Day 20 of Jim's Recovery

Another amazing day (do I say this on every blog post because it feels like every day is another amazing day!) Today Dad was able to swallow and not choke. Apparently the speech therapist came in this morning to work with Dad and had him try swallowing some apple juice, which Dad was able to do without coughing. This is the first time Dad has been able to do this. Then they started trying other things. Dad had some applesauce, water and a couple bites of a sandwich. Can you imagine how good that applesauce must have tasted? To not taste food for three weeks? Mmmmm, makes me want to go have some applesauce. Dad was funny because I promised him that as soon as he could swallow I would buy him a coke! I don't know if he asked or Mom and Erin remember that I had said that because they got Dad a coke this morning. Albeit the crazy ladies bought him diet, nasty! Who in their right mind buys diet coke? And why torture someone who hasn't had a coke in three weeks with drinking diet? GET THE MAN A CHERRY COKE, for heavens sake!

When I got there in the afternoon, he was working with the physical therapist. She had him put on his shoes and walk to the bathroom. She was going to have him walk further but his right ankle is bothering him. We have x-rayed the foot and were told there are no fractures. Dad also gets gout this time of year but apparently that comes with swelling. I have crappy ankles too and I think it's just gimpy ankles. Dad says that it doesn't feel like gout so we don't know what is going on. It really bothered him today. So we had to put him back in bed.

Dad was even more alert, if you can believe it. He was talking and trying to remember names. He remembers people but has a hard time with names. I brought my littlest, Sage, with me today and Dad asked me where my other one was. He tried to remember her name but couldn't. The good thing though is that he remembered I had another child. I told him her name is Ramie and she was at school. He repeated her name over and over trying to memorize it. Then he tried to say Kindergarten and it seemed like he couldn't believe that Ramie was that old. Who knows what age he remembers her at. Then he asked for the name of my three year old. I told him Sage and he just smiled at her.

Then, and this is the best part of the whole day, Dad started asking me for something. He kept saying the number 7 and then tried to explain something to me. I didn't understand. I thought he was trying to tell me an address. He said no. Then he said something that sounded like pencil. Sage had brought some markers and paper so I handed Dad the pad of paper. Dad drew a number 7 then he drew a bottle around it. I asked "Dad do you want a 7up?" He said "yeah" very enthusiastically. Mom and I were thrilled and we gave him a high five. He then wrote the word "up" on the bottle he had drawn. Of course I ran off down the hall to the soda machine to get him a 7up, but they only had sprite. Big deal, I got him the sprite and he took a huge swig and said "ahhhhh!" Again, can you imagine how refreshing that must have tasted. I bet that was the best sprite he will ever have. Perhaps he will be hooked on sprite now instead of coke!

While I was grabbing Dad's sprite he kept drawing on the pad of paper. Now for those of you who know Dad well he is a doodler. He draws cartoonish characters but they all have a similar look to them. Well, Dad drew a typical Dad doodle face. This is what I have been waiting for him to do. I knew that we would know for sure that Dad was truly coming back if and when he could draw those again! I was so happy to see that face when I got back. Now we just have to take him his guitar!

The occupational therapist came later in the afternoon and apparently she is what Mom would call "folky." This is fabulous for Dad. She had Dad try to sing some songs and he did fairly good Mom says. Mike told me this afternoon that last night him and Becky (his wife) played some music for Dad and he was taping his foot to the beat. Hey, perhaps this head injury will help Dad keep the beat now! Mike also said Dad asked for his guitar and was playing some air guitar. Crazy amazing is all I have to say!

Unfortunately, I do have some sad news, nothing about Dad though, just about visiting hours. We have had a lot of you e-mail to ask when you might be able to visit Dad and we thought at first that he could have visitors. We were told, however, by his physical therapist that it would be best to wait perhaps one more week before we have an onslaught of visitors. She told us that along with stimulation it is very important for Dad to get plenty of rest. So we have to leave the room for 15 min. at the end of each hour to let his brain relax. Even with us in the room his mind is being stimulated even if we think he is asleep or not paying attention. So hang in there friends. Perhaps with the way he is progressing he will be home sooner then later and then it will be really easy for you to visit. Also we think that Dad gets really embarrassed because he can't talk right.

Thanks again everyone.