Day 30 and 31 of Jim's Recovery

I apologize to those of you who are avid readers of this blog for not posting yesterday. This weekend is very somber for us as we mourn our beloved cousin Brian and our dear friend Brittany. I know that I am not required to do this and I know that you folks don't mind if I miss a day, but I feel like I am letting everyone down if I don't send you just a little information. I feel it is so terribly important to keep our friends and loved ones informed because life is so precious and you all love Dad so very much. In this crazy world we all have to knit together and stay close.

I was up late last night practicing songs with the BCC choir for Brittany's funeral tomorrow on Saturday. Today I have been at my cousin Bri's funeral. You know since this awful tragedy happened to Dad people have told us how much they admire us as a family because we are so close. Well, I admire my Aunt Jan and Uncle Dan, my wonderful cousins Courtney, Jordan, and Chelsea and Brian's wife, Collette. I could not believe how strong they were today. Where people should have been consoling them, they were consoling others. What a strong, loving family.

Dad was able to go to the funeral today. I am so thankful for this. I was so glad Dad could say goodbye to Brian and give his love to everyone. Dad was so happy to see everyone. As we drove through Salt Lake on our way to the funeral Dad said that everything looked different. He explained it kind of like the home sick feeling one gets when you look at something you have driven by a million times but actually see it for the first time. You notice things you never noticed before or see a house that you never paid attention to before. Dad was the same when he saw our cousins. It was like Dad knew who they were and remembered them, but was seeing them for the first time. It was almost like Dad had pictures in his head of how he remembered our cousins and it didn't match with what they looked like today. Dad's face lit up each time our cousins came to talk to him.

We were able to take Dad home today, which was more somber then happy. I am so glad Dad is home but am a little worried. Seeing Dad react to the funeral today made me more worried. Yes, I do think Dad is getting better, but now I totally understand why head trauma patients go up and down in their progress to get better. It's like a broken bone in a cast, once you take the cast off you can't go running around the block. You have to slowly make that leg stronger. You can stand or walk for awhile but you have to eventually sit down. Well, Dad's brain is doing the same thing, it still is working on healing itself but the brain is running all the time. Dad just can't say "Oh I need to sit down" and this will rest his brain. No the brain is still processing everything around him. So as I watched Dad through the funeral, he was sitting down, but all of a sudden he would lean forward as if he was falling asleep. We had to take Dad home early because he was beginning to slur his words even though he said he was fine and wanted to stay.

So with Dad going home it will be great because we can help him and he can have things and people around him that will help him to regain his memory. But he is going to be one stubborn donkey when it comes to trying to make him relax. We have to make him take a nap every hour if at all possible. But knowing Dad he is going to see things around the house that need to be done and try to do them. So I have a feeling Dad is going to be taking a large step backwards here shortly because he wont take the rest he needs.

Because Dad still needs rest we are asking that you e-mail Mom or myself before you go visit. Please don't just drop by it will be too hard for Mom and we aren't sure of Dad's rigorous physical therapy schedule yet. Please let us know when you would like to stop by a few days in advance. This will help us to be able to even out the times and keep Dad from getting too inundated with visitors at one time. I know it is so hard to wait and Dad is a million times better then what he was a week ago, but it is so difficult to understand a head trauma and what that person needs. So we are taking things slowly and following orders from doctors and physical therapists. Keep reading and keep Dad in your prayers and by all means please be patient with us.