we are going to have a large party for him on Sat. 8/22/09.
What do you get or do a man (Father) that does not need anything? He is a man of simple needs.
A little history on him:
Never one to complain, always a hard worker, man of principal and stood up for what he believed, and still does.
He knew (knows) how to do everything that a simple man needs to know to survive and be self sufficient.
I did not know until I was an adult that people really actually called others to come to their house to do things like, carpentry, plumbing, electrical, etc, etc. He built the house we grew up in. I thought every father did all this stuff.
Outdoors man, grew up in a family of hunters and fisherman.
Worked for the phone company for 44 years.
In Amway for 17 years.
Married for over 45 years to the same woman.
Raised 5 children, along with my Mom. We all are well adjusted adults now in our early 50's so they did a good job of parenting. (The beating's didn't hurt our self esteem.....too much
)
Heart attack in 85, followed by Quad by-pass. Quit smoking. Good results.
Cancer in 97, Testicular Lymphoma, operation, one year of chemotherapy and radiation at the end. Good results.
Home from the doctors Friday, Jan. 24, 98. Says he is done with weekly treatments, next doctors visit is in 6 months.
Through the holidays my Mom was sick, very sick. My sister finally talked her into going to the hospital on the following Tues. Jan. 28. Doctor examined her, cut her abdomen open and found cancer in the third stage. She died two months later.
Dad has been on his own since then, fairly healthy and is free to do what ever he wants. He knows how precious life is.
Shoots sporting clays 2-3 times a week for the past multiple years.
A few health problems here and there. He has stints throughout his body. They have gone in his artery's so many times in his legs to scope his heart that it's a running joke to just put a zipper there to keep from being cut so many times.
At the end of last year, Dec. 08, he was having trouble with his health, hospitalized in the ICU. Heart is clogged again, gall bladder needs to come out and is on dialysis 3 times a week.
The doc says he would not survive any operation with his heart in this condition. The doctor also tells us he could have a heart attack at any time. Dad has a legal directive for a DNR. So we all know he is ready to go when it's his time. He has no problem with death and we understand.
On a Fri, while in the ICU resting, I was in the waiting room giving him some quiet time, I hear "Code Blue, 4th floor". I think that Dad's floor. Go back to see who it may be, as I round the turn, it's him, the double doors are wide open to his room and everyone is in there. I walk towards the room, he is sitting up in bed, looks at me and gives me the "I'm OK" hand jester.
I'm thinking...well you know what I am thinking.....
Got the story, his heart stopped for a very short time, while he was..... let's say was doing some personal business. The nurse laid him on the floor and before another nurse came in to help his heart started again.
Put him back in bed, everyone checked him over, and he seemed OK.
In fact he was doing so well that he was transferred to a step down room on Sunday and was scheduled to go home on Monday.
The Sunday visit, we watched the Ravens game till half time, about 9:30 pm. He was good, felt good and was ready to come home the next day.
I left.
Got a call 4 am Monday, Dad had a full "Code Blue" in the night and had to be defibed to bring him back along with the compressions (that broke 3 ribs). Back to the ICU with an air tube, sedation, arms restrained and completely out of it. (Because he was ready to be released the DNR was lifted.)
A couple of days with the air tube, then recovery, by the end of the week he is back to his old self!
Go through the hospital release process again knowing his heart could stop at any moment.
Get him home, someone is always with him in case it happens again. Without saying it we know (as well as he does) we brought him home to be as comfortable as possible while we wait for the next heart attack.
So we make it through the holidays
, he's getting a little better Fathers day
, big celebration, didn't think he'd make it this far.
Going through summer
Well their are five children and everyone that knows what he has been through watching him drive himself to dialysis 3 days a week, resume shooting sporting clays, going to the Eastern Shore to visit his brother, cutting the grass on a riding lawn mower, all thinking what the hell!!!!
Your not even suppose to be alive!!!!
So he made it to his 80th birthday!!!!!!
What do you do for a Great Father, Dad, Mentor, Friend, Fishing partner after all he has been through????
Sorry this was so long, maybe I am just trying to express my thankfulness for having a Dad like him. Believe me everyone let's him know the love we have for him everyday.
Edit:
Here's a pic of him, on my new to me, Triton. He caught he first fish on the first trip out. I told him I as I gave him a hug I wouldn't have wanted it any other way!
My dad turned 80 on 8-17 and 
