Today Was Not the Day

Today was the day I got the call.  The call I've been dreading for several years now.

My sister called and told me that my 84 year old father was in the emergency room.

The minute she told me my heart stopped.  

Luckily, all seems fine.   Dad slipped on the ice when taking the trash out to the curb this morning and hit his head pretty hard.   My Mom only saw him getting up, and didn't know if he blacked out, but insisted on calling the doctor (he claimed he was fine), who told her to get him immediately to the emergency room.

At his age, everything can be serious, and once at the hospital, my parents were told how blood clots can form following head trauma on a man my father's age, and they are now running tests.  

When you have a parent in their 80's you take everything seriously.

My father is rather unusual.  Despite being in his 80's, overweight and never exercising in his life, he's in perfect health.   He has no cardiac issues, no problems with high cholesterol, and is on no pills.   The last time he was hospitalized was over 20 years ago, and when I was a child, I only ever saw him stay home from work once because he didn't feel well. 

Even now in his 80's, he goes into work six days a week (he owns his own business), and works seven days a week from the day after Thanksgiving until after Christmas.

But when you have a Dad in his 80's, even if they've been in perfect health, you still see the changes as they age.  My Dad is old, and old means that the chance of getting the call increases.

Thank god today was not the day, but it makes me appreciate my Dad all the more.