Well Geez Dad, it's about time!

Dad woke up!

This morning I drove back to Reno. As I was checking into the hotel, I got a phone message from Kathy, which went something like, "Sara, this is Kathleen, I'm on my way up to Tahoe to get Gene's hearing aids and glasses, and I have wonderful news - your dad was awake for a solid hour while I was there this morning! He knew who I was, he wanted to know where he was, and he had so many smiles: when I told him you were on your way, when I told him I loved him, when I told him about all of the people who were asking about him and thinking of him, when I told him that Jana and Brian had been here. He even mouthed the word 'wow.'"

I sprinted up to my room, threw my stuff down, and made a beeline for the hospital. Sure enough, when I walked in, dad gave me a big smile. He grabbed my hand and brought it to his mouth to kiss it. When I told him he was in the hospital, he gave me a "what am I, some kind of idiot?" eye roll. Through an elaborate series of charades (he still has the ventilator going, and speech therapy hasn't yet come to evaluate him and give him a speaking valve, so he can't talk yet) I determined that he: (1) did not want water, (2) wanted his wrist restraints off, (3) was not particularly excited that his birthday was tomorrow, (4) wanted to leave the hospital for a warm sandy beach where one might find tan girls in bikinis, and (4) needed to go to the bathroom and could I get the nurse because he did not need my help with that thankyouverymuch.

I suppose there's more to say, but I'm so happy about this sudden turn of events that I can't really think of anything else. So I'll try to post again later tonight.

And hey, thanks for those positive thoughts, good vibes, prayers, buddhist meditations, wiccan chants, etc. It looks like they're doing the job!