Day 29 of Jim's Recovery

I don't have much new to report from yesterday. We still are not totally clear on Dad coming home on Saturday. Dad continues to progress, yet gets extremely tired. Because of this I waited to go visit Dad until after Ramie got home from school. I decided to take Dad some of the Erin's Potato Cheese soup for dinner because he hasn't been eating well. I guess today he threw up but he thinks, and the nurses think, it is due to the medicine they give him at night to help him sleep. So they are changing that prescription and hopefully he will get his appetite back.

When I got to the rehab center Dad didn't look like he was in his room. But as I opened the door I saw Dad sitting in a chair playing his guitar. I was tickled pink to see Dad playing. I sat down with my girls and we just kind of listened to Dad for a bit. Dad had no trouble playing chords or songs. He did have trouble remembering the words and he would get really frustrated. He was trying to remember the words to the Warren Zevon song he likes to play. (Apparently, I have been spelling Zevon's name wrong and no one has corrected me!) I helped Dad to remember the words to the chorus. If you give Dad a cue he can figure out the rest.

Dad then tried to remember the words to his song "Ralph and Rachel." I thought that when I saw Dad trying to sing his songs I would be sad, but I wasn't. I must know for sure that he will relearn them. In fact I'm banking on it. It's almost like Dad just has a brain fart and has to work around it! So I wasn't sad for Dad that he couldn't remember. I know Dad was very frustrated, as we all would be.

Actually, it was great that the girls were there to listen because it made Dad play some silly songs. Dad would always make up silly songs as he practiced guitar. Usually, Dad is quick witted when it comes to thinking up words to silly songs. At first he couldn't come up with many rhymes, but as he continued to practice and tried to make up songs he started coming up with more rhyming words. I don't think he noticed but I certainly did. That was my favorite part of seeing Dad play was to see how his mind was starting to flow and find the right patterns.

Dad and I didn't talk much about things. It was like the times when Dad would write songs and I would just listen. Dad and I don't feel like we have to say much or fill the silence with words. It's just a feeling of relaxation and contentment. So I just hung out with Dad, listened to him play, and watched the girls dance and be silly. Finally, I could tell Dad was getting tired and he went to lay down on the bed. As soon as Dad laid down, my little Sagey went and cuddled up into his arms. She is so much like me when I was little. I could sit in Dad's arms for hours and be content just to sit there. Well, she nestled right into her Grandpa and laid there for a few minutes. Now if you know Sage a few seconds is an accomplishment for her to hold still, so for her to hold still for longer then a minute is a miracle!

So I told the girls we needed to go and both didn't want to leave. Sagey didn't want to leave Grandpa and I was so grateful they both expressed their frustration with leaving. I felt that their reaction to leaving was so important for Dad. Ramie was such a sweetheart. When Grandpa couldn't say a word she would help him to sound it out. Or when he couldn't remember a word she wouldn't give him the word but again would sound it out with him. She was acting like a mature adult! When Dad was playing with Sage, Ramie came and sat next to me and whispered in my ear, "I really think Grandpa is doing much better. It's amazing how well he can talk. I really feel he may be able to come home this weekend." Yeah, Ramie is 5 going on 25. I just had to smile and agree with her!