This morning dad was in a new room — a six-bed room, and he is in bed 4. He was tired, but there were these small moments that felt really significant.
The nurses helped him brush his teeth and rinse with mouthwash — something that sounds simple, but you could tell it meant a lot to him. Those small dignities matter when you’re in a hospital bed.
He’s resting more and more, which is expected, but hearing him snore this morning was oddly comforting. A reminder that his body is doing what it needs to do.
At one point in conversation he looked at me and said, “I will advocate for you — will you advocate for me?” Without hesitation, I told him, “Yes, I will, Dad.” That one stayed with me.
A nurse from the neurological ICU unit stopped by just to check on him — not because she had to, just because she wanted to see how he was doing. That kind of care doesn’t go unnoticed.
Physical therapy came in the early afternoon, which is a good sign. Progress, even if slow.
The highlight of the afternoon was watching my stepmom, Jeanie, with him. She started singing and snapping to an old jazz song, and dad was right there with her — snapping his fingers, swinging his arm, bebopping to the groove. Present, engaged, smiling. Those are the moments you hold onto.
Jason Hammack
One response to “Day 6 Update: The Moments You Hold Onto — Small Dignities and Jazz Grooves”
Jennifer Fields
So glad he is in the step down unit and continuing to make improvements a little at a time!! Love it. We are all continuing to lift Uncle Leon in prayer for a full recovery!!❤️. Love to all of you. . Jennifer
Not every day has big milestones, and that’s okay.
Today was a quieter one. Dad looked good when we arrived, but you could tell the last few days were starting to mount. He was tired more often and wanted to rest more, which makes complete sense. The work of recovery is real, and his body is letting him know it. When he talks, you can tell that the act of getting his thoughts from his head to his mouth takes real effort — it’s exhausting work. But he is saying more words, and the nurses and doctors keep noting how motivated he is. That spirit is showing up in the room, and everyone seems to notice it.
One moment that pretty much captured the whole day — he told his wife, “I love you” this morning, which was sweet and wonderful. Then the doctor came in for rounds and Dad, apparently feeling generous with his affections, told him, “I love you,” too. You could tell it caught the doctor completely off guard — but he didn’t miss a beat. “I love you too, bro.” Just like that, the clinical veneer dropped, and you got to see the real person behind the white coat. It was genuinely funny and one of those unexpected little gifts that makes a hard day a little lighter.
He had a small breakfast in the morning, which ended up pushing back a procedure that was needed — an endoscopy to get a closer look at his heart and valve. A bit of a communication mix-up, but it’ll happen when it’s time. A PICC line was also placed today, which will help with ongoing care and medication management.
On the planning side, a representative from a rehab center came by to walk us through options for the next step in his recovery. It’s encouraging that the team is already thinking ahead about what comes after the ICU.
The cardiology piece is still moving more slowly than the rest of the team would like, but the pressure is being applied, and we’re hopeful that it gets resolved soon.
Dad had a steady stream of family visits today, and it was a good day to just be together — even if he was tired.
Jason Hammack
6 responses to “Day 5 Update: A Quieter Day”
Barry Davis
We friends of Leon from Eastern and United Airlines are thinking of you and family. Wings level friend.
It started on a good note — dad ate breakfast on his own. A banana, half a buckwheat pancake, a bite of scrambled eggs, and a lot of water. After where we were just a few days ago, that felt significant.
The doctor came in midday and gave us the most detailed picture yet. Dad experienced two types of strokes — an ischemic stroke, where a blood clot blocks blood flow to the brain, and a hemorrhagic stroke, where a blood vessel ruptures and bleeds into the brain. There are areas affected in both the left and right hemispheres. Two of the impacted areas are vision and the connection between understanding speech and actually producing it, which explains what we’ve been witnessing. He clearly knows what he wants to say; the pathway to getting it out is just disrupted right now. Vision is another area that the stroke has affected. He can see, but things may not be as sharp or clear as they were before — at least for now. The doctors are continuing to monitor these areas as he recovers. They’re still working to get an echocardiogram done — an internal look at the heart and its valves — which should give them more insight. Despite all of that, the doctor was genuinely hopeful and optimistic, and they’re planning to move Dad out of the ICU soon.
The afternoon brought two firsts. While the family had stepped away, thinking he was resting, Dad got his first session with a physical therapist. They got him up on his feet, and his very first steps were straight to the urinal — honestly, a completely perfect first destination. And today he also met with his speech therapist for the first time — early results were described as very promising.
There’s still work being done on the cardiology side — the team is working to get the right person involved to keep the ball moving forward.
Today felt like the day things started moving in a more structured, intentional direction. The care team is engaged, the specialists are showing up, and dad keeps finding ways to surprise us.
Jason Hammack
8 responses to “Day 4 Update: Therapists, Doctors, and a Breakfast Win”
Daphne
Jason,
Thank you for the update.
Leon, I’m sending you hugs and much love. Many prayers!!!
This sounds really encouraging, Jason! It also sounds like you have a great medical team supporting him. You are the son that every dad hopes to have! May the progress continue to unfold. Linda
Thank You Linda, the Fresno CRMC medical team on the 10th floor has been truely amazing, I have been impressed over and over agian. He is in great hands, super conforting for our family
Leon, you were always good at working the system, if this is just an effort to get a good long rest, there must have been a better way???? Good luck with your recovery.
All My Best
Wendy Ogden
The breathing tube came out. He was intubated Sunday evening after arriving at the hospital, so it’s been nearly two days — having it gone felt like a real turning point. Along with it, they stopped the blood pressure medication — his body is regulating on its own now, which the team took as a very good sign.
For a couple of hours after the tube came out, he had to stay quiet and rest his throat. But once the physician’s assistant started talking with him and encouraging him to respond, we heard it — his voice. Raspy and working hard, but there. He said our names. He knew who we were. Jeremy, Jeannie, me — he got us all.
He’s clearly in there. You can see it in his eyes when he’s reaching for a word — he knows the answer, the path to it is just longer right now. Some things come out, some don’t yet. His writing is still a work in progress, too (we had a good laugh about what may or may not have been Egyptian calligraphy on the notepad). His eyesight still seems a little foggy, which might be contributing to some of that.
The evening ended on a sweet note — Jeremy and Hannah got to help feed him his first real meal. He’s still working on coordination, but he ate. And he let them take care of him, which felt like its own kind of gift.
He also finally got his MRI done today, which should give the doctors a much clearer picture of what happened and what comes next.
All in all — another day of real, meaningful progress. We’re moving in the right direction.
Monday brought a more hopeful feeling to the room.
When family came to visit, he was responsive — recognizing everyone who walked in, nodding yes and no to questions, and even managing a smile despite the breathing tube still being in place. Those small moments meant everything.
The medical team placed a central line tonight to help manage his blood pressure, keeping things stable as his body continues to work through this.
It’s still early, and there are plenty of small steps ahead. But today felt like a turning point in how we’re all feeling — cautiously hopeful and encouraged by what we saw.
Here it is just days before Christmas and New Year’s Eve and I have myself looking back over my shoulder at the events of 2022.
The first seven months of 2022 was rugged, extremely trying, and taught me many lessons about humans, family, as well as the importance of character and integrity!
This year has also taught me the importance of the people that you surround yourself with for this journey called “life”.
(Jason Christopher Hammack at about 5 or 6 months old)
On November 25, 1973 at Desert Samaritan Hospital in Mesa, Az, this little guy came into this world and was about to change my life FOREVER! Little did I know that EVERYTHING in my life was about to change and never again be like it once was. I was about to embark on fatherhood and on the ride of a lifetime.
For the first twenty three years or so our relationship was rocky as some parental relationships go. He was ALWAYS going to do whatever he wanted and he was going to do it HIS way! My son was a very independent, and many times defiant teenager and young adult. To use the term “trying” would be a gross understatement in defining our relationship! My first born tried me in every single way possible, and in many ways that were seemed to be impossible!
You know there is a saying that goes something like this. “God watches over fools and drunks.” Well I found out that he watches over more people than fools and drunks! Because God was watching over two individuals that didn’t necessarily fit either of those two categories, Boyd Leon Hammack and Jason Christopher Hammack! On second thought maybe we were both fools!
But somewhere around Jason’s 23rd birthday a light switch flipped! He changed overnight! Suddenly up was up and down was down again, day was light and night was dark! Suddenly logic prevailed in his illogical world!
For the next eleven years our relationship was much better that it was, however deep down inside I knew that there was still much more in our relationship that needed tending to if we were going to have a great relationship.
Then the other shoe dropped in the fall of 2007.
One afternoon I got a call from Jason and he wanted to meet for lunch………. just me and Jason. After I hung up the phone I got an ugly knot deep in the bottom of my stomach and I began to think that this “luncheon date” is going to hurt!!!!!! I must have ran a hundred scenarios through my brain in order to prepare myself for this impending discussion.
Well that agreed upon date and time rolled around and I crawled into my car and drove to the agreed upon restaurant. I really don’t fear a lot of things, but on this particular day and time I was so fearful that I can’t even remember much about the drive to the restaurant.
Once I arrived at the restaurant Jason was already there, which is totally not Jason!!! He is usually UNFASHIONABLY late to everything……alway has been and always will be, that is just Jason!!! We quickly greeted each other, ordered up our meals and then “the dreaded Father-Son talk” began. He said that he had some things that he “needed” to tell me and asked me to just listen to him. I agreed to his wishes and added that when he was done will he listen to what I had to say as well? He agreed so now the ground rules were set!
I won’t devulge the content of our conversation, I think that it is called “executive privilege”! LOL! But to say that what Jason had to tell me was eye opening would be a gross understatement. I had made a commitment to keep my mouth shut, not to interrupt, not to justify my behavior, and to take to heart everything that he was going to tell me, as difficult as that may be. Well, let me tell you I thought that I had put on my “big boy panties”, but boy was I wrong!
During that afternoon I learned a lot abut myself that I didn’t know before! I also shed quite few tears during that fateful “father-son come to Jesus meeting”! But that lunch date with Jason was an extremely important and pivotal point in our relationship. Even though it hurt my pride, my ego, my manhood, and my heart, it was without a doubt one of the single most important days in my 70 years! However, I don’t think my heart could take another one of those days again!
From that day forward our relationship, this father-son thing, has grown immeasurably and the bond is solid!
I will say one thing. The rollercoaster ride that I mentioned at the start of this article, forty eight years later, if the truth be knownst, still continues on a much different path, but in way that is absolutely extremely gratifying to this old man!
Jason, it has been a grand old ride with you!
You have made me a very proud dad!
So today I want to wish my first born, Jason Christopher Hammack, a happy 48th birthday!!!!
For the last twenty-two months I have been rebuilding my my self, both mentally and physically! As most of you all know I had open heart surgery back on December 17, 2019. That day, that single seven hour event, has completely reshaped ol Captain Blowdri! The rebuilding, the reshaping, the wholly introspective personal inventory, has been unequivocally cathartic!
As the days turned into weeks and the weeks have turned into months, there has been a rejuvenation of heart and brain, as well as a renewed view and appreciation for life in general. Now don’t get ol Captain Blowdri wrong, there has not been a completely earth shaking “Kum-By-Yah” life change moment, however, there has been some gradual evolvements in attitude! No, I haven’t just completely become passive and offer up the other cheek, but I have opened up my eyes to the realities of relationships and life in general!
I suggest that we all look for that key ring that hold the keys to our hearts and maybe it is time to unlock that bad boy and live whatever life we all have left to its fullest! However, it will come with a huge risk to our psyche and our very prized and delicate hearts. But I submit to you that it will be extremely rewarding!
Try it! You just might like!
This goes out to the wild cards and all of the wild hearts just like mine!!!
Now listen Has anyone ever told you You’ll never amount to anything You’re just wasting your time Chasing the tail-of-a-dragon kind of dream But I’m here to tell you Anything can happen in this life If you got the heart and the passion And a God lit fire inside This goes out to the drifters And all of the dreamers ready to fly All those born to be rock stars Lifting their guitars and painting the sky Can you hear me, all of you lost ones? Who aren’t really lost ones Keep shining your light This goes out to the wild cards And all of the wild hearts just like mine
This photo of my dad, Archie, yours truly, and my first born son, Jason Christopher Hammack was taken in August 1974 out front of the house that I was living in during US Air Force Undergraduate Pilot Training at Williams AFB, AZ. I had flown my dad down to “Willy” for the formal function known as the “Dining In”. It was a formal function for all of the students and their fathers to celebrate our impending Pilot Training graduation. Therein lies the answer as to why I am wearing my formal attire known as my Mess Dress. For those that knew my Dad this will also answer the question you have been asking yourself, why is ol Arch is wearing a suit? LOL!
After doing some math in public in regards to this photo, I was a young very energetic 23 year old 2Lt. Stud Muffin. Doing that same math my Dad was 62 years, just 8 years younger than I am at this writing. And my now nearly 48 year old son was approximately 9 months old.
My how the time rockets by in a flash!
I had just finished my syllabus with the Northrup T-38 Talon, a supersonic fighter/trainer, and was feeling “ten feet tall and bulletproof”. I completed UPT high enough in my pilot training class standings to be able to get my first choice of aircraft and base. After initial training at Altus. AFB, OK, I was on my way to Travis AFB, CA to fly the C-141A Starlifter! Travis AFB is right off of I-80, about halfway between SF and Sacramento, CA.
In 1980 I got hired by Eastern Airlines and domiciled in the Big Apple, New York City. Sometime during the summer of 1980 I brought my Mom and Dad out to New York City, and I decided to be their tour guide. I showed them all around NYC culminating in a Broadway Show. I couldn’t get tickets to a New York Yankee game while they were there. It would have been really cool to take Pop to Yankee /Red Sox game, but it was all sold out!!
So the show I took them to see was P. T. Barnum. The look on my parent’s faces when we got into our seats at the theater was “priceless”! They were getting ready to see a Broadway Show in NYC!!! WOW, wow, wow! That is another story that will be for another post.
The next day I rounded up my folks, we got onboard the Eastern Shuttle B-727, and headed down to Washington, DC for more “tourista” stuff! I took them on the tour of the US Capitol Bldg. where my Mom took the photo of me and Dad above.
After we toured the Capitol Bldg., including where the joint houses meet for the State of The Union Address, we sauntered down the mall to the Smithsonian Aviation and Space Museum, where we spent the rest of the afternoon. My parents never forgot this venture for the rest of their lives. They would always reference this trip and state just how much fun that they both had!
Forty one years ago I really didn’t think that this was a really big deal. But in 2021 I realize just how big of a deal it really was for them, and for me as well! Sometimes we fail to recognize that some of the little things in life really turn out to be the big things in life!!!
Pop this is your Captain speaking:
A million times we looked for you
a million times we cried.
If love alone would have saved you
you never would have died.
In life we loved you dearly,
in death we love you still.
In our hearts you hold a special
place no one could ever fill.
If tears could build a stairway
and a broken heart a lane,
We would gladly walk to heaven
and bring you home again!
Pop, I never got to tell you thank you.
Thank you for teaching me the value of honor, dignity, and integrity in being a man.
I can’t believe that my Mom has been gone for nine years! It truly seems like just last week that I produced this video below, with the help of my son Jason, for her “Celebration of Life”.
Mothers are faithful companions and confidants even in the most difficult times. Mothers dedicate their lives to caring and providing for their children both physically and emotionally. They always seem to know how to help them to overcome problems and thrive in spite of them. A mother’s love is irreplaceable, which makes losing her to death an incredibly painful experience. While sons and daughters of all ages carry within their hearts a dull and lasting ache where they once felt love and security, it is important they continue searching for the happiness their mother always desired for them.
The following poem sums up my feelings on this ninth anniversary of my Mother’s passing.
If Roses Grow in Heaven By Dolores M. Garcia
If roses grow in heaven, Lord please pick a bunch for me, Place them in my Mother’s arms and tell her they’re from me.
Tell her I love her and miss her, and when she turns to smile, place a kiss upon her cheek and hold her for awhile.
Because remembering her is easy, I do it every day, but there’s an ache within my heart that will never go away!
TIL WE MEET ON THE OTHER SIDE, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A HOLE IN MY HEART!
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