Wow. So much has been going on... Last week I was in Chicago to watch Jon graduate from Naval basic training. Even before that, though, my dad was admitted into the hospital. Monday night he said he could hear his heart pounding in his head and that he felt a little dizzy. Tuesday, he calls me in the middle of the day to say that he's at the hospital and they're admitting him and keeping him overnight. He had a bunch of tests run on him that night and they found out he has a tear in his carotid artery. This tear is causing his blood pressure to sky rocket at times and at others to drop. He's had an even bigger migraine than normal as well. Not to mention that for at least a week, his left pupil was smaller than his right... All of this was going on RIGHT before we were set to go see Jon. My mom was saying she didn't think he'd get to go and alternate plans were already being arranged just in case. I talked to him on and off all day Wednesday. With some prayer and medication, his blood pressure was down and stable and they were clearing him to not only go home, but to fly the next morning. The past week since then hasn't been fun for my dad exactly as far as his health goes. Things were on and off in Chicago, but he managed it well. We get back and immediately I'm sick. The next day he goes in to his doctor to get checked out. Nothing new; not much different. Constantly I'd ask him "How are you feeling? How's your head? Your eye? What's your blood pressure at?" He checked his blood pressure regularly. Yesterday morning started out nicely. He woke up with no pain in his head, nothing bugging him. We were ecstatic, but not counting our chickens. Two pm comes around and his blood pressure starts climbing. By five, it's at 202/98. Ideal blood pressure is a little below 120/80 ((Mine sits at 113/76)), normal is 120/80. Normal for my dad runs higher anyways, but since this had been running in the 150-160 range. His doctors knew and said that wasn't the spot to worry at. When he read the 202/98, he called for me and asked me to come hang out with him because he was worried about it. We talked about him going to the hospital, he called his doctors and I jumped in the shower. Within twenty minutes we were out the door and headed to Northwest. We were there for five or six hours last night at least. The highest I saw his blood pressure climb last night was 221/113. Not good. He was released last night and sent home with some new medication to hopefully regulate his blood pressure better. This morning as I'm walking out the door to go to church, he tells me his blood pressure is extremely low. He said he wasn't going anywhere and that I should go anyways. Later on, his face started going numb. He's now in the hospital again, admitted, and staying over night. Again. They don't want to do surgery if they don't have to, but so far things don't seem to be changing much except for the symptoms.

Back to Chicago... The flight over with dad was fun. We were in the same row, but on exact opposite sides of the plane. We made friends with the people around us like we always do ((I definitely get that from him)), watched movies and snacked. The best flight that trip, however, was our connecting flight from Chicago to Milwaukee. The flight was at three thirty, I believe, and we were in the sky as the sun was setting. The amazing thing about the land out there is that it's FLAT. And when I say flat, I don't mean country farm land of Washington flat. I mean straight, laid out, see for miles and miles and miles flat. With the sun going down over the edge of the land, looking out of the window and flying only a mile or two above ground, the sky looked like it was on fire and the ground seemed as if it twinkled with all of the street, house and car lights. It was incredible. I wish I could've gotten pictures. My dad and I were the first to arrive at the hotel with my mom and Jacob following behind not too long after. That night as Jacob was hanging out with my myself and my dad in our hotel room, my mom calls and asks my dad to go on a walk with her... Not something usual. When he comes back, he tells us that she informed him of the arrival of her boyfriend later that night.