One More Chance

Making up

I had trying to talk Dick into spending more time with us with little success. Things were about to change. Dick had gotten hurt pushing out car when it broke down which resulted in surgery. Double hernias. They had to be repaired and he needed somebody to take care of him.

With his injury came a quick turnabout with his attitude. Suddenly he needed me to take care of him. I had to tend to his every need. I helped him with everything from getting up to bathing and everything in between.

This was a nice change of pace. He had never had to depend on me before. I actually felt like he loved me again. He needed to be nice or I could be mean and withhold medication. Or better yet leave him stranded on the couch.

The recovery was supposed to be 4 weeks but Dick only took off 3. I was there non stop until he could get up get a drink and go to the bathroom alone. The neighbors brought us groceries and did our shopping for us until Dick could get out of the house again.

He was a good patient until his pain medication started wearing off. I couldn't stand how whiny he would get. He would mumble my balls oh my balls. I knew he was in pain but I didn't want him to run out of his medicine. We had a friend named Puddy that came by to visit and he suggested that I try doubling his dose of pain medication to get him some relief. It worked and he could finally rest!!

With his recovery in full swing he became happy again. Things were once again calm for a while.

During this time we started being more intimate again. He even took baths with me from time to time. I really enjoyed this Dick he was becoming.

We were having get togethers and friends over. We had bonfires and BBQ dinners. We would do things like couples do together.

Once during his good husband stage he took me on a fishing trip in our little boat. I caught more fish than he did but that wasn't the best part. The boat broke down on.

I was freaking out. How were we going to get back to our pier? We had a paddle. Just one. He started to row but we were pretty much going in a circle. A pontoon boat came by and offered a hand. Of course Dick tried to refuse but I spoke up and said yes could you tow us back to shore please.

Needless to say I was burnt to a crisp by the time we made it back. It was fun though. I caught an alligator gar and nearly threw the pole in to get away from it. This is a trip I will always remember.

Fall was coming and cooler weather moved in. We began to plan a Halloween party which turned into a haunted trail. It was a lot of work bit it was coming along nicely.

The day of the party as we were setting things up we got a call. My dad was admitted to the hospital with a heart attack. I didn't know what to do. We had sent out well over 300 invitations.

My dad was able to talk to me and told me that I should go ahead with the party as planned. I didn't want to. I wanted to be with my dad but I knew if I did go up there it would just upset him because he told me to go on with my plans.

The party was a huge success and as far as I could tell we had well over 200 people show up. The house was a wreck and the yard needed picked up but all that could wait. I was waking up and going to see my daddy at the hospital.

I woke up early and went to see my dad. He looked horrible but he was alive and stable. I stayed up there all day. When visiting hours were over we went home.

Dick and I decided the next day that we were going to take the kids to my mom and stay the night at the hospital with my dad and step mother.

We stayed upstairs until visiting ours were over then we went down to the lobby and slept on the floor with my step mom. Dick didn't even bother to have an attitude about it. He was totally supportive.

I was getting more frustrated day by day. The doctor kept putting my dads surgery off to get more critical patients. I had had enough. I finally snapped. I was told my dad was waiting on the best heart surgeon they had. I then proceeded to ask for the second best because it looked like they were going to let him die waiting on the first.

The nurse knew when I opened my mouth that I was my daddy's daughter. Obviously he had been very clear on how he felt about the situation. Myself and my sister decided if they couldn't get him in to surgery soon we would steal a defibrillator and put him in the car and take him to another hospital.

The next day they decided to schedule his surgery. It would be Halloween night. I had never heard of open heart surgery at night but at least it was going to happen after almost a week

What was I going to do? Rosco and Haley were still going to want to go trick or treating. I never had to ask twice once I told Dick about the surgery he said he would take the kids so I could be at the hospital with dad.

After trick or treating and taking the kids to my moms Dick made it up to the hospital by the time we were allowed to go up to see dad. Once again he was great in a time of crisis.