Life is More than Just Finances

There is More to Life than Finances

I  got a very large reminder today that life is about more than just finance, personal or otherwise.  Today (3/9/09), I spent approximately 14 hours in a hospital.  My dad had an aortic valve replaced (AVR Surgery).  My dad is an interesting guy he is otherwise known as “Pops”,  Uncle “his name”, Theo, Godfather, Taki, and Gumbaro, to those that love him.  Financially, I disagree with almost everydecision he makes, but he is more than a father to me…he is a very close friend of mine.  Example? My dad came with me to Las Vegas for my bachelor party!

Wikipedia gives a clearer definition than the doctors have provided,

Aortic valve replacementis a cardiac surgery procedure in which a patient’s aortic valve is replaced by a different valve. The aortic valve can be affected by a range of diseases; the valve can either become leaky (aortic insufficiency / regurgitation) or partially blocked (aortic stenosis). Aortic valve replacement currently requires open heart surgery.

I am not sure why the docs decided ot replace the valve (e.g. leaky or blocked) but regardless of the reason…let me tell you it was a stressful day.  Lucky, for my mother (pops was knocked out) my father is loved by family and friends, and we gathered 7 to 12 deep depending on the time.  This group of LOUD people took over the waiting room, in support of my mom who needed all the emotional help she could grab at!

My wife calls me an emotional wasteland, and I am not sure why I am the way I am, but most of the time I go straight for the juglar of how I can fix the situation.  Whether it is me solving my brothers’ legal problems, my wife’s fight with a particular business or helping out a friend…I just try to fix things lol, however, this is one situation I can’t fix, and it was the first day in a loooooooooooooooooong time that finances didn’t even come up.

• I didn’t look up one stock quote
• I didn’t look up financial news
• I didn’t do any financial work (i.e. my job)
• I didn’t bother with any bills
• I didn’t obsess over my debt
• I only checked some of my account balances ONCE!

I learned a couple of lessons today (this is not an exhaustive list), most of these are not new, but they became clearer today:

• My Wife is amazing – she was up with me at 4am (yes, there is a 4 a.m.) and stayed with me and our group until 7:30p.m. until we drove home from NYC;
• My family is lucky to have great friends – we have family friends that were with us for the entire time;
• Regardless of my age, my mother will try to protect me – She TRIED to stay at the hospital without me when my father was bleeding unexpectedly (I got my ass back to the hospital right away lol);

• While necessary, the hospital is a miserable place…friends and family will make it better but it still is just miserable so be prepared

What to Bring with you to the Hospital when Expecting a LONG Surgery

You better be prepared when heading to a hospital for hours upon hours…

• Reading Material – You have time, get some LIGHT reading material
• Comfort Food – It makes people feel better so bring some because it is a RIP OFF at the hospital cafe
• Hand Sanitizer – Most hospitals will have it but make sure there is some available
• Lunch/meal – Depends where the hospital is, but it might be worth packing some sandwiches
• Friends – obviously
• Family – they might feel awkward…but they are only there to help

Lastly, Pray for Pops! Even if it is weird saying, My Journey’s Father…