Appreciation post: Family is everything!

Picture from long ago...

 For those who are very close to me, it is no news that my dearest dad was ill for a while. It was the scariest time of my life. We moved from one hospital to the other. The doctors kept treating him for Malaria and Typhoid. He began to lose weight, he wasn't sleeping, he wasn't eating well, he was constantly losing energy, and most of all, he was becoming very AFRAID.

My dad used to be the very energetic man, the life of the party, the powerful VOICE that never needed a microphone no matter the magnitude of the crowd, the one person that had "everything' under control but all of a sudden, that person was nowhere to be found. What happened? Let's see...

What started out as a little swelling in his right leg, turned out to be a medical condition that needed immediate medical care. Throughout the period he was undergoing medical examinations, about 50 tests (if not more) were conducted on him to ascertain and diagnose the illness. After several treatments with no visible results or health improvement, Jehovah did something marvelous. He used my aunt; Mrs. Lilian Irechukwu (his only sister, also known as "aunty Obis"), as an instrument to my dad regaining his health.

On that day, I had just returned from a job interview that I reluctantly attended, bearing in mind that my dad's health was deteriorating. My dad had just been discharged from the hospital (they reluctantly admitted him, they were offended that we brought him in at 4am that morning). My aunt rushed down to our house and insisted that she was taking him to a specialist hospital at Magodo with young and seasoned doctors. 

She was so convinced that they would be able to give a proper diagnosis of the situation. I got dressed, ready to go with them but the declined and insisted that I stayed home with my brother and the rest of the family. As usual, my mind was not at rest. I followed up with calls just to be sure that my dad was stable. I am a Daddy's girl, can't help it! I know at this point you are probably itching to know the diagnosis, let's get to it.

Pulmonary Embolism! (read about it here). Far from Malaria and typhoid! The doctors said that this happened as a result of prolonged inactivity or reduced activity during the lockdown period; especially for someone who used to be very active. Thank Jehovah we finally had a name to the ailment. Treatment followed. There were drugs he was given that would make him restless and bring him discomfort. Other times, he'll have to wear compression socks to reduce the swelling in his legs. Many of you could not reach him on the phone because he was advised by the doctors not to take calls.

I can't begin to tell you every single thing that happened but, just know that Jehovah heard our cry and healed him.

Always a baby boy

Now to the main reason for this post, my family, friends, neighbors, and wellwishers came through for us. The calls, the gifts, the food, visits and so many other gestures to numerous to mention, are deeply appreciated. To my Aunty Obis and Uncle Russell, special thanks to you, you both were amazing and only Jehovah can reward you immensely for the love you showed us. My uncles and aunties were amazing; they were always there. My grandma calls my dad every day like he's a small baby (oh well, he's her baby...lol).

My cousin Chijioke Umeham, I can't begin to thank you enough for the support, running errands here and there, helping in every way you can. We love you!

To my mum, you are strong and beautiful. Thank you for always being by daddy's side, driving him to the hospital back and forth in the middle of the night and at the most inconvenient times, holding back your tears in his presence, and letting it out when he slept. You guys are inseparable, I see you following each other around like Bonny & Clyde. #togetherforever😄

My dadda's recuperating, the progress has been immense. He's taking things really slow as the days go by and he's getting back to the jigi-jigi daddy we used to know. Thank you once again, for the love and support, we do not take these for granted!

Till we meet again....your favorite melanin gurrrrrrl!

                   

                                                     Signed

                                            Brown Skin Girl!