The weekend....

I didn't spend the morning with my dad on Friday.  My mom took the day off so that she could see what his days were like.  She spent the entire day with him.  I made plans with Vanessa to make sushi.  I had a taste for her sushi. What I find kind of interesting is that according to facebook, two years ago around this same time I had posted on her facebook that I had a taste for her sushi. Maybe its a seasonal thing. We still went up to see dad just before heading out to pick Seth up. He had already had quite a bit of therapy and it was only 2 in the afternoon. 

Saturday I slept in.  I don't know what it is but for some reason I sleep really good from 7 in the morning until about ten. The boys are usually up by 6:30 regardless of what day it is. Dennis tends to them and lets me rest.  We made some breakfast and then headed up to see dad.  He was sitting up, had already had some physical therapy and my grandparents had already come. My grandpa shaved for him again.  He has always felt better without all the facial hair. When we got there Mr and Mrs. Hathaway were visiting.  They are my parents neighbors and my dad always says that Mr. Hathaway is the mayor of Forest Blvd and that if you wanted to know what is going on, he is the neighbor to talk to.  Dad always said between Mr. Hathaway and me and him we have the best neighborhood watch! It was nice that they came up to see my dad.  I look forward to the day that we go outside to look for him and find him sitting across the street talking to Mr. Hathaway again!

After they left it was about time for my dads lunch group. When mom and dad went to that we went to pick up some lunch for my mom and a milkshake for my dad.  We got back in time for her to eat and him to have a sweet treat before it was time for physical therapy. I loved watching my husband help my dad with his chocolate milkshake and loved how he took care of him. My grandfather said something this week that really stopped me in my tracks and make me appreciate even more what my husband does. He told me that he was happy that I was a stay at home mom and able to be there for my dad during the days and how different it would be if I wasn't a stay at home mom.  For that I have my husband to thank.  He puts up with a lot of crap at work and he doesn't really like working there but he keeps working hard for us.  I am grateful for that. I am grateful for him. He also topped off the fluids in my dads truck that Vanessa has been driving.  I think it is kind of neat how we all find a way to help each other during this time. My mom thinks so many people are picking up her loose ends, when really we all have just found our own way to help out. 

 During physical therapy he had another long time friend come to visit.  He always had a lot of respect for Mr. Haynes. My dad played softball on the church team for a number of years. They were there for some of his physical therapy and also walked with us out to the healing gardens.  Sometimes my dad looks so discouraged.  It is heart breaking.  He has already come so far, and I know that there will be more progress. 

Sunday we had a slow start to the day.  I made my dad some Hershey's chocolate pudding and had heated up some leftover beef stew that I made last night to take to my dad.  He has not had much of an appetite and hasn't been eating much.  He has been drinking an Ensure with every meal but any solid foods he just would turn down.  When we got there today he was just getting back from his lunch group.  When I showed him the beef stew he took the spoon to eat some! He said carrot when I put a carrot on the spoon.  He didn't eat much of the meat but he did eat the carrots and potatoes.  I have been told this is the first food he has eaten since being at Brooks.  He also ate some of the pudding.  We went for a walk down to the recreational therapy room and watched the boys play Foosball and air hockey.  After that we went for a walk back out to the healing gardens, only this time the boys had brought some golf clubs and plastic golf balls.  My dad was following the ball but seemed very discouraged when it came to trying to hit the ball. 

When we got back up to his room my mom was working with him and the exercises he can practice when he is not in therapy.  It is amazing to see how much more movement there is in his right leg.  To think that for, I think my mom said, 9 days his leg did not move at all.  Then when we got it moving, It was us showing him that his toes still moved and we would get movement in his toes.  Today he can move his foot up and down similar to pushing the gas pedal. You can also see the muscles in his leg working.  It is amazing.  To see this and remember the doctor who said he would probably never walk again.  In this picture his using his left arm to lift his right arm. Even doing that is sending signals to his brain that his right arm is still there.  There were a few times today I saw the muscles in his upper arm trying to work to move his arm.  I am confident he will get use back of his right side. He also greeted each of us today by saying, "hi" followed by our name. 

Looking forward to hanging out with my dad tomorrow and witnessing just how amazing our God is as I accompany him to his therapy sessions. I was encouraged by this today - and since I am writing these blogs for my dad to read at a later date, I am including it.  At times my dad is very sad and very discouraged.  They tell us that is 'normal' after a stroke, but it breaks my heart. From Randy Alcorn's, "If God is Good"---"In your moment of crisis, when you are suffering most, he cares about you in particular.  The Shepherd goes after the one lamb who's most in need. Sometimes God intervenes by removing our suffering.  Often he comforts us in our suffering. We are quick to say that God is good when the test results are negative or we survive an accident, but even if we are faced with great trials and suffering, God is still good."

"God is good even when we can't see it."

I love my dad so much!