4/04/09 -- Roast Beef and the Final Four

Today I saw Dad for the first time in ten days.  There is a lot to report, so this post will probably be longer and maybe a bit more clinical that usual.

The good news is that most of the news is good.  The progress that has occurred in most aspects of Dad's rehab during the last week and a half is remarkable.  This is nowhere more evident than in his voice.  In my post dated March 25th, I wrote that "the cadence of his speech and the timbre of his voice still betray the effects of the stroke . . ."  That is no longer the case.  About 95% of the time, there is no real suggestion of the stroke in his voice.  It is clear and strong, and sounds strikingly normal.

Dad's mind, likewise, is sharp.  His memory seems almost entirely intact, and he is very aware of current events.  His attention span and focus, while not perfect, have definitely improved. During my visit, Dad and I watched the first game of the NCAA Final Four, in which Michigan State defeated UConn.  We kept up a running conversation on all sorts of subjects (for example, I learned the origin of the nickname "Chuck") while at the same time Dad remained aware of what was going on with the game.   All in all, pretty impressive.

Perhaps the most profound change is that Dad is now receiving almost all of his nourishment and medication orally.  Tonight for dinner he had roast beef, vegetables, a roll and pie.  For someone who only a week ago could barely manage to swallow a little bit of liquid, this is amazing.  (Dad says, by the way, that the food at Sheltering Arms is "pretty good.")

Dad's attitude is also pretty good.  He seemed upbeat and energetic, which frankly I find amazing given what he has endured this past two months.  (Is it really possible that it's only been two months?)  His sense of humor is intact and, happily, the easy smile we all remember has returned.

On the physical side, things are more of a mixed bag.  On the plus side, the dexterity in Dad's left arm and hand, which were very affected by the stroke, is much improved.  This was particularly apparent when he took his medication.  He used his left hand to pick up each pill and put it in his mouth, while at the same time holding a cup of water in his right hand.  This is solid progress.

On the other hand, significant challenges remain.  Dad's strength is starting to return, but progress in that regard has been excruciatingly slow.  While he is working hard in rehab, he remains weak and is dependent on the staff for most everyday tasks.  His left arm and hand, while much improved, are still a long way from what they were before the stroke.  We all remain optimistic that there will be continued physical improvement, but it is impossible to know how fast and how far.  Where Dad goes from here very much depends on the answers to those questions.

    

3/31/09 -- Sausage and Eggs for Breakfast

Dad had sausage and eggs for breakfast today.   It is hard to overstate the significance of this seemingly little thing; it is a true milestone in his recovery.   He is now receiving about half of his nourishment the good old fashioned way -- he's eating it.  This is exceptionally good news, and we are all thrilled.

While I have not gotten a detailed report on the results of the meeting of Dad's therapy team, I understand that in general his rehab is progressing well on pretty much all fronts.  While Dad still has a good way to go, we will hopefully continue to see this kind of progress.   So, everyone, as Matt and Anne encouraged in their posts last night, knock wood, keep your fingers crossed, rub the rabbits foot and if you happen to find the random four-leaf clover, well, you may want to enclose it in your next "get well" card. 

The Post You've All Been Waiting For. Matt's First!!!

Just kidding about the title, but this is my first posting for a very good reason. I didn't want to jinx dad. I know that sounds superstitious... and it is. And yes I'm knocking on wood now as I type this. However, I witnessed two events today that made me feel it was worth breaking a couple mirrors to share with everyone who has been following this blog.

As everyone is aware, mom has been a bit under the weather for the past several days and has not seen dad since last Wednesday. While that may not seem like much to you and me, to mom and dad it must be like an eternity. I can't recall in my lifetime the two of them ever being separated for more than a few hours; maybe a day if dad were gone on one of his school conference trips to Wintergreen Resort. Since retirement, the most time they've been apart would be when mom would skip church or dad would go to Hot Springs to work out. I've always been envious that two people could spend that much time together and yet still seem to miss one another when they were apart for just a short while. Anyway, back to today's events. I left work today about 5:00 and went to see dad before going to pick mom up. When I walked into dad's room I was met with a big grin; a "hello son"; and a "guess what I get to do tomorrow? I get to eat my first real !" That's the most excited I've seen my father since all of this began. He then proceeded to tell me that his speech therapist says he is doing great and she is fixing him some type of hamburger dish tomorrow. He then started telling about three stories that she read to him and he had to answer questions pertaining to each story. He said he got every question correct. Dad said the speech therapist thinks his mental awareness has definitely improved over the past few days... namely since his blood transfusion. Lets all keep praying for his improvement.

I told dad I had to leave but if mom was up to it I would bring her back to see him. I didn't think I could see dad anymore excited then I did when he told me about getting to eat tomorrow. Well I was wrong. When dad saw mom walk through that door after not seeing her for the better part of a week, he looked like I always imagined the coyote would have if he had ever caught the road runner... grinning from ear to ear and trying to hold back tears all at the same time. I just told mom I'd be back in a while and shut the door, leaving the two of them to their reunion. As my kids would say, "that was one of the coolest things I've ever seen."

I'll let everyone know how the meal goes tomorrow. We should also be receiving dad's team report around the same time. Lets all keep our fingers crossed till then. Good Luck Dad!!!

He's on a roll----at last (hopefully) knock on wood and if God willing

Do you ever have the feeling if you say something positive you will jinx it? Well, this is where I am right now. My father is a wonderful Christian man, but this does not stop him from being one of the most superstitious people I know. If you have ever seen my father spill salt and have to throw it over his shoulder or walk across the street to avoid a black cat you would understand. This is how I feel now. I feel as if I should be knocking on wood and rubbing a rabbit's foot along with my prayers. My father has actually had several good days in a row--especially today. He was read three stories and remembered all of the details (way to go with the attention span), physical therapy is going well and he gets to eat a small meal tomorrow. Dad is proud of himself as we all are. I am just a little afraid to say anything, I might jinx it and he will start going down the roller coaster again. I know in my heart God understands and probably gets a laugh at me going through my den knocking on all my wood paneled walls.

3/28/09 to 3/29/09 -- A quiet weekend

I'm spending the weekend at home in Massachusetts celebrating my wife's birthday, so this post is courtesy primarily of daily e-mail updates from my brother Matt.  Matt has been truly doing yeoman work these last couple weeks; despite being very busy at work and at home, he has been shuttling back and forth to Sheltering Arms to visit Dad multiple times a day.  He and his family are also hosting Mom when she is in Richmond.  We are extremely fortunate to have him on the scene.

It has been a fairly quiet weekend for Dad, which I think we all agree is a good thing.  Matt reports that Dad seems to have more energy since the transfusion.  Because it's a weekend, Dad's rehab schedule has been light and there haven't been any new reports on how his rehab is progressing.  We should hear more on Tuesday.