If You Are a Praying Person

Please say one, tonight, for my Dad. He was taken to the hospital this afternoon after suffering a stroke. He had recovered well from a previous one a few years ago, and was living alone very happily, managing all his activities well. He had been feeling good today, went to his exercise class this morning, and to the dentist this afternoon. While at the dentist, they noticed his speech was slurred and they called an ambulance. One of the responding EMT's happened to be a friend of my brother's, and he called my brother, who was out with my nephew snowmobiling on the lake, since they had the MLK holiday off. So, my brother and nephew raced to the hospital and are with Dad now. They decided in the ER NOT to give him the miracle anti-stroke drug because it carries a 1 in 12 risk of death. They did a CT scan, and did not see any blood, so that is good. His previous stroke, a couple of years ago, came from a blood clot near his heart. Since his speech is slurred, the stroke must be on his brain's left side, which controls the right side of his body. This is the same area that was damaged before, but he did recover from that. I hope that with prompt medical intervention, he will be able to fully recover again, and go back to his wonderful, independent life in a great community of people who all like him and care about him a lot.

I have to say, when they handed out the Dads, I won the lottery. My Dad is the most kind, gentle, and steady man I know. This is us, my Dad, brother and I, in November, at a restaurant in his town in Maine.

I know these things happen to people every day, but I am just not ready for it.