quick update

So, a bit of brass tacks for those that follow. The fact of the matter is that it is hard to find time to do this properly. Staccato info to follow...

Dave has been spending anywhere between two to five hours a day in a wheelchair. This is amazing progress as the last time he was upright was @ Good Shepherd in December.

Dave hates this. Well, to be fair, he hates all of this. Deb commented that he ripped me up for badgering him about holding his head up. As much as Dave is still in there (& he is, believe me), this type of brain injury makes Dave's emotions front and center... if only for a flash. He apparently tore Amy up pretty well a week ago, Sharon once or twice this month, I caught two myself... I think we all know this is just part of the mending; you should too.

Temper tantrums are tempered with smiles & grins, should you despair. As fast as these storms crop up, they disappear with talk of all things normal. On Tuesday we walked Dave around the property for about a half an hour. I traded out his glasses for my shades (Dave would never go outside w/out them) until we got to the end of the walk. We ran across an employee's vehicle w/ a vanity plate on the front bumper. As I swapped glasses out, I told Dave that Sharon got a new car & motioned to the plate. It took about three seconds for him to focus, read, & then grin ear to ear @ her "new tag": 'crazy b!tch'.

Sharon's not opposed; she wants one for Christmas.

On that end, Sharon has been up nights trying figure out how to get Dave home. I get to talk to her pretty much every day and I can tell you the situation's a complicated one.

Your thoughts & prayers are so important... please post if you've the time.

Baby stepping....

Steps in the right direction

I saw Dave yesterday for the first time in two weeks, and he seems stronger every time I see him. He was inPT and complaining the whole time. His speech is getting better and his voice louder and stronger. He has a long road ahead of him, but whereas in the past it seemed to be two steps forward, four steps back, we seem to be going forward all the time, even if it's slower than we'd like. Keep up the good work Dave!!



He now seems interested in the blog & hearing all your well wishes, so please keep posting words of encouragement. Also Sharon does not have internet service at this facility, so anyone who sees her regularly, and has a printer, we would appreciate a printout of this site to read to Dave.



Matt and Darren were there yesterday, Dave got mad at Matt for browbeating him and really let him have it. It was great! A special thanks to all of Sharon & Dave's friends, Aunt Kathleen keep those cards coming!



Please keep your prayers & positive wishes coming, we all appreciate them.

Dave's in LA!!

So, on behalf of the blog originators (wendy, thanks; amy, we'll see you soon; & sharon: you are not a jinx... get over it.), the updating has fallen on me. I'm sure you'll be back in the ladies' capable keystrokes soon enough, but until then, you got me.

A bunch has happened since the last post. The reason no one has posted is because it's tough to type with your fingers crossed. Dave's track record of "one step up and two steps back" is noted, but he seems to be holding his own now (knock knock).

Dave's now in beautiful downtown LA!

That's Lake Ariel, to you and me. And yes, it is a "nursing" facility, but you need to understand that while Dave is so much better than he was two months ago, he cannot endure the three hours of physical therapy a day that Good Shepherd maintains. Also, this place has PT, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy (retarded, sez Dave), and an on-staff doctor.

Lemme 'splain. PT, OT, and ST meet with Dave for an hour apiece pretty much five days a week. Speech evaluates (speech, duh) but also swallow function as well. Dave has been eating three meals a day since he arrived at Brighten, although food is either soft or ground to be soft. Sharon told me that they are going to try solid meat (steak!?) soon.

The hole from Dave's trach is all but closed; his speech is coming back really well. Dave is being patient with us when we can't understand him, and he's more understandable daily.

Sorry this post isn't longer. The progress is "baby steps" at this point, but they are all stepping the right direction for now. Dave is more aware of life as he misses it and asks about you all from time to time. We will try to keep this as up-to-date as possible; please post comments when you can.

sorry about chocolate pudding. there is something as too much of a good thing.

wendy & amy: tell jinxy it's OK.