I’ve been on medical leave since the first week of March. My dad had to get life-saving surgery on his aorta in Houston. He had already been through this in 2019, and it nearly destroyed me. /1

He has no wife, no siblings, and my grandparents are dead. All he has is me and my brother. And with COVID, I’m the only person who can see him the entire time he’s in the hospital. /2

I had to go on leave because the pressure has been overwhelming. I’ve had weekly, at one point, daily panic attacks, I have stress related heart palpitations and I’ve been borderline suicidal. /3

While on a ventilator, they told me they thought he was paralyzed from the waist down. I blacked out, immediately went into a panic attack and nurses had to rush over to me. /4

My dad is the type of guy that won’t do well living in a wheelchair the rest of his life. I’d have to quit my job and take care of him. There’s just no way. /5

So now... On the eve of the 1-year anniversary of my grandpa’s death, his father’s death, he was able to move his right foot, and his left leg. /6

And we found out that he’s headed back to Phoenix this week. Finally. My living in a hotel days are done. /7

He still has a very, very long road ahead of him. But the future looks a little brighter. /8

I don’t believe in god but it’s the closest I’ve gotten in a long time. I’ll be forever grateful to the doctors and nurses here at Baylor St. Luke’s in Houston. They’re all outstanding. /9

Thanks for coming to my rambling thread. /10