A few months ago my dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Late one night Whitney texted me... "Hey, are you up?" It seemed out of the blue and I remember immediately feeling that something wasn't right. Whitney has been through so many trials that my mind quickly goes to something being wrong. As fast as my fingers could text I said I was there and asked what's wrong?? She asked "Have you talked to dad?" No!! I hadn't and now I was panicked, so I quickly texted "No...what's wrong??" This is when talking on the phone to her would come in handy...it's hard to read emotions in texts or sometimes the wrong emotions are read in texts. I waited anxiously on the edge of my bed for her reply. Garrett was out of town and I couldn't reach, him so I sat on my bed and cried not knowing what I was going to read...she texted back that dad had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. I don't think I finished reading the text before I was dialing my parents home phone. I talked to mom and she reassured me that the doctors were on top of it and it's just the beginning phases and lots of men go through this and all would be well. I remember hanging up the phone and just sobbing.
My dad is the strongest, bravest, toughest, most tender, hardest working dad I know and he can't be sick...he's invincible, really he can do anything and he will outlive me because I don't think I could face that, ever! Maybe that's selfish, and I know Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us and I know when that time comes for him I will see him again, just as I will see baby William, but it's still something I don't ever want to think about. Just the other night our good friend's mom passed away and it's been different this week to think that we are entering that stage that our friend's parents are getting weaker and passing on.
After thinking about his options with prostate cancer my dad decided to have the surgery and I was happy to hear that. He went in for surgery on Monday, my mom's first day of being back to in the classroom, so luckily Whitney could spend the day with dad and be there with him...that was sure comforting to me. She kept me updated on all she heard and let me know when he came out. He was groggy, sleepy and pail but the surgery went well. Tuesday morning, Wyatt and I went down to see dad before Wyatt needed to be back for kindergarten. All dad wanted was a Papa John's pizza but he wouldn't be allowed to eat for a while. He was in good spirits and looking forward to just lying in the hospital bed all week and watching movies and relaxing. Just the week before my mom had been at the Home Show and saw a home with red brick and blue paint and fell in love with it, so she pitched the idea to my dad and he loved it and so they began the huge project of painting their home a beautiful blue color and redoing all new wood window trimmings in a beige color...it looks so updated and fresh. It's beautiful, but my dad worked his tail off and even took a few spills off the ladder, so he's in much need of rest. See, I told you he's a hard worker...but he will do anything to make mom happy!
By Wednesday afternoon dad was having a lot of pain in his neck and shoulder area. The doctors thought maybe he had slept wrong the night before, so they gave him a powerful muscle relaxant which knocked him out and made it so he couldn't even focus his eyes. Mom was pretty worried and scared. The next day the doctors determined that maybe a bubble of air got into his body from where the anesthesia was given for the surgery and that bubble of air was just trying to make it's way out of his body...our neighbor Jared had something similar after his apendix was removed and he said it was more painful than the surgery. It's now Sunday and dad's home and feeling better. He's looking forward to really resting this week at home without nurses coming in every 10 minutes to bug him!!
