Just Call Dad John Cameron Swayze

For the ones of you who are too young to remember John Cameron Swayze (and most of you probably are) he was a TV commentator who was also the pitch man for Timex watches. The Timex slogan was "takes a licken' and keeps on ticken'." Well, that's our Dad. In the past month he has had a major stroke, suffered the indignities of many medical tests and procedures, had no food or water by mouth (a biggie in terms of comfort level),  c diff and a resulting  MAJOR surgery, been on a ventilator, had a bad reaction to major surgical incisions, mega doses of strong antibiotics, and has had to lay in a lonely hospital room 24 hours a day. AND HE KEEPS ON TICKING. He is weak but they feel he is capable of returning to rehab instead of going to a nursing home to recuperate and then on to rehab. I don't know many 81 year old men who could endure what my father has done.

Mom and Matt met with the doctors yesterday and everyone at the hospital is in agreement that he is capable of going on to rehab. We are exploring options now and they are testing Dad to see if all of the c diff is out of his body. He will still be on isolation for a while but this sounds like a "piece of cake" compared to c diff. All Dad wants though is to go home. Hopefully when he gets to rehab and has something to occupy his mind (and body) he will not have so much time to think. Every day he is improving. My daughter, Hannah, who seems to have a way of knowing these things, says he will be home by Easter and will be able to go to church on Easter morning. That gives us 33 days. Let's all pray Hannah's prediction comes true.

(if you want to see John Cameron Swayze in action he has several commercials on You Tube)