I've been out of town for a few days.  I had to leave, much to my regret, the day after my Dad's surgery.  I called home every night... and the news I got on Friday was the sweetest words I'd heard in a long time.

No pain.  None.  Zero.

Understand, I'd spent the day there on Wednesday, watching him deal with pre-surgery pain levels (on the famous 0-10 scale hospitals use nowadays) of a constant 6-7, with frequent spikes up to 8 DESPITE the gnarly pain medications he was taking in. He made the decision to go into the procedure with a spinal block instead of general anesthesia, a braver man than me.  The procedure itself went well on the technical side, it would have to be a matter of days or weeks to see how well it heals.  When I left Wednesday night, he was fixated on the clock, counting every eight minutes between allowable doses of pain medication.  Thursday at least, was much better, with a "constant" pain rating closer to 3, with spikes less frequent towards 5.

To hear he had zero pain by the weekend was worth doing the happy dance for, right there in public.  He's now checked into the physical therapy wing of the hospital, where his "job" 8 hours a day is nothing but PT in one form or another.  Rehabilitation, training, ideas on how to live a life without a foot, suggestions on things as mundane and overlooked as furniture arrangements to the obvious connections on prosthetic and medical manufacturers.

Thanks everyone, for all the good thoughts and prayers sent his way. :)