Day 26 of Jim's Recovery

Today we had a huge step for Dad. Tonight Dad was able to attend our Ecumenical Program that was held at the Grace Baptist Church in Bountiful. Every year several different religious organizations from around Davis County get together and put on a program to ring in the Christmas season. Dad has been involved in singing in this program with the Bountiful Community Church for the past 2 years. As Dad began to remember more and more and was able to express himself better, he has been asking us if he could go. We weren't sure until today that we should take him. I know Dad is healing quickly but he did have a head trauma and we don't just want to throw him into the thick of things. Well, all week Dad has been telling us he wants to go but that he can't sing. So we decided to try it.

I played my flute in the program and was so excited to have Dad there. I couldn't sit down and kept pacing until he arrived. Then when Mom and I got him out of the car we were concerned about the stairs. Dad got irritated at us and told us we were treating him like a cripple. I said "Dad, if you could have seen yourself two weeks ago, you would understand why we are so paranoid." Dad had absolutely no trouble with the stairs and in fact lifted his walker almost above his head as he went up them. Smart butt!

Everyone who knew Dad that attended, were thrilled to see Dad. Dad did surprisingly well, considering this was his first time out of the hospital and rehab facility. He seemed to remember everyone that came up and said hi. He couldn't quite remember names but was very excited to see our BCC choir group. It was a little sad to see the program because we had originally put Dad as our program director and accompanist. I did send an e-mail to have them change his name but apparently they didn't, so Dad's name was still on the program.

When our group went up Dad did get a little emotional. You could see it in his eyes. But every time I looked at him while playing he was bobbing his head to the music and cheering us on. It would not have been the same if Dad had missed the program. At the end of the program all the groups go to the front for a finale song and the audience sings along. Our group decided to hang back and as the audience sang Dad was singing along with us. This is so fabulous because he has been having trouble remembering songs. Dad gets extremely frustrated because he can't remember the words to his own songs that he has written. So to hear Dad remembering words to "Silent Night" makes me very hopeful that his own songs will soon follow.

Dad was able to sit through the entire program which was an hour and a half. After the program was over he told us how well we did and how much he enjoyed our choice of songs. He also told us Monday he is going to speak to his doctor about leaving the rehab facility. He told us he does not need to be there any longer. Which obviously he doesn't. I hate red tape. I hope that we can get through all the red tape on Monday and get him home.

I think the more Dad has contact with the things he did prior to the accident the quicker his memory will come back. Hopefully his humor will return soon also because he can be pretty ornery. He gets so mad at himself for not being able to remember words correctly or names. He also gets mad when we try to help him even when he does truly need help.

Oh, and I almost forgot. Yesterday I took some cards to Dad and he was able to read some words off of them. I was totally thrown back because earlier that day he had tried to play Scrabble and couldn't play. So perhaps just putting the words together is difficult to remember but once the words are in front of him he can read them. It was awesome to hear him try to read.