| Sunday, 31-Oct-2004 00:00 |
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This week Joe improved his health. He did it himself, the technology did it, the LakeWest Hospital doctors, nurses, their care, Joe's wife, Rose, everyday visits, my daily concerns, visits and you my friends for your prayers, kindness, words that were sincere, considerate and understanding.
Joe ate, yesterday, solid food, having struggled with pasta and sauce from tray to mouth. When I arrived there, 6:30 p.m. his towel in front of him had pasta sauce on it. Around his mouth he had pasta sauce. There was an empty small area where the pasta and sauce were parked minutes ago.
I saw my father's struggle and a small victory for him. I had the privilege, a life achievement of wiping around his mouth, struggled pasta sauce. I contibuted to his small victory.
His surgery was deemed extremely difficult with the odds not in favor of his survival. He is far from completely healthy. He is still in risk. But! This week he gave himself a chance after the technology, the doctors and nurses and Rose and I and strangers who cared for him.
Given something to work with Joe's body is willing to recover to whatever degree it can with what it has to work with. Joe was a fatalist when he was healthy. He has now proven the contrary, being empowered, expressing it to the body, the willingness to hang on, hang in there, be amongst the living is a powerful gift each one of us has within our minds.
Joe gave himself a chance this week, he unknowningly empowered himself. He was willing to stick around this week.
For all of your concerns my dear friends, we express our thanks from the family that has been thrust into a life and death circumstance. Your generous understanding is a contributing factor in a man's willingness to hang around with his regularly scheduled personality. That's something the hospital doctors and nurses could not edit. Life is not perfect, it is understanding and powerful. With a will there will be a way.
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