Coming home soon??

It is starting to look like Dad's recliner at the house is not going to be empty much longer... he is doing so very well and recuperating from his surgery wonderfully! He had another good day today. The steroids from the surgery have worn off, and the soreness and exhaustion are starting to set in, but he is still in good spirits. Of course, some sleep would be helpful, but the hospital is not a place where anyone can sleep. They bust into his room all hours of the night, talking and banging and poking and prodding... and then they tell him he needs to rest. Um, ok??? And I would LOVE to know why they have to know what Dad weighs at 2 a.m.? Are they lunar powered scales? Cause I seriously cannot imagine any reason for them to have to know his weight before the sun comes up!!?? And one more thing while I am harping on things I cannot imagine - WHY OH WHY do they have fire alarms in surgical intensive care waiting rooms? While we were waiting on Dad to wake up from his surgery Mom left to find cell service and Justin/Grace went to get lunch. I was sitting in the ICU waiting room with all of my parents' luggage, three laptops (yes we are a connected family), coats, magazines, books, snacks, purses... basically a TON of stuff all by myself when the fire alarm went off! So there I went, dragging luggage and down the hallway to evacuate. When I passed by the double doors leading to the ICU I had a moment where I considered dropping all the stuff, kicking open the doors, and running to Dad's room to make sure someone was getting him out too. Seriously, what do they do with all of those knocked out patients in case of fire? Needless to say, just like I was back at HMS, it was a false alarm and after I finished dragging all of our stuff across the hospital I was told I could drag it all back. Thankfully I had six or seven men escorting me (notice I said ESCORT not HELPING - none of them even offered to carry a thing) and they offered to open a door or two along the way. Oh, and they laughed at how much stuff I had to carry too (did I mention they did not offer to help?).

Anyway, despite their endless interruptions and crazy fire drills (there were two more that night btw), I have to give the hospital staff some serious kudos. As a teacher I put up with lots of crazies, especially in the parent arena (sorry but true), but I cannot imagine what those people have to deal with on a daily basis. Just in the past week the things that I have seen people say and do at that hospital is enough to make me realize that nurses and doctors will all receive special crowns in Heaven for the patience they must have to exhibit each day. I may have to listen to people moan and groan about classroom rules they think their children are immune to, or why their child should have nothing below an A in my class despite the fact that they are missing more work than they have turned in, but at least I don't have to change their clothes and help them shower and put their teeth in so that they can eat! aahhh.....

Well, enough ranting for tonight. I have not eaten much since Saturday, have had waay too much coffee, and must now finish cleaning the house that I have neglected for almost a week before that caffeine wears off.

The nurses are suggesting that Dad will definitely be home by Friday and possibly even tomorrow. I will post again tomorrow with an update on how he is doing.

Until then, keep the prayers coming, and Dad, keep up the good work!