one of the things i love most about the blog world is all the connections we all make with each other. we celebrate the happy things and come together when things aren't as happy. it really is a community, and i feel very lucky to be part of that community. a while back, breanna posted some scary thing happening with her dad. he had some major health problems that continue to require a lot of medical attention. she put together a giveaway and reached out to the blogging community for support. rather than trying to tell you the story myself, i have breanna her on the blog to tell you the story and give you the info.
I have sat down in front of my computer many times throughout the last few weeks with intent to write this post, however, with each attempt I am quickly reminded of the reality that my dad suffered a major stroke.
Today, I want to share with you his story.
A stroke can happen to anyone, anywhere, but in some cases warning signs occur in the form of TIA's (Trans Ischemic Attacks) otherwise known as a mini stroke. That was the case with my father. He came home from work one evening feeling under the weather with a really bad headache that just wouldn't dull with any amount of pain medicine that my mother gave him. He spent all that weekend in bed, which was very unlike him even for being sick. It was on Sunday evening that my mom took him to our small town emergency room where a CT SCAN was ordered to determine the cause of his lingering headache. Late that night we received news that the doctors had found what they thought at the time to be a "bleed on his brain" and had airlifted him to San Antonio.
We spent a week in the hospital where nurses monitored his blood pressure and temperature. It was odd that he had a temperature because that meant infection. We learned after receiving the results from his blood cultures that he did in fact have an infection, a blood infection that was treated with antibiotics. In the mean time he had a MRI that showed he had multiple lesions on his brain in which case they then diagnosed him with having had TIA's rather than a brain bleed as previous doctors had concluded. He then went through a battery of tests to figure out the cause. The results from his Transesophageal Echocardiogram (TEE) showed that he had a blood clot in his heart; his stroke team immediately started giving him blood thinners to prevent future clots from happening and everything seemed to be going smoothly. In fact his fever had subsided, his blood pressure was under control, his headache had weakened enough that he could get out of bed on his own, and his doctor was ready to send him home. It was a miracle he was still at the hospital that day because that morning he had a severe hemorrhagic stroke that resulted in him being paralyzed on the left side of his body.
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It was by the grace of God that he is still with us today. It is still hard for me to accept the fact that my father's life changed in a blink of an eye. He went from being a hardworking, self sufficient welder to being in an in-house rehabilitation center where he is currently in the process of learning to walk again as well as regain movement in his arm. He has come a long way since having a stroke on May 18, 2014 but unfortunately he still has a lot further to go to get back to normalcy. He'll be having many more doctor visits between his cardiologist and neurologist to determine his future healthcare needs.
It's been a difficult journey for all of us, however it's tough living 6 hours away and not being able to be there for my father. I know how financially and emotionally draining this has been on my family so I put together a fundraising giveaway to help support my parents during this tough time in their life. It's times like these that I am grateful to be a part of such a great blogging community full of people who care as well as full of bloggers who share.
I would be so appreciative if you would help share my dad's story by placing the button below on your side bar and helping to spread the word about a cause that holds a special place in my heart. If you would like to donate a gift for the giveaway please email me or if you would just like to donate funds for his stroke recovery you can find the fundraiser on my sidebar.
Please check out my sidebar to visit all the lovely ladies who are apart of this giveaway. Thank you for all the continued support and prayers!
FUNDRAISING GIVEAWAY INFORMATION
WHEN: September 1-15
PRIZE: Prize Packages [Number of winners to be determined closer to giveaway date]
HOW TO DONATE: You can donate by visiting Tommy's fundraising page here or by using the sidebar widget.
FUNDS: 100% of the funds will go to my parents to help with medical expenses + out of pocket expenses.
HOW IT WORKS: The giveaway will have two entries: 1) A free entry because I have to follow the rules of giveaway protocol and 2) an additional entry for donating to my dad's cause.
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