Meet My Dad!!

My dad, John Newton Ryland, III, (or Jack) is quite an amazing man. He and my mom Darlene have been married 54 years and live in Danville, Virginia. He is affectionately know as "Peepaw" to his three grandchildren Catharine, Emily and Jacob and "Pops", "Peeps" and "Daddy" to his four children: Jack IV, Dave, Suzanne and Kathleen. He is Uncle Jack to his nieces and nephews who are very near and dear to his heart. My dad has a great sense of humor and very quick-witted. He can also be a stubborn, strong-willed individual and needless to say is determined to recover quickly so he can return home. He is a Virginia Tech Hokie fan and is looking forward to football season! Since he missed his beach trip in July, my dad is also looking forward to some R & R at Emerald Isle in late September...maybe a birthday trip for both he and my mom!!

My dad is here at Duke because of Aortic Stenosis. Aortic stenosis is a narrowing of the valve. When this happens, the heart has to push harder to get blood through the smaller opening and less blood circulates through the heart and to the rest of the body. In older patients, aortic stenosis may be caused by calcium that builds up on the valve. This buildup also hardens the valve, which can hinder its ability to open and close properly.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Hmmmm....Not So Sure About This Blonde Nurse....

Okay....No blonde jokes here but I hope her credentials are real because she has Valley Girl written all over her forehead and a Cracker Jack box in her hand.  We stayed during her whole shift because we were not too sure about her.  Dad kept asking.."Isn't it 7 yet?  Can't she tell time well enough to know when to leave?"  The rest of the day was a struggle for Dad as he was experiencing a lot of chest pain and his lungs are full of "gunk".  He said my mom looked like she had purple spots on her face.  Kathleen and I looked at each other and wondered what type of pain medication did VG give my dad!!!   Thanks Goodness Dr. Gaca (Dad's surgeon) walked in and saved the day...again.  He said the purple spots were from the large amounts of anesthesia and Dad's spotty vision should subside tomorrow.   What do you guys think?????  Valley Girl said he was wheezing as well but he was not too motivated to use his Air Flow Meter today.  Hopefully Valley Girl will have a shopping spree to attend tomorrow and we will get Marie back.  My dad really liked her!! 
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1 comment:

  1. peachJuly 22, 2011 at 9:20 AM

    Good morning! Must say I can only imagine that Darlene looks lovely in purple spots - especially to Jack! Don't recall him seeing spots, but I know from too much experience with John that the flow meter is important, but tough for the patient. I know the lows are rough, but is all part of the journey back to the dance floor - OH, how I love to watch your parents float around a dance floor at a wedding! Remember, at this point little steps are big steps. He's a happy man with a positive outlook and surrounded by a lot of love, and I truly believe that goes a long way in helping on road to recovery. Really great that you have done this so we can check in on progress! Hope you all get some rest and stay cool. May Blondie forget where she parked her car and not show up today. Oh, did I say that out loud? "Hey!" to Darlene, Kathleen & Jack, and hope you all good day! Love, Peach

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