Thanks Inky and Bethany, for your replies.

@Inky: I am not religious, so I don’t pray, but thank you for sharing your experience. He will definitely have surgery, the question is just what kind of surgery. I hope it will the smaller one and a fusion won’t be necessary.

@Bethany: I am attached to my father because he really is an awesome person 😉 Kind and caring, intelligent and creative with a great sense of humor. But most of all, I really need his positive way of looking at things. He is my rock in a way.
(Contrary to popular believe, the guys I have been with or I fall for are not like my father at all, by the way.)
I have a big circle of friends and a few really close female friends who I can share a lot of problems with and who I really trust – but
some things, I’d rather not tell them. There are of course also things I’d rather tell my friends and not my parents/father.
But as far as talking about my moods or my emotional stabiliy or instability, I ‘d rather keep this in my family.
So he gives me some perspective when I get too dramatic, some lightheartedness when I get too heavy, some optimism when I need it etc.
I don’t know anyone else who can talk so much sense in such a positive way.
And I don’t know how I can do this for myself.

I also don’t know if it would help if I had a relationship. My experience with guys isn’t the best. Nothing horrible or abusive, but
I tend to fall for the guys that aren’t exactly keepers, or I am not just interested enough in a relationship myself.

Long story short: I know I am (overtly?) attached to my parents. Then again, I got lucky. They are two good people and I really want them to be well and enjoy the time while I still have them.