Thursday, August 14, 2008

Needed - prayers and positive thoughts

Occasionally, I sneak in an entirely personal posting. This is another.

My father, the man who raised me to be a Buckeye fan, is in a hospital bed tonight and he's not doing well. Last Friday he had brain surgery to remove a tumor, his 9th one in the past 23 years (the tumors have always been benign, but they've always grown back).

Usually he has the operation, the family rallies around him, and he recovers after a few months of rehab and physical therapy. Yes, the toll of multiple surgeries has left him weakened and on several medications, but he's still fighting and is still one of the sweetest guys you could ever know.

Yesterday the doctors at University Hospital in Cleveland sent him down here to Canton (Mercy Medical Center) to begin rehab/therapy. But when he woke up from a nap in his new room, he wasn't the same person. He was confused, very paranoid, and downright angry about things which he could not properly explain.

In the middle of the night last night, he was transported back to University Hospital and they have begun more tests to figure out what is wrong. The diagnosis has gone from a hematoma to overmedication to "undecided". They don't know what's wrong. But in the meantime, my father is behaving as if he had a stroke, and my mother is a wreck, wondering what has happened to her husband. 24 hours ago, we were planning his return after a week of intense physical therapy....now, we have no idea what the next moment will bring.

Many times, The BBC is cathartic to me. It gives me the opportunity to reach out to fellow sports fans and dig into what we love so much. Tonight, I wouldn't know where to begin writing about the Buckeyes or anything else.

Do me a favor? Whatever it is you do when you need a little help from above, do that for my dad tonight. A little positive energy might go a long way towards figuring out what's wrong, and fixing it....and that'd be nice to have now.

Thanks,

Jeff

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thoughts and prayers from the Michigan family to you, your father, and your family.

May He from whom all blessings flow,
Who bids all suffering cease,
With tenderness and care bestow,
His gifts of rest and peace,
And may His healing hand above,
Remove all grief and pain,
And in the sunshine of His love,
Your health return again.

James@BlackboltStudios.com said...

Prayers are with your family. May your father have a quick and complete recovery. A long time fan of the site, thanks for doing what you do...

Chris Jennings said...

Jeff, I am so sorry to hear about your dad. I prayed for him today and I pray that God would heal your dad and give you and your family strength as you face this difficult time.

Anonymous said...

I'm thinking about you brother. All the best.

BW

Anonymous said...

My prayers will be there for you and your family. May your father be comfortable and have a good recovery.

Anonymous said...

Our prayers are with you and your family; wishing a speedy & full recovery.
Ken

Anonymous said...

Jeff, good luck. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your father.

- Eleven Warriors