A Tentative Update and Forceful Thanks

This will be brief as I don't want to muddy anything with emotional meandering.

Your thanks, via your comments, emails and attendance surpassed anything I had imagined might happen when I pressed publish. Eight days have passed and while we hear utterings like, "out of the woods" and "recovery," there is still worry.

Dennis—dad, husband, son, uncle, friend, has been hearing your comments and, as I am told by his daughter Erin, has smiled at the notion of a post about him. The idea of that smile and of something other than the color of the walls and the sterility of the environment to talk about, makes me feel as if together we accomplished something.

As for concrete things to update, Dennis was extubated late last week and is able to breathe on his own. He took a hell of a beating from the truck and has had significant pain to cope with, one part of which is a kind of damage to his leg that has had specialists scratching their heads, weighing whether to operate or not.

Friday night they finally arrived at the decision to operate. He was transferred, via ambulance, nearly two hours to the hospital with the most qualified orthopedic trauma surgeon. We have no date for surgery, nor a solid timeline to recovery, but we do have this;

Dennis.

We also have specialists joining the circle of people hoping, wishing and praying for his return to health. So on the eve of a New Year and what I hope will be the start of renewed health for Dennis, I thank you— we thank you. Your words, your visits and your emails have simply meant the world.

My hope will be to publish photos here later to share with you the image of a beaming Dennis as he walks his Erie down the aisle.