.png)
This picture was my Easter present from my mom and dad- 2012. I went down, grabbed my iPad, got my email and was just in tears of joy all day long over these photos of my dad that were taken yesterday. For those of you following Best Ever You for the first time, let me introduce you to my dad, James F. Hamilton. We call him "The ICU Warrior." He is a Stroke Survivor (2004) and a Kidney Cancer Survivor (2011). He spent the last 45 days of 2011 in the ICU unit of Fairview Ridges, Burnsville, MN after being resuscitated from a medical error. It was life or death daily and the nurses and doctors still can't believe he made it through. He wound up in the ICU after coming home from a kidney removal surgery at the Mayo Clinic. The doctor at the Mayo Clinic did not close the surgery properly after removing a kidney, which left him bleeding internally and taken by ambulance to Fairview Ridges and resuscitated along the way. (see many previous blogs...) He is the ICU Warrior and it is amazing to see him up and about....We created a website for him while he was sick on Caring Bridge. Take a look if you get a moment to see a tiny example of what he has overcome. But see that book in his hand? It is called "Presidential Prey" and he wrote that AFTER his stroke and finished it over the past few months AFTER his bout in the ICU. It will be out soon. He has always wanted to have a book published... My point? He willed himself to live and we were there to help. He has willed himself (and we've been there to help) to this standing position on the front porch of his home. You don't know that in this photo he can't really see you that well from the stroke and he can't hear so great and he gets tired easily and just lost 70 pounds. I don't even quite have words that are easily flowing to tell you how proud I am. It's his 69th birthday tomorrow, April 9, 2012. Happy Birthday Dad!! Never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever Give Up.
Love, Elizabeth
About Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino
Elizabeth is the Founder and CEO of The Best Ever You Network. This is dedicated to all of you who have lost a parent or have parents that are ill. Keep the faith.