He went to the hospital on the 15th of December, 1885, and two days later the leg was amputated six inches from his body. Many of his friends, knowing his condition, expressed the belief that he would never come out of the hospital alive, but all went well, and on the 31st of January, 1886, he rode home from the hospital in a surrey. While lying in the hospital, Brother Briggs asked a patriarch who called to see him, if he had a blessing for him. After looking at him for some time, the patriarch said he had, and placing his hands upon the patient's head, told him not to fear, for he should get well. He also said that angels were watching over him, and that he would live to accomplish a great work in the Temple--such as he had never conceived of. For many months after Thomas returned from the hospital he experienced the sensation of pain in the missing foot. He could get no relief from it day or night, and found that it was wearing his wife out, waiting upon him. After much persuasion he induced his sons to exhume his leg, which was buried in the cemetery, straighten out the toes, which he felt must be in a cramped position, and put it in a larger box. About the time when the leg was dug up and the box opened, Thomas, though fully two miles distant, felt two sympathetic throbs in the stump of the limb, and then it turned ice cold. He remarked to his wife that they had taken the lid off the box. After the limb had been carefully wrapped in absorbent cotton and placed in a larger box, he felt very comfortable. Early in March, 1886, he received a bill from the hospital for $85.00 and one from the doctor for $100.00, but had no money with which to pay either. Besides, the Spirit told him to get an artificial leg as soon as he could, and that would cost $100.00, if paid in advance. Money was very scarce at the time, and loans hard to obtain; but after praying to the Lord to direct him where to go to get some money, he had his son take him out with a horse and buggy for the purpose of borrowing some, without having any definite idea where to go to. They had only driven a short distance when they saw some one coming towards them with a horse and buggy, and Thomas asked his son to stop his horse when they met. It proved to be Ether Coltrin, and Thomas told him he would like to borrow a little money. Brother Coltrin immediately asked if he could get along with $100.00, and was told that he could. The loan was immediately arranged for, and part of it paid to the hospital and the balance to the doctor. Thomas then appealed to the Lord to know where he could go to obtain the price of the artificial leg, and a few days later Daniel Davis came to him and said: "Thomas, if you want to get a little money, I can let you have some." When told that he needed $100.00, he said he could have it.