The man with 9 lives

My father-in-law came through surgery! This is excellent, heartwarming news. His doctors are stressing that the next few days are "critical" in terms of his overall prognosis. Thus one acute emotional upheaval is past, but now a slow burn begins. Please keep your positive thoughts with us!

In re-reading today's previous post on this subject, I realized that I might have painted Jim in hues that aren't quite true to the man he really is and has been throughout his life. If you at all got the sense of a frail, delicate person-- this is so wrong. If you ever met Jim, I think that "frail" and "delicate" would be two of the furthest things from your mind (and those of you that know him personally may be able to attest to this). While his health has been compromised in recent years, Jim has got to come from some of the hardiest stock on Earth. I'm not kidding. To prove this point, I wanted to write just a cursory list of what he has already survived in his 66 years of life:

1) Orphaned by biological parents before he turned three.

2) Extremely difficult childhood. I'm going to reserve details until I obtain Jim's permission to speak at will.

3) Dyslexia.

4) Stabbed in a bar fight.

5) A week in a Mexican prison (for peeing outside a bar).

6) During his gig as a penitentiary guard, broke up an inmate dispute in which the inmate attempted to use a shiv on him.

7) Heart attack in his early 50s. According to Margaret (his wife) and others, he had flatlined and was technically dead for quite some time (I have no idea how long "quite some time" might be)...and then all of the sudden, he wasn't. He lived to tell about it.

8) Quadruple bypass. Several years later, single bypass. Multiple stints, angioplasties, numerous other procedures (e.g., pacemaker and defibrillator installations).

9) Raising Paula and Jeb. No small feat-- being a parent never is. He is also a frequent caregiver to one or more of his eight grandkids. 

You  just can't make this stuff up. Well, I suppose you could, but I swear that I didn't-- these things all really happened. And this is a mere sampling of the myriad challenges and brushes with death that Jim has overcome. None of us should be surprised that he taking on cancer with both fists.

I hope to write up the story of Jim's life when he well enough to talk through it in detail. In my mind, his story is one that screams, "I am interesting! Write me down!" Jim seemed to think it was a good idea, too. :)