Yesterday, My dad had to have emergency heart surgery. He had been complaining of chest pains for a while and was finally admitted to Harefield hospital's specialist heart unit for open-heart surgery. My dad is 80 years old and has been a heavy smoker all his life. He also doesn't have the healthiest of eating habits and it all caught up with him in the last few weeks.
The surgeon had to remove a damaged aortic valve from his heart and replace it with a 'bovine valve' - that is, a valve that's been reconstructed from parts of a cow! (I'm still amazed at this fact). I was worried for him because of his age and other underlying health issues, but the surgery went smoothly and he is now recovering in hospital (accompanied by a large Lee-family entourage).
Apparently the surgeon said that without the surgery, he may only have lived for a few more days.
I said to someone yesterday that this has been a bad year for the Lee family's health, but in restrospect, I can also say that it's been an amazingly good year as well. I caught my tumour before it had done any serious damage, my hydrocephalus was caught just in time before I went into coma, and my dad's surgery was completed just in time to save his life.
Indeed, we are not an unlucky family at all, we are a truly blessed one.
once again your perspective is an inspiration to us all who all too often focus on the trivial aspects of life. Good luck to your dad and to you
ReplyDelete