Dad's latest hospital visit

Hello Family,

As you all know Dad has been in the VA hospital out on Elmendorf AFB lately. He has been receiving visitors from our family in such a steady stream that the guard at the Boniface Gate doesn't even need to ask who we are there to see; she just smiles and shakes her head. He is improving day by day. If you didn't know, he had contracted a staph infection in his left eye which somehow spread throughout his face and down his neck. At first the doctors thought is was cellulitis due to a bad tooth, and removed a rotten tooth on his upper left jaw. When the swelling didn't go down they began to talk about performing surgery on his left ear, but I don't know what they were intending to remove. Before that happened, however, the tests from the lab came back confirming that staph bacteria was causing the infection, so they began a course of antibiotics that is having a very positive effect.

These pictures were taken at his request on Friday April 19th. He just wanted to document the condition of his eye before the swelling completely went away. It was much worse even a day earlier.




I have not spoken with him today, but I heard that he was moved to a new room that is more private than the four-person room he was in before. The phone number to call is (907) 580-1997 if you want to talk with him. He is in good spirits but does get bored laying there day after day.


That's all for now. I will update you a little later on his progress.


Jed