Paul's Heart

Life As A Dad, And A Survivor

Archive for the category “Adoption”

15 Sep 2013

Ichiro Suzuki, Pete Rose, Ty Cobb, and Paul Edelman


Ichiro Suzuki, Pete Rose, Ty Cobb, and Paul Edelman.  We all share something in common with each other.  Alright, we have to eliminate the obvious using the method used on standardized tests… which answer does not fit?  Paul Edelman.  The other three names are/were professional baseball players who hit for over 4000 career base hits.  Each time, the impossible became possible.  Ty Cobb hit for 4000 career hits, a record never thought to be broken.  Then Pete Rose achieved that mark, followed by Suzuki.

In 2012, there were eleven quarterbacks who threw for over 4000 yards breaking a record 10 quarterbacks in one season.  Future Hall Of Famers, Drew Brees, Tony Romo, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers just to name a few.

The late, great Wilt Chamberlain is the only pro basketball player to ever score 4000 points in one season.  The season being the years 1961-1962.

Sorry hockey fans… and I am disappointed as well there are no 4000 goals or points scored.  Goalie Devan Dubnyk of the Edmonton Oilers has stopped over 4000 shots as have Roberto Luongo, Henrik Lundqvist, and bizarre former Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov.  I looked for any hockey player who might have racked up 4000 penalty minutes and the closest I could come was a player by the name of Tiger Williams (Toronto Mapleleafs) who retired just short of 4000 with 3966 minutes.

There has been no physical demand on my part to reach 4000 views on Paul’s Heart, just the will to put my thoughts down into written form.  I would like to think that there are more in my household who would be excited for me, especially my oldest daughter who is not really fond of reading.  You would think she would see that so many have read what her father has written and have that motivate her, but to my disappointment, nope.  Nonetheless, for the guy who’s college English professor once wrote while grading one of my papers that I “don’t have the intelligence to get past a comic strip page”, I think I can, and have done so.

I now set my sights on a new goal, 5000 views.  Thank you so much for encouraging me with your comments and support.  Darlene, thank you for suggesting this be my outlet for my thoughts in pursuit of that book I want to write.  And to everyone, I have over 100 more stories already started, not including the ideas that pop in my head daily.

As usual, I constantly run into new experiences that I want to share with you, in hopes that somehow, you will see, you are not alone.

Thank you everyone for reading Paul’s Heart.

 

Posted in Adoption, Animals, Bullying, Cancer, Education, Family and Friends, Food, Inspired By..., Politics, Recreation, Side Effects, The Heart, Uncategorized | Leave a comment
14 Jun 2013

Visits With Dad


This upcoming Father’s Day is a special one to say the least, given the events of the last month.  And today, it is exactly one month since my father’s health took a dramatic turn for the worse.  But I am happy to say, that after last night’s visit with him, he is doing great on the road to recovery from not just the original issue of lung cancer surgery, but as a result of or during, or following that surgery, two strokes, and a heart rhythmn issue.

I describe the relationship with my father in two stages basically, basically the two halves of my life.  The first half was based on the results of a bitter divorce, the second half was a matter of circumstance and reconciliation.  Both of us will undoubtedly agree we have made the most of the second half.  In a prior post, I mentioned my admiration for my father.  But in recent weeks, I have learned just how strong a man that he is.

Several months ago, my father had been diagnosed with lung cancer.  After smoking for nearly 85% of his life, fifty-seven years worth to be exact, it came as no surprise when he asked the doctor, what was most likely the cause of his cancer, and then told without a doubt, “smoking.”

The best option for him was to have the cancer surgically removed, meaning he would lose half of his lung, if not all of it because of where the tumor had been located.  There would be risks with the surgery, but my dad was confident what needed to be done.  There had been some slight concerns during recovery, but otherwise, he had tolerated the procedure well.

Within the next twenty-four hours, my brother and I realized something was wrong.  And it would be another twenty-four hours before and it was confirmed.  My dad had suffered two strokes.  But because he was recovering from surgery, it was difficult to determine what damage my dad would be dealing with.

In the days that followed, he would be transferred to a rehab facility, and work very hard with various forms of therapies from speech, occupational, and physical.  Each day, his goals became very clear.  He wanted to go home.  He wanted to be independent.  He wanted to go home to his wife.  There was some confusion on his part that stood in his way, but then the day came.

I picked my father up from the rehab hospital, and stopped by the store for some flowers for my dad to give my stepmother.  Just seconds through the door, he gave the flowers to her, and then sat down at the table next to her, grabbed a deck of playing cards, and together, they did what they often did as if time had never stopped for them, played cards with each other.

He continues to improve, and much to his objections, still has some caregiving to help make sure he that any emergencies are able to be dealt with.  But some day, we all hope that he gets that 100% independence that he had before he had the surgery.  Knowing my dad he will get there.  He is so close.

Happy Father’s Day Dad!

Posted in Adoption, Cancer, Family and Friends, Inspired By..., Side Effects, The Heart | Leave a comment
09 Jun 2013

Life Lesson Learned


This event was one thing my oldest daughter had been looking forward to, since she decided against competing in it last year, the school district’s elementary school triathlon.  Divisions and skills were set up based upon the ages of the young competitors.  Madison has always been a competitor, striving to give everything she has, but last year, she chose not to compete.  This year was different.

Together, Madison and I spent a lot of time together, training as recommended for this triathlon.  Madison is a natural in water, so it was just going to be a matter of getting her to an indoor pool to practice her three lengths required.  We ride bikes together all of the time, many times for at least an hour, so that was not going to be difficult.  I have seen Madison run, so I knew she had speed.  I was just unsure how much endurance she had.

We had a track that surrounded a peewee football field which would give the easily measurable distance, down the street for our home.  The plan and schedule had been set.  Madison would be at or above the skills necessary at least three weeks before the triathlon.  Unfortunately, my father’s ill health, that schedule had been tossed out the window.

Madison’s training now became a matter of “when” we had time to do it.  But she was undeterred.  This was a competition that she believed that she could handle, and wanted to compete.  She gave me daily reminders what forms needed to be filled out, and what meetings had to be attended.  She assured me she would get the rest done as far as the actual practice.

We arrived the morning of the triathlon, checked in, and then set up her staging area.  I then escorted her to her first holding area, for the swimming portion.  She sat behind her heat lane for close to an hour before they called her heat.  And then she was off.

She swam with the speed of a shark chasing its prey and then ran out to the staging area to get her pants and bib on, climb on the bike and ride.  I caught up to her at the bike track.  She raced on to the loop of the ride and was completing her first mile and proceeding through the loop for the second lap when a rider in front of her had wiped out.  Madison was about three lengths behind, but given her age and inexperience, she was not prepared to react to avoid the crash and collided with the downed rider, causing herself to crash.

But instead of getting right up, and back into the race, she asked the girl, a stranger from another elementary school, if she was alright.  The girl originally said yes, but then broke down in tears.  At that moment, Madison made the commitment to remain with her, until help would arrive.  By my watch, Madison sacrificed at least two minutes of time, providing comfort to a fellow competitor who had fallen.  For Madison, the race was not about winning or placing, the triathlon was an opportunity for Madison to do what Madison is best at, caring.

Yes, I am going to brag about how I have raised my daughters.  And I hope this is just one of the stories that I get to tell, that show just what all humans have the capability of providing, empathy and compassion.

Officially, her numbers were time of competition, 0:34:04, and she placed 24th out of 65 other girls in her grade (division).  But she won more than a race on Saturday.

Posted in Adoption, Education, Family and Friends, Inspired By..., Recreation | Leave a comment

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