Are you tired of hexagons, or of EPP in general? I recently started a Passacaglia quilt from Willyne Hammerstein's first book. I'm having a great time!
If you're just tired of EPP, maybe try some appliqué? I'm not ready for hand appliqué, but I've been working on a McKenna Ryan fusible project, and cutting out the shapes after applying the fusible web can take ages.
Embroidery is another nice option. A redwork or bluework project is very portable, since you only have to bring one shade of thread.
I hope your dad is okay. That's a tough surgery, with a long recovery, but worth it in the long run.