Friday Update on Dad

Dad has been offically released from Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, WV. He was admitted Tuesday afternoon to the Skilled Nursing Unit next door and is receiving daily physically therapy.

Here is a quick synopsis of the last two weeks:

Our phone rang at 4:00 AM Monday morning following Easter Sunday. It was my brother Greg calling from the hospital in Elkins, WV, telling us that Dad had a heart attack.

Dad was being flown by helicopter from Elkins to Morgantown where they could give him more specialized care. This was rather interesting news because Dad has never flown in his life. He told us afterwards that had he known that would happen he never would have called!

I arrived at the hospital in Morgantown around 7:00 PM Monday evening. Dad's condition continued to grow worse through the evening. Around 11:00 PM, with my brothers and wives by his bedside, Dad made it clear to the Doctor that he wanted no heroic measures should that be required. I asked him if he understood what that meant. He said, "Yes, I will die." He fell asleep around midnight.

We took turns visiting his bedside through the night, and a chaplain named Lindsey, who is serving an internship at the hospital, also visited with us for over an hour.

Around 2:00 am I asked that his oxygen mask be removed because he had complained that it made him uncomfortable. We continued to watch his breathing grow more and more shallow and we were convinced that he would not last through the night.

A nurse came to his bedside around 4:30 am to check his pulse. As she placed her fingers around his wrist, Dad turned his face to her. She asked him how he was doing. He opened his eyes and said that he was feeling ok. She asked him if he wanted a drink, and he said yes. As she placed the straw near his mouth, he brushed it aside and drank from the cup with both hands.

We began to talk with him and it was clear that he was wide awake. His primary doctor was called to his bedside to make an assessment and we asked him if this was temporary. He observed that Dad was too alert for it to be temporary.

I walked out into the waiting room and announced to my brothers, "there has been a resurrection!"

We walked back into dad's room and he was wide awake. A nurse came to his bedside a short time later and said he was at a loss to explain dad's recovery. Others expressed similar observations.

It has been over a week since this "miraculous" recovery, and I just returned from my second visit with dad. When I said goodbye yesterday, he was looking forward to another round of physical therapy.

I had the opportunity to speak with dad about his wishes for a memorial service this past Wednesday. We also talked about where he will spend eternity, and he made it clear that he had trusted Christ as his Savior. These are often difficult conversations to have with your parents but I am pleased that dad was receptive to talk with me about these things.

As I sat by his bedside when it appeared that he was about to die, I regretted that we never really spoke at length about these things. I am glad that dad's recovery has given us time to have these conversations.

Thanks again for praying for Dad. I can tell that he is not looking forward to how life has changed for him, but knowing that many are praying for him is really helpful. Pray also for our family as we try to help him make some tough decisions related to his future care. We appreciate it!

~ Jim