Tuesday, February 15, 2005

Close call and lots of calls

Yesterday, soon after I got to the book fair, I got a call from my husband that he had heard from my brother that he had gotten a message from my mother that my father had been taken to the hospital and apparently had had a very mild heart attack. He's no youngster, G-d willing, will be 85 next August, and his elder brother is still alive, was 86 on Jan. 1.

My brother hadn't, at that point, been able to get more information. My mother's cell phone, as per regulations, was off, and the hospital wasn't saying anything. My brother had emailed my kids (and us, but since the computer is here in Shiloh and I wasn't, didn't see it), and my eldest daughter began calling the states and all her siblings and me trying to get info. This went on for a few hours. My sister, who lives in Virginia, stayed home from work, waiting for information, and I went home and joined the phoning.

Finally, thank G-d, my sister got through to him, and he groggily told her that they put in some shunts, or something to clear one blockage, and the other cleared itself. He was very lucid considering. That's considering that six years ago he had an aneurysm that he miraculously survived. He can no longer remember what he had read, can't concentrate well enough to do taxes (worked decades as a CPA) and no longer has his speed and energy, but otherwise pretty impressive. My mother at the time was off with my brother eating something, (G-d willing will celebrate her 80th in May).

Lots more calls and emails (thanks Rose) and we finally all made contact. Amazingling, the doctors may send him home as early as today.

Refuah Shleimah,
Alexander Ziskind ben Ginnaleh

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