Moeller~Made~Moments

On February 10th we made the decision to take my Dad off a ventilator.  After spending 11 days in the hospital, his condition was getting progressively worse everyday.  The collapsed "old" lung had put a lot of strain on the "new" lung and we believe he was ultimately facing transplant rejection.  As my Dad had wished, the doctors used a lot of aggressive drugs to help keep him alive and therefore he was also facing kidney failure.  With the help of my in laws, I was able to visit my Dad almost every day.  Kaison was also allowed to visit before he was transferred to ICU.  Being 35 weeks pregnant, spending lots of time at the hospital, and waiting for calls from doctors at all hours of the night is not something I wish upon anyone to have to go through.With the support of my Mom and my husband and family and friends, I was able to get through it as well as one could.  My Dad was expected to make a full recovery and I still spent as much time as I could at the hospital, and I'll forever be thankful for the time and laughs we shared there.  It must not have been easy going in and out of the hospital as much as my Dad did.  He never complained and was always so brave and strong.  He put up a good battle and was very thankful for the transplant that gave him another 10 months with us.  I'm thankful for many things when it comes to my Dad.  I started a teaching job that was not too far from their house and several times a week, I was able to stop for a visit after work.  After I had my son two years later, I quit my teaching job to stay home and raise him.  This also allowed me to go over to my parents and spend time with them.  I'm thankful my Dad got to walk me down the aisle 6 years ago and I know how happy he was to know that I married a great man.  He also got to see me as a mother and he knew we were expecting another baby and was very proud of all his grandchildren.  Seeing his pictures and thinking about him often makes me sad.  I lost one of the most important men in my life but shortly gave birth to a baby that will soon be one of the most important men in my lives.  Losing a parent is one of the most difficult things to have to go through, but it is part of life.  I'd like to hold on to all the great memories and times we shared together and that is what keeps me going.