MIA...

When I go a week or so without posting, it's usually because the dogs knocked the power cord for the computer out of the outlet, and I am too lazy to plug it back in and restart the computer. 

Unfortunately, my recent absence has been for legit reasons: my dad had a heart attack and had to have quadruple bypass surgery. Because my parents are scared of the internet and putting anything personal on it, I'll be brief with the details. I will say that the heart attack was very minor and luckily caused no damage to his heart. However, testing revealed he had blockage that needed to be corrected via open-heart surgery. 

We all live in Houston, which means we have access to some of the best medical care in the world. I believe that my dad was very well taken care of, and because he was otherwise very healthy, his recovery has been relatively easy. 

I want to say thank you to everyone who reached out to my family, sent flowers, brought food, or came to visit during the past two weeks. Your thoughtfulness means a lot, and we'll never forget it. 

We did learn some lessons through this experience that I believe are worth sharing so that other people can hopefully avoid going through this in their own lives.

This is my dad...

Although he is 60, I am sure you can agree that he is not at all what you think of when you hear quadruple bypass. And it must be said, that I absolutely do not approve of those board shorts - or any board shorts for that matter. 

My dad has been thin his entire life, a feat he has worked at through a restrictive diet and intermittent exercise. He does have high blood pressure, but other than that, there were no signs or symptoms until the day he went to the hospital that anything was wrong. 

Not that it is his "fault" in any way, but perhaps this could have been avoided if he was getting thorough checkups and blood work on a yearly basis, which he had not done. Maybe a reg flag would have been raised? Maybe he would have found out that he had some blockage and could have prevented it from getting to this point? And of course, maybe not. But my point is, when you get to an age that it's recommended to start doing all these regular doctor visits and stuff like mammograms and colonoscopies - just do it... If the guy wearing a gold chain in the picture above could have to have quadruple bypass, there is no telling what the hell is going on in any of our bodies. 

Love,

Lauren