God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.

I've been trying to give advice to far away family members, perhaps more direct than most. To my at-risk father: "Your job is to get this thing and get over it, because it is like a tsunami that will wash back and forth across the country for years and those who carry it to you are blameless and human. You need to prepare to 'expectorate' like you have never done before, chest horizontal and head down over a plastic bin, coughing up and spitting out completely in one go, then coming up to breathe. Bringing a bit up at a time and swallowing it like people often do may not save your life, and may even claim the lives of others who are not mentally preparing themselves to do what I am suggesting. Plan to do it alone, no nurses or family or friends near at hand because it will likely happen when you are alone... it is like looking at churning waters and preparing for a shock, to swim, rise to the surface and survive."