When Your Dad’s Health Wavers, You Have to Be the Strong One

He's the strong one. The hard worker. The one who hardly complains. He's the first man you love ... he's Dad.

So when that man goes ill it can be heartbreaking.

Suddenly, you become the strong one. Trying not to let him see the fear welling up inside you. You become the calm even-tempered one when everything is crashing down around you. You have to ... for him. Lord knows, he's done it for you.

My dad almost died due to his pancreas about eight years ago and has never been the same health-wise ever since. He had a nine-hour surgery about four years ago due to leftover complications from his pancreas. Recently, he started having issues again due to his pancreas. He had a minor endoscope procedure done and seemed to be on the mend.

That all changed when my aunt called the other night asking if I could go pick up my dad to take him to the ER. She said that he didn't want to go, so be prepared. She thought that he was having some sort of complication due to the endoscope procedure.

When I arrived at his house I was met with no resistance. We headed to Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital.

After explaining his complicated medical history, along with his last procedure, we were shocked when doctors discovered it was his heart. Nothing to do with his pancreas. It meant he was getting admitted.

He's stable and hopefully will be out soon.

A big thank-you to the wonderful nurses, doctors and staff at Memorial Hospital. Not to mention my work family, who picked up the pieces when I needed to be gone. And thank you to you -- our listeners, my friends -- for being concerned and caring. It means so very much to me.