLY WORKS (even if kind of dramatic sometimes). I am not sure when I will write again; it all depends if I can get caught up on my sleep and get a day off from crime fighting and life saving. Seriously, I do appreciate you stopping here when you can and giving me a reason to write and keep the world safe and entertained and making people feel better about themselves by knowing we are all messed-up and great at the same time. TTT???...MITM (out - same Matt blog, same Matt time!) TA! I do realize that was Mattman Batman and not The Green Hornet!