Dear Family and Friends,
Our dear father, David Clarke, fell this past Saturday evening and broke his left femur just below the hip joint. The staff at St. James hospital in Hornell, NY may recommend transferring him to another hospital for that surgery, but he's not a great surgical candidate, due to congestive heart failure and a murmer, so a partial hip replacement would be risky at best. We're waiting for them to perform and analyze the results of an Echo-Cardiogram (and other tests, perhaps) sometime later today, and then will probably have difficult decisions to make.
Medications for pain have left him pretty "loopy" so conversation is complicated at best, but we will be standing by with him. Some of my siblings are coming later today to join Jeanette and Ian and me in taking care of things and seeing Dad, but the future is very uncertain, and I wanted you to know. I know he counts you among the many people he loves.
Please feel free to forward this to anyone you think would like to know. I know I've left some out and that not everyone has e-mail, but I wanted to at least get this done before I head to the hospital. I'll take the computer with me and try to find somewhere to connect, but I will probably be out of touch for most of the day, since cell-phones are prohibited there, too (but I'll run out to the parking lot periodically). The telephone number at the hospital (for now) is 607 324-8957, and my cell-phone number is 607 769-0769, or at home: 607 587-8358. He's in the surgical ward on the second floor, if you come to the hospital.
Thanks to all the folks who responded on the ambulance when he fell and when he needed transferring from Jones Hospital to St. James. Thank you to all the folks who have offered help and prayers.
Doug Clarke
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