Back In The Saddle

Alright... I have completely neglected my blog since early December. Why? Because I am fucking busy in December, and then the stuff with my dad, and, yeah.

So to put everyone's mind at ease... Dad is going to be AOK, eventually. His appendix burst, and the doctors had to basically pressure wash his insides. Ten liters of fluid, 20 staples, and an 8" battle wound later he was out of surgery, but the road to recovery is going to be a long one. My husband and I drove home to Montana to spend a week with him (we were going to fly, but I'll explain that later), but unfortunately Dad was in the hospital almost the whole time we were there. I felt as though I took over the role of my mother - - I cooked meals for my Uncle Bull (Dad is his caretaker usually), did some laundry, and cleaned up. Hubby maintained the boiler at Dad's house - - loading the wood every morning and evening, and taking a couple of hours to clean the giant machine (I think it was so he could play in the soot).

The best gift this year was my father getting to go home from the hospital. I was freaked out when I first got the call and learned that he had to go into emergency surgery. Later, I called the ICU, and a sweet nurse (Janet) helped pull me out of panic mode. I was crying on the phone to her... and explained that the last time someone was in ICU they died. She knew about my mother, and so she took the phone into my dad's room and let me speak to him. Granted, he was pretty goofy with everything they had him on, it settled me down.

There's a long road ahead. The doctor says 3-6 months to full recovery, but that my dad is amazingly healthy and has some good years to go.

So to everyone - - MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY NEW YEAR, AND COME BACK SOON (because 2007 is a whole new year of drama)!!!