1/15/10

A few days in Florida

I had to fly to Florida on Wednesday due to a family issue. My Dad has been in and out of the hospital quite a bit lately, due to many different things and complications from congestive heart failure, a pulmonary issue, and other things. This time is major and he was on life support for over a week. The good news is that he is now off the ventilator and on a devise called a pap mask which forces air into the lungs. Today he is starting to be weened off of the mask from time to time and is using the nasal canula, which are the tubes into the nostrils which you might see people that use oxygen use. The doctors and nurses are optimistic that he is going to recover which is just wonderful news and I feel better now than I have in a couple of weeks, I just pray that he continues to get a little better each day.

While I have been here I have had to get out and get some running in, basically for my own sanity and to clear my head. Being in the Critical Care Unit of any hospital is very depressing and God bless the doctors and nurses that work in those units, they have to have ALOT of compassion for the patients and the family members that are so concerned over loved ones. The past 2 days I have ran. Not with the intent of training, but just to get out and run, but it has been hard. Not necessarily because of my Dad, yes that of course has something to do with it, but I do believe he is going to be okay, but hard because just a few days ago I was xc skiing at Chapin Forest in 20 degrees with a frozen face and now I'm running in 75 degrees and sweating with no time to acclimate to the temperature difference. It's hard! Just last week here in Southwest Florida the temperature wasn't that much different than ours in Ohio, now it has warmed up the way Southern Florida weather should be.

Yesterday I did a 6 mile road run and I just about died. Today I ran for about 8.5 miles. About half of them were in a Nature Preserve on crushed shell and sand trails, it was a beautiful area to run in. I saw 2 Armadillo's and took this Warning sign for a souvenir, there were many posted so I didn't think they would miss just one.....I did feel a little better today though because it was a little windier and didn't seem quite as humid as yesterday. Tomorrow I will run there again and get a few pictures to post, I didn't have my camera with me today, good thing too because as clutzy as I am I probably would have broken it when I fell after tripping over something in the trail.....I'm not even sure what it was that I tripped over, but I do know my knee is sore and so is my hip.

Peace

8 comments:

Dad S said...

Didn't trip over that 'gator did ya?

What is Cyclocross said...

let me know if i can be of any help.

Feel It: The Factory Rider said...

Let us know if you need anything! Lori

Mike said...

Hope all is well with your dad Bill. We will be thinking of you and the family.

Unknown said...

LOL, I don't think so Dad, if I did he probably saw that there wasn't a whole lot to eat and let me be!

Thanks to all for your comments, they are very appreciated.

KC (my 140 point 6 mile journey) said...

hi Bill, enjoy reading your blog. i hope your dad is getting better each and every day. my mom had chf for many years and was in and out of the hospital so much. what kept me sane was the running and cycling. what a life saver for me.
take care!

Unknown said...

Thanks for reading my blog KC, how did you find it may I ask? Thanks for the nice words for my Dad also, I see your from Tampa, my parents live in Venice.

Stella Erratic said...

I feel for you, man. My dad and mother-in-law both have CHF.

It kind of drives to get moving... more often than I like to admit. Looking forward to these weather breaks to get out.

Hope your dad is doing better.
Take care.