Frugal Series, Part 3: My Daddy

My last two posts have been set up as "scheduled posts", but they did not post... ???? Go figure.. I guess I did something wrong. So here it goes.... more about my frugal side.

So, this one is about my daddy. There is one thing that I wanted to cover that just did not quite fit with my post about my mortgage even though these two things are related. I just thought this needed it's own post and that my daddy's health could use a bit of an update here. What does this have to do with being frugal? Well, no matter how frugal I am I had to weigh what is truly important ten years ago. I chose my dad's health! I would even go in debt to have my daddy in this world and that is what I chose.


You see I mentioned that my little house was built to be added on to. I drew up the "blueprint" myself. It had a drop down living room on a slab with a couple of steps into that room and there was a huge closet off of a new master bedroom and that closet adjoined a laundry/utility room. My existing living room would become the dining room and all these changes would leave us with two smaller bedrooms. I can't remember all the changes, but it was all very well thought out. Something happened one day that would change that plan completely, though. I was at work doing my secretary job (before kids) and I got a phone call from my mother and she said my daddy was at the hospital and they thought he was having a heart attack. I went down to the hospital and he was taken in for an emergency five bypass heart surgery. His main artery into the heart was almost completely blocked, as well as, other blockages. The doctors told us that even if they had him open on the operating table and he had a heart attack before they repaired the blockage that it would be a massive heart attack and they would be unable to save him. They were able to complete the surgery before that happened and he is alive today!



I had to re-evaluate MY plan for that little house. Within a year later I had to make a very difficult decision. I had to decide if I wanted to hang on to that house or my daddy. One day that house might be the only thing left that I had of my daddy, but right then.... I felt I had to make a decision to hang on to him. And that's when I put up the For Sale sign and I never looked back. No matter how frugal we are we have to choose the people and those relationships in our life. I now have a mortgage, but more importantly I have my daddy!! And I will gladly look that mortgage square in the face each month and pay it and never question that decision.



Just to update you a bit about my daddy's health.... well... WOW! It has been some year for me... my daddy's bypass surgery lastest him ten years. This past February he started having chest pains and went to his heart doctor to get checked out. They did the usual stress tests and said he was fine and sent him home. In March he had a some massive pains and went to the Emergency Room where they evaluated him. They could find nothing wrong in all their testing and it was decided that he would have another arteriogram. The arteriogram revealed a blockage and while they were in doing the arteriogram the doctor was able to insert a stint. He had suffered a heart attack, as well. A second time my daddy had survived his heart issues, but not a day passes that I don't panic everytime the phone rings. The spring left me feeling almost incapable of breathing in fear of the next phone call I might get. Early this summer another one of those calls came. My daddy was in the hospital, again. The stint had failed. Apparently, there is a 20% chance of this happening and scar tissue formed around the stint causing it to fail. They were able to put another one in and he has now survived round three. I have dealt with my fears somewhat and had to give them over to God, but I do still wonder everytime the phone rings what that call might bring. My daddy is doing well, but there is a noticeable difference in him to me. He is aging and doesn't seem so invincible to me anymore. I am just thankful to have him longer. God has given him an extra ten years and am hoping and praying for much more than that.



And for you all out there.... If you ever deal with a possible heart issue, I want to pass this information along. Stress tests and all that other stuff can NOT determine what an arteriogram can. INSIST ON and DEMAND and arteriogram! It can be the difference between living and dying. They insert a catheter (large needle thing) into your inner thigh and run dye through your arteries to get a look at the heart.