To the Hospital Again

My poor dad has been through so much and when we think that he's on the mend, something else happens. Well I was just at the rehab with him on Tuesday night, watching the Spurs and Heat playoff game and my mom called me on Thursday morning and said that they took dad to the ER. So when I got there my dad was so swollen, that I didn't think his body could get any bigger. His hip area was filled with fluid that it looked like he was getting stretch marks. His groin was red and very tender to the touch and he was sooo uncomfortable. They ran a number of tests and they ended up admitting him into the hospital. Once the Dr. came in to talk to my mom and let her know what they needed to do, my mom refused the antibiotics, because my dad did NOT want to go to the hospital and he did NOT want antibiotics, a catheter or a pic line. So my mom had promised him before she brought him to the hospital that she wouldn't let them do that to him. So the first night they didn't give him the antibiotic and my mom and Joe gave him the natural antibiotic, they got him stable and got him on an IV with Lasix. Well, the Dr. told Andy that she truly felt like if dad didn't get on the antibiotic tonight that he would die. Andy was pretty disturbed about that news, so he shared it with Bryan. Bryan was very upset about that news, so he walked into the room and came right to dad and looked him right in the eye and said, "Dad, YOU KNOW how much I LOVE YOU, I don't want you to die, you NEED that antibiotic." Then the respiratory therapist interrupted and started giving my dad a breathing treatment, but my dad was crying as he was sharing that moment with Bryan. Bryan turned and said the same thing to Irene and went right into Joe's face and said it to him. He also said, "Joe, I couldn't carry that guilt on my chest for the rest of my life if I didn't say something and something happens to him, I'm so upset with the decisions being made in his behalf." And he walked out of the room. My husband never says anything and just lets everyone do their thing, well he had to voice his strong opinion here. He loves my dad sooooo much and thinks he's way tooo young to die. My husband has been in this family since he was 14 years old and so my dad is his 2nd dad. He was sooooo upset that the antibiotic wasn't being done. Well that evening my dad's infection rate was 25 and the normal is 5-10, so he had a lot of infection in his body. Well during the night, my mom received a few phone calls from my brothers, Clay & Adam (who were out of town at the time) who also voiced their opinion about putting dad on the antibiotic, so needless to say, my dad had the antibiotic in at 6:30am and by the time I got to the hospital at 8:00am the Dr. said that his infection rate has come down within an hour and a half, but he is still a very sick man and she hopes that it's not too late, but very glad that he's on it. As the Dr. came into talk to all of us in the room which was just me and my mom at the time, my dad was coherent and talking to me. So when the Dr. explained that the antibiotic had been going for about an hour and half and she is seeing improvement already and that she is going to put another bag of it since he's done with the first one. My dad looked at my mom and said, "I'm on an antibiotic? What are you trying to do, kill me?" That's when I stepped in and looked my dad right in the face, eye to eye and said, "Dad I am trying to do just the opposite, blame the antibiotic on me, you are tooo young to die and I am not willing to sit by and not try everything to keep you here with us." Then he said, "Well, tell them, they are here to get me." I then told him, "Well tell them to get back to work and that you aren't going anywhere, we are keeping you here!" He then smiled at me and said, "Dang it" and laughed.  It was a long day waiting for more news from the Dr.'s. We met with Dr. Leon, Dr. Brisolara and Dr. Freidan. They all wanted the best for my dad. I spoke privately with Dr. Leon and Dr. Freidan and they both believed that if mom and dad stuck to their medical plan, that dad could make a full recovery. So I was so hopeful.  
Dad had so many IV's and with his body retaining so much water it was hard for them to draw blood every 6 hours, so they ended up having to do a PIC LINE!!  Yes, the 2nd thing that he didn't want to happen to him if he came to the hospital. So he now has the antibiotic and a pic line. My poor dad, they had a hard time getting it into his arm, they tried 3 times and with the beginning of the 3rd time my dad said to the ladies, "You have to make this work, because I am not doing anything else" They made it work. Afterwards my dad is so funny, he said, "Tonya take a picture of my arm. Look at all this stuff in my arm." Joe stayed right next to the nurse that was performing the procedure to give my
  dad comfort.
 

My dad said, "Everyone that comes into this room always says, "SORRY" but when they say that, it just means PAIN for me. Either they poke, move or roll me. They don't mean "SORRY" when they say it" His poor face says it all, but he is such a trooper. He tells them when they say, "SORRY!" "Sure YOU ARE, that's what they all say!!"

Later on that evening, dad was feeling so much better, but the Dr.'s wanted him to eat lots of PROTEIN, so here was his PROTEIN DINNER: Shrimp, Steak, Protein Salad with lots of beans. It was so good to see him eat, of course he didn't eat it all, my mom got the honors of finishing it up. She loves hospital food and it was so good for us to see my mom eating as well.

My dad also asked Cecilee to get him his favorite Hawaiian pizza from Pizza Factory. He ate two huge pieces. He LOVED it and was sooo hungry!! I took pictures of dad through out the day to send to all of the family members that were unable to be with us. Clay and his family were at BYU for a basketball camp for Tayvia and a family reunion. Max and Jaden were at a football camp, so we kept in touch with pictures and lots of texting to keep them informed. Dad liked to make funny faces. Through everything that he was going through he still kept his sense of humor and loved to make me laugh!!

He finally was knocked out and sooo tired. My cute mom stayed by his side and slept in the recliner watching every move of the Dr.'s.  I just wish they realized that she wants the ABSOLUTE BEST for my dad and wants her husband back. She doesn't mean to fight with them, she just doesn't want unnecessary junk in his body. But she is working with the Dr.'s and letting them do their thing for dad. I am so proud of her, cause I know how hard it is for her.  They need to realize that she 

LOVES HIM MORE THAN ANYONE!!!

 

 

Dad's Story begins

My poor dad has been through so much and when we think that he's on the mend, something else happens. Well I was just at the rehab with him on Tuesday night, watching the Spurs and Heat playoff game and my mom called me on Thursday morning and said that they took dad to the ER. So when I got there my dad was so swollen, that I didn't think his body could get any bigger. His hip area was filled with fluid that it looked like he was getting stretch marks. His groin was red and very tender to the touch and he was sooo uncomfortable. They ran a number of tests and they ended up admitting him into the hospital. Once the Dr. came in to talk to my mom and let her know what they needed to do, my mom refused the antibiotics, because my dad did NOT want to go to the hospital and he did NOT want antibiotics, a catheter or a pic line. So my mom had promised him before she brought him to the hospital that she wouldn't let them do that to him. So the first night they didn't give him the antibiotic and my mom and Joe gave him the natural antibiotic, they got him stable and got him on an IV with Lasix. Well, the Dr. told Andy that she truly felt like if dad didn't get on the antibiotic tonight that he would die. Andy was pretty disturbed about that news, so he shared it with Bryan. Bryan was very upset about that news, so he walked into the room and came right to dad and looked him right in the eye and said, "Dad, YOU KNOW how much I LOVE YOU, I don't want you to die, you NEED that antibiotic." Then the respiratory therapist interrupted and started giving my dad a breathing treatment, but my dad was crying as he was sharing that moment with Bryan. Bryan turned and said the same thing to Irene and went right into Joe's face and said it to him. He also said, "Joe, I couldn't carry that guilt on my chest for the rest of my life if I didn't say something and something happens to him, I'm so upset with the decisions being made in his behalf." And he walked out of the room. My husband never says anything and just lets everyone do their thing, well he had to voice his strong opinion here. He loves my dad sooooo much and thinks he's way tooo young to die. My husband has been in this family since he was 14 years old and so my dad is his 2nd dad. He was sooooo upset that the antibiotic wasn't being done. Well that evening my dad's infection rate was 25 and the normal is 5-10, so he had a lot of infection in his body. Well during the night, my mom received a few phone calls from my brothers, Clay & Adam (who were out of town at the time) who also voiced their opinion about putting dad on the antibiotic, so needless to say, my dad had the antibiotic in at 6:30am and by the time I got to the hospital at 8:00am the Dr. said that his infection rate has come down within an hour and a half, but he is still a very sick man and she hopes that it's not too late, but very glad that he's on it. As the Dr. came into talk to all of us in the room which was just me and my mom at the time, my dad was coherent and talking to me. So when the Dr. explained that the antibiotic had been going for about an hour and half and she is seeing improvement already and that she is going to put another bag of it since he's done with the first one. My dad looked at my mom and said, "I'm on an antibiotic? What are you trying to do, kill me?" That's when I stepped in and looked my dad right in the face, eye to eye and said, "Dad I am trying to do just the opposite, blame the antibiotic on me, you are tooo young to die and I am not willing to sit by and not try everything to keep you here with us." Then he said, "Well they are here to get me." I then told him, "Well tell them to get back to work and that you aren't going anywhere, we are keeping you here!" He then smiled at me and said, "Dang it" and laughed.  It was a long day waiting for more news from the Dr.'s. We met with Dr. Leon, Dr. Brisolara and Dr. Freidan. They all wanted the best for my dad. I spoke privately with Dr. Leon and Dr. Freidan and they both believed that if mom and dad stuck to their medical plan, that dad could make a full recovery. So I was so hopeful.

 Dad was so swollen that they were having a hard time drawing blood every 6 hours so they decided that they needed to do a PIC LINE. Yes, this was the 2nd thing that dad DID NOT WANT while in the hospital. They had a hard time trying to get the wire to go through his veins, he had some corkscrew veins. The 3rd time they tried, my dad told them, if you don't get it in this time, I'M DONE, I'm not doing anything else, you are not going through my neck! That was the next option. Needless to say, they got it in, thank goodness.

My dad is such a trooper.

He said, "Every time someone comes in and does something to me and says, "Sorry" that means that they are going to hurt me. They don't mean it when they say it.

He wanted me to take a picture after all of his IV's were in.

 Dad had some wonderful visitors come and see him:

Hyrum and Gail Smith (Becca's parents) and Aunty Leise and Uncle Kawaki from Hawaii

Aunty Leise sang Tiny Bubbles to dad and he sang a little with her.

She was so sweet and soooo worried, she was Aunty Almira's connection with her brother.

 The Physical Therapist came in to start working with his arms and legs to keep him mobile. My dad's arms were so swollen and in so much pain to move. He had so much fluid in his body and in his tissues.

The Dr.'s said that he is a very sick man with so many different issues going on in his body. His heart is still fighting his Congestive Heart Failure, His potassium is dangerously low, his protein is extremely low and he's malnutritioned. He has fluid around his lungs and a lung infection and possible pneumonia. His has infection in his body and a fever. They said that it isn't just his heart we are dealing with, it's so many other things.

I want my DAD back!!!

 

It's soooo hard for me to see my dad like this.

All of my life MY DAD has been LARGER THAN LIFE, sooo energetic, active, fun,

Loved to exercise and lift weights and compete with my brothers.

Now to see him like this, absolutely breaks my heart!!!!

This picture on the left was taken on January 1, 2013, just 6 months ago.

He has been suffering for the last two years, since the car accident in Oct. 2010

 I love spending time with him and I feel like I need to take a picture of him everytime I am with him.

Life is toooo precious, that you never know.

He is doing so well with his therapy, He walks down from his side of the building all the way down

to the therapy room and rides the bike and afterwards wants to go chill outside.
Who would've thought that doing that would bring such excitement for our family to see our dad accomplish such a task, when a few years ago he completed his 10th marathon and would bench 405lbs and dive off the high dive and surf behind Clay's boat. My dad has always been so active and not even act his age. I remember him saying that he couldn't wait to turn 55 so he could be in the Huntsman Senior Games. (My poor dad)

He loves sitting in the sun, you can't take the boy out of the islands and imagining being on the beach

with the sun on his body!!!

I love my dad so much and can't wait till he is back to his normal self.

Love you dad!!

Father's Day with Dad

We went as a family to visit dad and have FHE with him and mom.

When we got there, dad was basking in the sun.

He loves to be outside in the sun (he always says that it's soooo cold inside)

but he has always loved the sun on his face and especially his body.

So I thought that I would take the opportunity to photograph my family with my dad.

I love opportunities like these, to capture that moment in time.

Two of the greatest fathers that I have the privilege of loving!!!!

My dad and my husband-the father of my children.

I love these two men sooooo much!! 

 

 My three girls love their grandpa soo much!!!

My dad got a little emotional with all of the love from my girls.

 So we pulled out our Father's Day presents for dad.

I put together some collages with all of the Family Pictures to hang in his room.

He loved them and asked me to go right then and hang them up.

Joe and JT with dad

 Clay and his family with dad

 

Cambria and Jeff with grandpa

 My mom and Joe

Joe gave a talk in his ward about his Father, so he gave it to all of us so that Dad could hear it.

It was absolutely beautiful!

 All of the grandkids got up and sang Father's Day songs for the dads

 My cute parents

 

All of us for a group shot!!

We love having our family all together!!

Me and my pictures, I have to get a GROUP SHOT!!

Round 3 of Coral Desert Rehab

 

My poor dad is back a Coral Desert Rehab. He has been suffering with his legs still and my mom found another treatment that could help him with Activated Charcoal. So my brothers learned how to apply it and it's been helping. The only side effect is that it detox's the body of the toxins and leaves the body soooo weak. So we as a family have been going to my mom and dad's on a 24 hour schedule helping lift my dad and go to the bathroom, etc. Well we did it for a month and it came to a weekend that Clay, Joe and I had youth conference with our stakes, Max had football camps and Tia, Irene and Cambria all had dance camps, so that left my mom to try and care for my dad by herself, which is not possible. So my brother Clay talked to them and told them that their insurance covers care in the rehab at 100% and they may as well take advantage of that and get physical therapy while he's there. So they agreed and that Friday they came and picked him up. He is slowly getting stronger and more mobile. The people there are sooo wonderful to my mom and dad. 

My dad walks down to his physical therapy sessions with his walker and my mom follows behind with his wheelchair, in case he needs it. He's so stubborn and never wants to give up, so he usually doesn't need it, unless he wants to go outside and sit in the sun. 

He always pushes himself and has that amazing smile on his face.

My mom is soooooo stinkin' cute and full of enthusiasm. She always has a smile on her face and always wants to do what she can to help my dad get better. While there he started to swell from the food, so my mom had my sister bring a toaster/convection oven and vitamix over so she can do all of the cooking for my dad. She works soooo hard and wants soooo badly for my dad to get better. She continues praying for guidance from our Heavenly Father to know what to do to help my dad. She is truly a daughter of God who depends on divine intervention.

Here's me and my dad going on a walk to sit outside for a little while. HE LOVES THE SUN and loves to relax and feel the sun on his face. He chooses to eat outside also, because it's sooo cold inside the building and he loves to be warm. He had Clay shave his head before he came to the rehab so he didn't have to worry about it.

 

 Here's a picture of another day with me and my two sisters visiting and hanging out with dad.

 Sunday's tend to be the FAMILY VISITATION DAY.

Here we are on our way to go and visit mom and dad. 

 Cambria and Jeff met us there also, so we made it a family affair. 

 Here is a picture of everyone in dad's room.

Clay's family came to visit as well, so just our two families we had 16 people in the room.