345palm
rimember
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Posts: 151
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« Reply #3 on: June 27, 2012, 06:43:57 PM » |
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Here's how his son Jerry put the word out:
Ready for a Wednesday feel good story?
On Monday night I receive a call from my Sister, Kelsey. She tells me that my Dad is going to travel by ferry the next morning to the emergency room in Anacortes , he's been experiencing total memory loss & he could not move his fingers.
I met them at the Hospital the next morning & sat with my father as we waited for the doctor to run a CT scan to determine ...the problem. Dad was having a hard time carrying on a conversation, we were assuming some mini strokes had occurred. Once he was done with the CT scan the doctor brought him back into the room & within thirty seconds of entering the room told us Dad had what appeared to be a malignant tumor embedded in the tissues of his brain.
The room erupted into a frenzy of emotions as Pat's wife Stephanie & r Kelsey broke down. For myself, I did the best I could to stand strong for my Dad, the Doctor told us he was going to run an MRi before sending him to Seattle for immediate treatment.
I looked over at my Dad who was handling the news like Cool Hand Luke & told him "OK now we know, it's the worst case scenario" Pat responded "It is what it is" I looked at the doctor & said, but I have to tell you something, NEVER underestimate Pat O'Day.
The doctor immediately put Pat on a medication to help reduce swelling of the tumor in his brain as we waited for the MRI. Two hours later they took Pat down for his MRI & we took the time to go get lunch, no one was hungry but a break from the environment would do us all some good. In the restaurant Stephanie thanked me for coming to the hospital, I barely made it to the restroom before I totally lost it, I guess their's a time to stand strong & a time not to.
We arrived back at the hospital right as they were wheeling Dad back from his MRI, the Doctor returned to the room with the biggest grin on his face & smacked me right on the chest, "You were right!" he said, "Never underestimate Pat O'Day!"
He stepped back & looked at us all & said........ It's Benign, it's on top of the brain & it is easily removable. Never in my life have I ever experienced such an emotional swing in one single day, from the deepest depression I have ever experienced to the greatest feeling of hope any man could ever experience.
The drugs they administered were having a huge impact on Dad, the swelling had to be reduced because he was more & more lucent with every minute, I looked over at him and said "Dad I want you to remember number 183 OK?" he said he would.
We all went to see the MRI photos & it was amazing to see the left side of his brain was fine, but the frontal Lobe & the right side were being forced into the right side of his skull. We are positive, once this tumor is removed we will have our old Pat back as good as new.
Before leaving the Hospital I looked over at my dad one last time & asked "what's the number?" he looked over at me, smiled & said, 183
I drove back to Seattle last night relieved that Brain Surgery would solve the problem, the major stress of the day was over but I still had tears running down my face, then it dawned on me as to why.
I was going to get to grow old with my Dad.
To all friends of the Legendary Pat O'Day, Surgery is on Thursday, so anyone that believes in a higher power, it's time to get to work.
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