All of this makes sense, if you think about it. There doesn't seem to be much research about the use of Facebook or Twitter in a hospital setting, but there's plenty of evidence that the more friends and family a person has--and the stronger those relationships are--the easier it is for them to heal.

I confess that I've had a love-hate relationship with online social networks, disdaining both the noise and the perpetual class reunion that makes it difficult for anybody to leave behind the baggage of an old life and start fresh. When I entered the hospital, though, I needed that class reunion to sustain me. And it was nearly as meaningful to me as if everybody had gotten on a plane, flown to Philadelphia, and come for a visit.

We hear a lot about how social networking relationships aren't "real," how they rip at the fabric of society, how everything's going to hell. Maybe that's true. All I know is that when I entered the hospital, Facebook and Twitter kept me supplied with love and good feelings that made it easier to bounce back from major surgery. I'm happier--and maybe a little healthier--as a result.