One week down!

Well, it's been an interesting week! I think the best way to put it, in all honesty, is to say we are "hanging in there." At least that's become our rote response when anyone asks...so don't be surprised if that's what you get too! But despite the challenges of this situation, we've decided we are in fact, doing a damn good job.

Most of the headaches of the past week actually had more to do with Dad's equipment, not actually Dad himself. A lot of things arrived late or not at all (and still have not...), are the wrong size or wrong item altogether, or were just crappy quality and don't work (ahh yes, the hospital bed with a hand crank that breaks off mid-turn...that's not frustrating at all.) And yet despite all of this, he is incredibly patient with us and he's doing really well!

Now that he's home we're able to spend a lot more time with him, obviously, and because of this we're able to see more signs of progress. When he's awake, he talks constantly. Like before it's not always clear, but it's much more often. When I put him to bed last night (naturally he was wide awake, go figure), he start counting for me! Sometimes in his speech therapy sessions we ask him to count with us to ten, so I think that's where that came from. He's also starting to move his right arm voluntarily, outside of the posturing tone. Prior to this he wasn't moving any of his limbs voluntarily. He also makes appropriate faces in response to the conversation around him and answers yes/no questions more often. I've probably said this about a thousand times over the past 3 months, but I'll say it again...slowly but surely we're getting somewhere.

I don't know if I mentioned in my last update that they took Dad's trach out before he was discharged and it's healing beautifully (still looks a little funky to me, but Mom claims it's healing "beautifully," so we'll go with that). The fact that his lungs, not to mention all the rest, have recovered so rapidly from such a devastating assault reminds me how well he's doing, and that every bit of effort that Mom and I are putting into taking care of him is toward the goal of his full recovery, not just keeping him comfortable.

Thanks for the love and support over the past week...much needed and appreciated. Goodnight!