Heart of a Dad

Things have been crazy since my last post. Last Wednesday my dad went in for an angiogram. It was supposed to be an outpatient procedure, but his heart rate elevated and he was having trouble breathing, so they admitted him.

The semifinals were Wednesday night. The Riptide won a hard-fought game, 2-0, setting up a third game with our nemesis, The Killer Smurfs. Right after the game I went to spend some time with my dad. We talked about the game, and it clearly lifted his spirits.

Meg's parents were spending the night, so when I got home, we watched a couple episodes of Meg's new favorite show, Storage Wars. It had been a long, emotionally draining day. Little did I know, life was about to kick it up a notch.

Meg is gone before the girls get up, so she calls every morning to talk to them before school. I should have known something was up when the phone rang unusually early. It's never good news when the phone rings really early or really late, is it? Meg's dad was in the hospital; he'd had a heart attack during the night.

Needless to say, Thursday was rough. Meg's dad had an angiogram of his own, and it was determined he needed bypass surgery, a sobering diagnosis. We finally got some good news on Friday. My dad's heart rate and breathing returned to normal and he was discharged.

In the midst of all this, we still had our championship game on Saturday. The girls played their best game of the year, and we won 2-0. Scout scored the first goal, and generally whipped her body around the field. The girl was not to be denied. I was incredibly proud of her and the rest of the team. It was a great moment. My heart swelled with pride. I stopped by to see my dad later, and he congratulated me on the victory. I have a feeling his heart was filled with pride too.

Meg's dad had triple bypass surgery yesterday. He came through in good shape, and he's on his way to recovery. I stopped in to see him today, and it didn't take long for the game to come up. He congratulated me on the victory. I have a feeling his heart was filled with pride too.