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.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Update

Wow!!  We have been given a beeper so the medical staff can find us and keep us informed . Beepers are going off constantly!!...We have moved from one waiting room to another as my dad's surgery progresses.  Not an easy task with laptops, cellphones, snacks, magazines, backpacks etc....we have been on the move all morning.  Tommy and our friend Ben arrived this morning as well and have been busy loading up everything and moving it to our next destination.  Everyone here has been awesome!!!!  From the Pre-Op nurses to the surgeon himself....My dad has a fan club here at Duke Hospital already (imagine that!) and is known as the guy who loves to talk and tell stories.  One nurse came out to give us an update and said my dad was "behaving quite well" and no jokes thus far.  :)
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