What a week!

Well, up until late last week, all was cruising along pretty nicely. My sister Mel was set for a visit with her son Oli and mum was coming back after being away a fair bit lately. Well, upon returning, all went haywire!

Dad has been saying his shoulder and arm have been kinda sore for like nine months to a year. Since doing three races in short succession about a month ago, he had some burning in his chest but put it down to lifting some heavy stuff at work. It all seemed pretty harmless until he got a fright after waking up Thursday night with the burning worse and it shooting down his arm. In hindsight, luckily he got taken up to hospital for some more tests.

After a heap of scans, it was decided he should have an angiogram to see what was going on. The result was what they thought a narrowing of his anterior artery but believed to be bruising. It was decided to keep him in hospital over the weekend and do further tests on the Monday.

Enter stage left, my mum. Poor mum! Every time she gets a slight bit sick she gets this terrible cough. Well, while being away, she got a bit of a cold and it escalated quickly. Potentially due to some other stressors it got very bad and she then presented to the hospital too. After some assessment she was admitted and decided that she had pneumonia! What in the actual heck! So, she was stuck there till things improved. Still there nearly a week later!

So, mum and dad both in hospital waiting to mend. Dad had some more scans on Monday and it was decided and uncovered that he had some plaque build up in the artery mentioned and that he would have a stent put in. That happened Tuesday and it was determined that he actually had 85% blockage in that vessel so it was a good call! He was released yesterday and home resting and on light duties until he sees the doctor in a month. Mum is hoping to get out before the weekend but we'll see what tomorrow brings.

I can’t comment how each of them are feeling but I know it is going to take a fair amount of adjusting for dad and potentially mum with him around more and possibly not able to do all he did before. I, like a lot of people see him as pretty invincible so to see him laying in a hospital bed and now with the prospect of not being able to run like he used to or work a lot it is a lot to take in. Heck, last week we were talking about crewing him for the 200miler in four weeks time!

Dad has always given me a terrible perception of age. We often have 40 or 50 somethings coming into the shop whinging about getting old, this hurts, can’t do this or that, blah blah blah. I just comment, ‘Two words, Stewy Grills’. To be working the way he did, running ultras and generally crushing at 67 turning 68 this year is amazing. Now, Im not saying he wont be able to return to much of what he was doing before but I guess it was a little dent in his seemingly in-penetrable armour. A sign that we all get older, have little bumps along the way and eventually, one day will leave this earth. Dad is certainly a long way from that but it brought things into a little more perspective.

For now, we be positive. We get mum home, let dad rest and move forward as best we all can, one day at a time. We be grateful for what we have, not focusing on what we don’t and adjust as best we can. I know its selfish but I really hope I can get some k’s in with dad again soon…..if not, we will find another way to share adventure Im sure. A little crossing of the country by yours truly with dad crewing should do it!

So, I guess in closing I would say, treasure what you have and the moment you are in. You never know when it might change or be turned on its head. Today is a beautiful day and we celebrate it for what it is. Focus on that…not yesterday, it is done and not tomorrow, it hasn’t arrived. Be here now and relish in what is.

Much love friends. Consistency + Commitment