Rant #1,710: The Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu

While my family and I were eating dinner on Saturday night, my sister texted my wife and told her that my father was in the hospital with an undisclosed ailment.

Later on that evening, the doctors there ascertained that he had pneumonia.

His temperature had risen to 103 degrees, and he was out of sorts.

He is 84 going on 85 years of age, and he is resilient and a fighter, and I know that he will come out of this OK, but right now, he is sick and in the hospital.

It took the hospital--formerly called Long Island Jewish, but I think now it is called Northwell--to get him into a room, but finally, yesterday evening, they got him into a room, where he is recuperating as we speak.

I think that if things continue to go as they are, he will probably be in the hospital for a couple of days, and then come home to further recuperate.

Getting pneumonia isn't good for anyone, but for someone of an advanced age, it is even worse.

And my father has had other health problems which compound everything.

He has a stent in his heart, and he has had various aches and pains over the years, but thank goodness, other than the heart thing, he is in relatively good shape for his age.

As many of you know, he is a New York City medallion cab driver, and still works at that job at this age. He is a hard worker, enjoys what he does, and it would be terrible if this is the warning sign that he can't do this job anymore.

It is a very strenuous job, and I would hate it if it helped bring upon his current ailment, but that is a decision that will be made another day.

I took my mom to the hospital yesterday, and my father was in pretty good spirits, although he was weak from the pneumonia. He was joking around, was only worried about who would pick up my son from work today--I will do it, adjusting my schedule at work--and he seemed to be doing better, with less temperature.

The doctors said that all his vital signs were very good. I know that in the evening, his temperature went up a little bit--which is normal, from what I was told--but right now, he appears to be resting comfortably,

I have my fingers crossed that he will be OK, and hopefully, he can come home sometime this week.

But again, he is of an advanced age, and the hospital will not release him until they are 110 percent assured that he will be fine without their care.

After that, there will be a further recuperation time and the discussion of going back to work will certainly be broached, but that is between him and my mother.

For now, just let him get better enough so having that conversation is possible. Forget about the job for now; his health is the most important thing.

I wish him well, and he will be in my thoughts today.