My father's been in the hospital for the last few days. He had quadruple bypass surgery Monday morning. Apparently his vessels were clogged 80% and he didn't even know it, had only begun having chest pain upon exertion a couple weeks ago. They said he had the kind of blockage that usually just makes people fall down dead of a heart attack. So let this be a lesson. Apparently, that's what a two croissant per day diet will do to you.

He's doing fine now, which is of course a great relief. He said he couldn't believe how quickly and easily the surgery happened and he's in very little pain (though they have been giving him Vicodin). They already have him out of the ICU and today they're going to start walking him around.

Funny story: the night before dad was to go into surgery, Shelley (my sister) suggested he pass the time by watching Dateline. Then, on the way out, she began to worry:
"Oh, no. I shouldn't have told him to watch Dateline. What if they do one of those surgery disaster shows."

Mom and I told her not to be ridiculous. After all, what were the odds? Well, wouldn't you know it. Sure enough, that very night they ran a segment — maybe you saw it — about a guy who actually woke up in the middle of open heart surgery. He could feel everything they were doing, apparently, but was completely paralyzed by the anasthesia and was unable to say anything. Gives me the willies just thinking about it.

We asked my dad, and luckily, he said no, he hadn't seen it. He was watching the game.

Please email all well-wishes to my father, Phil. Especially if you just stumbled across my blog in a google search for 'bypass surgery' or 'Vicodin' and don't actually know my dad. It'll freak him out.