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.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Still "Hoofing" It

Dad had a pretty good day racking up laps around the Cardiac Unit.  We can tell he is really on the mend as he stopped to chat as he walked and checked out the cabinets and how they were made.  Of course Dad was quick to describe the cabinets as "cheap" and wondered "Who in the world would design something like that and put it in a hospital?"  (My dad is a retired architectural engineer who designed school equipment, labs, media center, cabinets, etc...)  He is looking good too...sat at the sink and shaved today, was given the thumbs up to take a shower and kicked those bright, yellow, non-slip hospital socks to the curb and is sporting his comfy, suede man slippers. 
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