10 Years

It is 10 years today that my Dad died, it seems so I don't know? Like how can time have passed so fast?

I think back and it like WOW it was 20 years ago that he suffered his 1st major heart attack. He was 37 and the Dr's worked and worked until they had him back, he had so many shocks his chest was actually burnt from the paddles. That started a long 10 year battle, with basically living.

He started out with a pacemaker, which lasted for only a bit. Then he moved onto a defibrillator, I remember looking at this little metal box we found among his stuff and was amazed that at one time this has been in his chest, shocking his heart back into rhythm if needed. He always said that it was an unnerving feeling when it did that.

When he finally was put on the transplant list he was excited yet nervous. The time had come though, you could always tell when he was sicker as his hair that was normally curly would go straight (??? meds I guess). He spent a long time in London, ON waiting. He loved it out there and he was so good a making new friends. He met a boy/man? I guess he was 21 or so, out there and they became fast friends. he was crushed when Chris died. He was the son he never had.

But he got his transplant and it didn't take long to realize that he had a "perfect match" as they called it. The Dr's were amazed at how well a match he had. He came home and started living again.

All was good until the following spring and he went to the hospital sick, and this is where a very sad/unnecessary chain of events happened that when all was said and done his new heart was ruined, and basically his new heart ended up back where he had began at.

One night he went to bed and just never woke up, at the age of 47. It was really rather peace full considering all he had been thru. I was in Toronto on the truck with Bruce when my Mom got a hold of me. That was the longest ride back to Winnipeg ever.

My Dad was a good man, and it was always ironic that his most generous feature his heart was the one that betrayed him. He had such an infectious laugh and it is so nice to hear my youngest sister laugh it is our Dad all over again.

So that is some about my Dad, thought I'd share it with you all this day of remembrance.