Update on My Dad

I spent last night--from 5:00pm on Sunday through 7:00am today, with my Dad at the hospital. My sisters have been staying there with him to this point in Dad's hospital stay and it's important for me to do my part. (Besides, I remember many childhood nights when I was sick and, once, nearly dying, that my Dad stayed up with me!)

"You're a quick healer!" said Dad's nurse last night after listening to him through her stethoscope. If you read this post, you know that Dad had emergency surgery on Wednesday. Though he had a scary inventory of previously unknown problems, Dad has bounced back remarkably well. Last night and this morning, he sat up for hours at a time and we had great conversations. Dad is eating solid foods, taking walks up and down the hospital hallway, and lobbying to be sent home.

It helps, of course, as my Mom said today, that Dad has always taken care of himself. He's a walker. He rarely overeats. He doesn't drink. He quit smoking years ago.

But prayers are helping him too, no doubt. We've been made aware that Dad is on many prayer chains and prayer lists at many churches across the country. And thanks to The Moderate Voice colleague Holly Robinson, I know that Dad will soon be added to the prayer list for at least one synagogue. Thanks to all of you.

And of course, I thank God for Dad's progress!

[UPDATE ON THE UPDATE (June 3): Dad was released today! I got to see him. He was sleepy. In fact, we sat for a time in his TV room; he slept and I nearly did so on the nearby couch. One of my sisters came by and fixed dinner for him. He snarfed it all up and announced he was taking a shower, something he hadn't been able to do since last Wednesday morning, before his emergency surgery.]