Healing close to home for a Hill Country couple

Fredericksburg, Texas — Lester Meier and his wife, Holly, have gone through many shared experiences in their 26 years of marriage, but neither imagined that they would be in the hospital together.

In January 2026, Lester, 75, had gone to Methodist Hospital | Hill Country for a hip replacement. He had been receiving treatment for about a year, but the shots he had been getting for the pain were no longer working.

His wife had not been feeling well for four or five days when she took him to the hospital. As they took Lester to surgery, his wife could not make the walk down the hallway and staff offered her a wheelchair.

When Lester awakened from surgery, he asked where he could find his wife.  Hospital staff told him that she had her own room.  She had been admitted for pneumonia.

“I was in the hospital for three hours,” he said with a smile. “My wife was there for three days.”

Though the joint hospital stay was unexpected, it was a good experience for them. “Everyone at the hospital was wonderful from the minute we arrived,” he said.  “Several local girls work there.  We knew them and joking with them helped us feel comfortable.”

He said his wife received exceptional treatment, too. He added that the staff was amazing and took good care of her.