Heart Issue

:) VA has finally decided that 2-4 is the date for Plan A, or B, etc, up to Plan H. (Unless they cn work me in sooner.) I probably won't be around for some time. At least it's been fun so far! :laugh: Wife and I watched the Plan B operation on the TV, THe Doc said during hte operation, This doesn't always work." :laugh: Lou nearly fainted which made me laugh harder. I hope she makes it. B)

Anyway, have fun and poke all you want! I'm going into this laughing and joke make that easier. Laughter has always been the best medicine. :laugh: :laugh:

I just wanted to let everybody know I've enjoyed my years here, and who knows, I may be back! If not, it's been great and i love all of you! :)

"Rude" was Lou's word, just passed it on. She was kind of laughing.about the looks she got from the ICU staff when her phone started ringing.

It would be hard to put into words how much better she sounded now that the worry is over.

Answered prayer . . . it's a good thing . . .

Well that just saved me from a lot of typing. Except Lou was not rude at all! Lou did mention that now that the valves are working maybe his heart will get stronger. Isn't it funny how much we learn about all our bodies functions!

Frank is in ICU, won't wake up until tomorrow.

Lou was in the ICU when her phone rang from Vickie, and of course that's a big no-no at the hospital, which is why she was so rude.

Things went real well. His heart is so weak that they installed a "balloon pump" to help the heart function. The good news, I guess, is that he didn't need the thing installed that would keep his heart firing. The pump could stay in him "forever" or perhaps the heart could strengthen and it be removed, or if a donor heart comes available,... well, then comes the big operation.

The doctor can't wait for Frank to wake up, so he can start slapping him, and Lou is supposed to argue with him all she wants... before he wakes up.

Too soon to say if he'll be back on a roof someday as a daily laborer, but if nothing else, it looks like he'll at least be able to get up there from time to time to give some fortunate soul the benefit of his experience, and perhaps some undeserving soul the grief of a lifetime. LOL

Lou wanted me to express her sincere thank you for all the prayers, calls, concerns, well wishes, etc... that have originated from this little group of roofers. She really appreciates it.

You can tell the weight of the worry has lifted off her shoulders and she's looking forward to a glass of wine and good night sleep.

Will find out more tomorrow.

Awesome.

I was talking to Andy (the one that posted above) when you made this post and neither of us saw it before hanging up. I called Lou right after hanging up and it went straight to VM...... So I was starting to imagine the worst.

What a great thing to jump in and see.

OK Here is the update.....

"He's fine. He's in ICU. I'll call you back later."

I think that's good enough for us!

Thinking of Frank this morning . . . praying for a good outcome . . .

Just an FYI, I just called Tinners wife to see how he was doing and he answered the phone. I called a day early! Tomorrow is the surgery. I thought it was Wednesday today! They got a good laugh out of it though. I'm a goofball.

Frank, Our prayers are with you and Louann.

Lets us know how things went, when you can. I guess that will be a week or two.

Wow, Thank you Mike. I feel like I didn't do or show you nearly enough of Richmond, or ourselves. I wish there had been more time because our house is yours, and Lefty's. I felt like we were all family. There were more tools and tricks to unveil and just didn't get to everything. More roofs to see, etc.

You are right about Lou. She's making me nervous today and I'm not sure she'll handle it. She's coming apart. I told her to take the Docs' advice and get the replacement hubby he told her to look for. Yes, Vickie, he told her it would be a good idea to have a replacement standing by.

By the sound of it, I reckon it's good I didn't take you down 4th. St. where traffic changes sides of the road. https://www.facebook.com/frank.albert.7/posts/10204507405738181 Some of my passengers have had heart attacks when I split the oncoming lines. :laugh: Take a close look at how the traffic pattern zigs there!

I forgot to show you the geodesic dome and Monument Ave. and other stuff. The time just flew too fast. Anyway, less than 18 hours before chop time! I asked the VA nurse yesterday if I could bring a keg of gunpowder to place in the cavity if things go south so I could surprise the folks at the crematorium and go with a bang.

:) I've enjoyed my time here and especially with Mike and Lefty, so if you never hear from me again, I love you all. :) Be safe out there.

Well,.... I ain't real sure what to write here. I have never been real good at blowing sunshine up someone's arse in the midst of a thunderstorm. No joke here, Frank is facing some serious stuff, even in a best case scenario.

He knows it. Lou knows it. It's harder on Lou than Frank.

I've had the good fortune of meeting a lot of people from RCS over the years, and while I've talked to Frank at least half a dozen times by phone, we'd never met.

This whole idea of a visit was pretty impromptu. There was just something telling me that I needed to visit Frank. Lefty and I were emailing, and I just said "Ya know, we should meet and visit Frank"... from there it just happened.

I warned Frank by phone that we were trying to get our schedules together for a visit. But unbeknownst to me, he didn't think I was serious.

On Wednesday morn, me and Lefty both said "tomorrow and Friday can work". So Thursday morning, from very different directions, we hit the road.

Once on the way, I sent Frank an email saying "...should be there around 6 pm..."

An hour later, I got a phone call. There was a sense of horror and panic in Frank's voice as he was obviously recovering from the surprise of the email, and I am nearly certain that I could still hear the ringing of the frying pan LouAnn used to knock him in the head when he told her "They'll be here in about 6 hours".

Then we were there. Amazingly, we arrived within 30 seconds of each other. Frank and Lou were great. We got to spend a total of about 8 hours with them, just sitting around a restaurant table, sitting at the house, standing around a shop, and terrorizing the drivers and pedestrians of Richmond. Who knows? Maybe I was the only one terrorized. I'm not a very good passenger. But I can tell ya that Frank can maneuver a Suburban through urban traffic like it was a Honda Civic on steroids. I know there's a new crease in the back seat where my butt cheeks were desperately seeking a grip on any available holds.

The stress of the worry is evident in Lou, though she is being very brave and a tremendous support. I want her to know that it's her that's been in my prayers most. These things tend to be much harder on the ones that love us than it is on we crusty ol' roofers.

Frank is the epitome of the lone wolf roofer. A craftsman with a shop that has a tool for every sort of creativity. The kind of stuff you might find in a corner of a 100 year old barn. It was a joy to walk through, ponder, question, observe and learn.

Eventually, and too soon really, came the time of departure. This is when our pictures were taken. I grabbed a pizza for the road, and about an hour later on a whim, snapped a pic of a road sign and sent it to Andy (roofdude) Schindler. A minute later we were on the phone and he said he'd meet me 30 miles up the road. I spent the next little while catching up with him and Anita as well.

Frank, they wanted me to pass on their well wishes to you both. Y'all don't live all that far away from each other now.

Frank and I are as different as night and day in many respects, yet alike in a way that only roofers could understand. And as I sit here thinking about Frank and Lou and the many other people by whom my life has been blessed through this tiny little corner of interwebdom, it is Vickie and her vision for which I am most thankful. Without her, my life would be void of the couple of great friends, and handful of new relationships I've come to enjoy through The Roofer's Coffee Shop.

May God be with you Frank, Lou and the doctors in who's hands your heart will lay. Those doctors will never understand the kind of man you are, the grit that you are formed of, the toughness of your spirit and the determination that has brought you this far. You're body can handle more abuse, and there is a world waiting for you to change it even more. Your humility is admirable, but you give yourself far too little credit. Thank you for blessing me with your hospitality and a glimpse into your life. I will look forward to talking to you again. I believe that we will.

Lefty, I said the same thing to Lou and a couple of other people. I bet the three of us could really do some fantastic work together.. Throw in all these other guys here, and we'd have one heck of a team! :)

I saw yall on franks Facebook page didn't realize that was mike but thought was lefty, then I came here and read the post. Tinner has helped me with my internet and is really just a good person and I wish him the best in his operation I donated a 100.00 to his page anonymously a couple months ago. Im about to donate to his go fund page again and hope we can get some of the guys and gals on this site to donate they could use the help and just put yourself in their shoes so if you can help them out it's a real charity that you know will help the people it given to.

Old School Said: Boy, that is a group to draw to! You can always tell a roofer, but you cant tell them very much! Good job guys!

That is three of a kind that would beat a full house everytime.

i waz grpping the dor hadle so hard that my fingrs r stil sore and shakig to point that im hving touble tping. ulogee will have to wait 4 my nrves 2 setl down a bit