He had more facial misfortune last month while fixing my car. It has needed a new oil pan for over two years, but I am too cheap to fork out money for anything unless it is totally broken. My car still ran and wasn't leaking oil until very recently, so I didn't worry about it. It was, of course, WAY too expensive to take it in to be fixed so my dad helped me find a part at an import store and Alberto, who works with my dad, and his brother (a mechanic) were going to fix it for me. I'm upstairs this particular Saturday, getting ready for a date. Which these days seems like a rare occurance. I come downstairs to find my dad on the couch, and not doing so hot. Uncle Fred, Kathy, Stacey, and Tyler were there. Dad was out working on the car, figuring he would just do it since he couldn't get in touch with the guys who were going to fix it, and it came off the jack. As best as we can figure, the socket wrench came down and hit him in the eye socket. Fred and his family live next door, and were outside to hear dad yell and they came to help. He was able to pull himself out from under the car, and mom (the super-nurse) cleaned him up and tried to assess the damage. She took him to the emergency room, where they gave him stitches and did a scan to find that he had broken the lower bone in the orbit of his eye.
He had surgery the next week, and they put a metal plate in the eye socket where the bone was broken. I will put a picture of the surgery, but it is not for the faint of heart. The dark hole is where the bone was broken, and you are looking down into his sinuses. Pretty cool picture, yes?
Through all of this, never a word of complaint from my dad. It has been a rough recovery, and I think it still hurts even though he pretends like it doesn't. That is one thing I admire about my dad- he doesn't complain. Ever. I wish that I were more like him in many ways. I am very blessed to have him as my dad- he is the best!
