Paul's Update - 07/30/06

Dear Friends:

Saturday started out OK. Dad, Tabby, Max & Paul headed off to Starbucks. This is usually a good outing for Paul. Since the new wheelchair has arrived the transportation is a bit complicated once again. Dad has ordered a trailer hitch for the rack to be put on the van. Until it comes Dad has it attached to his truck. That means that Tabby has to drive Paul & Max in the van and Dad has to follow with the wheelchair. This chair is more comfortable for Paul but it is a monster! It is bigger & heavier than the other wheelchair so it is hard to maneuver around the house. Tabby is thinking about putting a recliner in the bedroom for Paul to sit in since it is hard to move around in the room. Paul continues his stubborn streak. He has taken to crossing his arms in defiance when he decides he doesn't want to do something. Tabby & Audrey tried to exercise Paul's arms but he didn't cooperate. It appears that he may be a bit depressed. Sunday Tabby, Paul & Max came to Sunday School and Church with us. He enjoys being in worship and enjoys the music. When we got home after church it turned into a quiet day. Paul was tired and rested most of the day. Tabby went over to the neighbors house to help with a deck that they are building. It is actually good therapy for Tabby! Having Paul be so disagreeable has been difficult for Tabby (as well as the rest of us!). Max stayed home with Aunt Carolyn & Grandma. Dad & Audrey took care of Paul. Tonight Dad & Tabby had a talk with Paul to encourage him to keep trying. It appears that he feels that he will not get better. It is almost time for the blood tests again. It would be nice if we could start decreasing the Depacote that Paul is taking. Hopefully he will feel better when we can do that.

Have a great day! Lynne & Carl

P.S. Here are a few new photos. Enjoy!

Paul's Update - 07/28/06

Dear Friends:

Thursday was a quiet day. Paul is having more trouble walking. We aren't sure why. We met with the representative from Brain Injury Services. She gave us some information on where Tabby can call to find out about some "extra" things Paul may be eligible for since he is on Medicaid. Paul was outside for quite a bit today. When Dad arrived this morning Dora & Tabby were struggling with Paul to get his toothbrush out of his mouth. He was fighting with them!! Dad was able to get him to open his mouth. Dora gave him some water to rinse his mouth out. He did that and then Dad gave Paul his coffee. He took a sip and held it in his mouth. He was still mad at Tabby. Tabby told him to swallow his coffee and he shook his head "no". She told him again and he looked over at her and spit his coffee out. Most of it landed on him ... but Tabby was pretty mad at him and scolded him. It is hard to keep your cool and remember that this is all part of the injury! Dad took Paul outside this morning. It was a pretty nice day. It was only 90 instead of 98 ... whew! Tabby trying to exercise Paul's arms. He was still being stubborn and every time Tabby would start to lift his right arm he would use his left hand to catch his right arm and pull it back down. She wasn't able to exercise him much. Then they took Paul out back and put a quilt on the ground since we don't have an exercise mat yet. They got him to bend his knees and kneeled down on the quilt. He kneeled for a few minutes then they rolled him on his side and let him rest for a bit. Dad exercised his arms some more which he didn't like but he let Dad do. He worked a bit doing sit ups with some assistance. Tabby also stretched out his back muscles. Once he was in a sitting position they let him sit on the quilt "indian style". He was able to hold himself in that position by holding onto his legs!! They got him into a position to sit on his legs for a short while. Paul's new wheelchair came. It is pretty nice and Paul seems to like it. It is slightly bigger (actually wider) than the other wheelchair. It is challenging to get into Paul's bedroom since it rubs against the wall and the door on the way in. He sat up in it quite a bit today. Tabby went to the Freedom Center tonight to find out about using the pool for some of Paul's therapy. They have wheelchairs designed for the pool and a ramp that goes into the pool. Paul was more angry today than he has been. He wouldn't even let Dora put some cream on his face. Dad asked Paul if he was upset about his situation and he nodded "yes". Dad told him about man that recovered from a coma after being mostly vegetative for almost 20 years. He told Paul that we believe he will recover from this and he nodded "yes". When Dad said he believed that Paul would be able to speak again, Paul shook his head "no". How frustrating for all of us ... I'm sure he would love to tell us all the things he feels! Tomorrow will be Starbucks day. He really enjoys that outing!

Have a great weekend, Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 07/26/06

Dear Friends:

Tabby & Paul slept in this morning. Dad took care of Max so Tabby could sleep in. Dad got Paul up and dressed about 11am and everyone took a road trip to our house. Tabby went and got Mexican food ... tacos, taco burgers & chips for lunch. Then apparently Dad & Tabby had been conspiring to come to our house and start the rehab process for my kitchen. This is a project that was suppose to happen in March and got delayed because of Paul's accident. They proceeded to tear down a wall in the kitchen that separated what use to be a laundry room from the kitchen. We added a room onto the house last year that now serves as the laundry room so this rehabilitation will increase the size of my kitchen to twice the size it is now. Dora watched Paul and Auntie Carolyn was watching Max when I arrived home. Since the kitchen was in shambles ... it was apparent that we were going to eat out tonight. We were able to go out with our friends Bill & Ronda ... along with Tabby, Paul & Max. Just as we were getting ready to go out for dinner we got a call from Bobby. He got home safe and had a great time in Myrtle Beach. I guess he did some work while he was there ... Ha! Ha! Tabby was relieved to have him home tonight. We got a call from the insurance company today and they said that Paul's custom made wheelchair is ready for delivery. They plan to deliver on Friday. Thursday we have an appointment with someone from Brain Injury Services. They are following up on our progress and checking to see if they can help us in any way. Dad thinks it is a good idea to find out if they can suggest ways to prevent losing our therapists. Paul was walking better today. It was also a day that Paul had 600mg of Dilantin. He gets only 400mg tonight so we will see how he does tomorrow. He was pretty tired tonight by the time we got back to his house. Tabby got a call from a friend today who's father had an aneurism and suffered severe brain injury. Please pray for Sarah and her family.

Have a great day! Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 07/25/06

Dear Friends:

Today was a pretty quiet day. Paul was pretty tired most of the day so Dad & Tabby let him rest. He was having trouble walking so Dad assisted a bit more today. However, Paul was able to put his shorts on this morning without any help. He lifted one leg up and put it in the leg of the shorts then pulled the other leg and put it in the shorts ... he managed to put both legs in the same pants leg though. After making some adjustment he was able to get the second leg out and put it in the right pants leg. He then proceeded to "scoot" his shorts up his legs and over his bottom and pull them up around his waist with his left hand. Dad did have to help make a little adjustment to them but he actually did most of the work by himself! I wish the occupational therapist had been there to see it!! I think the therapists are going to be surprised to see his progress when they return ... which should be next week. Dad & Tabby were talking today and surmised that it is possible that Paul was more tired today because he had less medicine in him today and therefore was not as clear minded. They are going to watch for the next couple of days since we are alternating the Dilantin amounts 600mg one day and 400mg the next. If they notice a pattern they will call the neurologist and see what he thinks. It is also very possible that he just was worn out from so much activity the last two days. Dad & Tabby are going to be really glad to have Bobby back. It seems that even when we don't see him....at least we know he's nearby ... and when he isn't we really miss him! The word is he will be home sometime on Wednesday! Pray for safe travels for him and Lawrence (his transportation and best friend!).

Love & Hugs, Lynne & Carl

Here is a Power Point presentation that a dear friend put together for a benefit motorcycle ride where the proceeds will go to Paul and Tabby (and of course Max).

Paul's Update - 07/24/06

Dear Friends:

Our progress continues ... today was another great day! Paul was sitting on the swing with Tabby this morning. It was a beautiful day. Tabby had Max outside with them. She took a picture with her cell phone and handed Paul the phone to see it. He took the phone and held it up to his hear and said "Hello"!! Tabby & Dora were so surprised!! This is another new word for Paul. Nobody was on the phone so he put the phone down. Tabby got Dad to call him from inside the house. When the phone rang she answered it and gave the phone to Paul and said "it's for you". He took the phone and said "hello" but didn't hear anybody so he went to put it back down and Dad said "Paul" so he put the phone back up to his ear and Dad said "do you want ketchup on your hotdog?". Paul said "yeah". Dad then asked "do you want relish too?" and Paul said "OK". When Dad said "bye" Paul turned off the phone and put it down! It was a great event. Later this evening Tabby took a washcloth and balled it up and tossed it to Paul. He couldn't catch it but when she said "throw it to me" he reached his arm slowly up over his head and pitched it to her!! He did that a couple of times. Then she tried a rubber ball but he had trouble with that. He could grab it but he couldn't throw it. She found a small football and tossed it to him. It hit him and fell on his right side onto the bed. He took his right hand and stretched his arm almost straight out and handed it back to her. He is doing more gripping with his right hand. We are so encouraged by his use of that hand. The doctor called tonight to see how he is doing with the medicine increase. Dad told him about the things Paul is doing. He was very encouraged by the improvements. Tonight Dad had Paul get back in bed by himself when they returned from the bathroom. Then he pushed himself up to the top of the bed with Dad's assistance. Tonight Tabby tried to get Paul to answer the phone when she called but he had trouble getting the button pushed to answer it. This will take a bit more practice. Tonight before we left Dad & Tabby had Paul try to get out of bed by himself. He positioned himself, got to the edge of the bed (after much struggle), he used his arm to steady himself and used his stomach muscles to pull himself to a sitting position, then put his feet on the floor. Tabby got him to lean forward and he stood up all by himself ... then walked to the bathroom. It was exhausting just watching him ... whew! Dad & Tabby are very patient and persistent! Paul seems like he really WANTS to work hard. Needless to say ... this makes us want to continue to work hard with Paul. So many good things are happening ... I don't even mention most of the time. Most of them seem small but they are so wonderful to see. He problem solves and tries to do things that are normal to you and me. What a blessing!!!

Have a great day! Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 07/23/06

Dear Friends:

What a great weekend Paul has had. He is so alert and has done so many wonderful things. Saturday night (late) according to Tabby & Carolyn ... he said "Mom & Momma". We got a call at 11:30pm to tell us the exciting news. Last week was difficult emotionally ... this was a gift that we needed!! This was even after having the 600mg of Dilantin! Sunday was worship for all of us. Dad got up and went to Paul's first thing in the morning. Then came home to go out to breakfast as we normally do on Sunday with Bill & Ronda. After breakfast Dad went back to get everyone up and ready for church. Paul arrived at church right at 11am. When Dad & Tabby were getting Paul out of the van they had lowered the chairlift with Paul in it to the ground then they went to get the wheelchair out of the back of the van. Paul proceeded to stand up all by himself. Luckily they saw him do it and were able to prevent him from falling!! We had a wonderful worship time. I believe Paul especially enjoyed the music! This was Max's first outing to church. Our St. Mark's family got a chance to meet the newest member of our family! This afternoon Billy did a BBQ at Paul's house. We had hotdogs, bratwurst & burgers. We all sat outside since it was a beautiful day. Paul enjoyed being outside and even after going inside to the bathroom he wanted to come back outside. Dad was able to get Paul to walk just holding his hands again today. He needs lots of practice with balance but he walks without Dad holding him up. It is a miracle to see! He is using his hand motions to communicate a little more. Tonight we dragged out some old family movies that we had. It was fun to watch them and we got to see Paul and hear his voice in some of it. We miss the sound of his voice. Tabby misses having Bobby in the house. Dad stayed overnight so that Tabby won't worry and she can get some sleep. Like I've said before ... our family has been so blessed. God has given us the things we need when we needed them the most. I've known from the beginning of this ordeal that God loves Paul even more than we do and he is healing him a little each day. His love for us is apparent when we see the miracles that are happening in Paul's life.

Have a blessed day! Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 07/22/06

Dear Friends:

Dad arrived around 7am. Paul was feeling pretty good. Today was Starbucks day. He always enjoys that. Audrey wasn't going to be there until 3pm. Paul stood up from his bed by himself today. He hasn't done that since before the last seizure. He also walked just holding Dad's hands while Dad was in front of him to catch him when he would start to lose his balance. He did this several times today and his balance got better each time. Tabby & Audrey even did this while Dad was gone today. He stood up from the toilet by holding Dad's hands. He even squeezed Dad's hand with his right hand in order to have a good grip to pull himself to a standing position!! We are excited to see his strength come back a little. Later Tabby gave Paul the toilet paper roll in his left hand he threw it on the floor. She gave it to him again and he threw it down again. She tore a bit and balled it up and gave it to him ... he threw it. She balled it up and gave it to him in his right hand and he took his thumb and flicked it out of his hand. As funny as this is he actually used his right thumb for the first time since the accident. He has been opening his right fingers a bit but this is the first he's used his right thumb. He also held a Nutrigrain bar in his right hand today and put it to his mouth then took a bite then used his left hand to pull it up some to be able to eat more. What great progress!! Dad said he believes that today is the best day Paul has had so far. Paul said "hey" to Dad today. Last night when Audrey left he said "bye". Tonight is the first night with the increased Dilantin. He had 600mg tonight and he will have 400mg tomorrow night. I pray that this will not stunt his progress. He was pretty tired after getting meds tonight. Tabby spent the first night alone in the house with Paul and Max on Friday night. She was a bit nervous since nobody was around to rely on if there was an emergency. Carolyn & Alysa will stay over tonight and keep her company. Carolyn, Alysa, Billy & Jen (Bobby's girlfriend) came over today to stay and help with Paul until Audrey came. Sunday everyone will be in church together ... except Bobby since he is out of town. It will be nice to have our family in worship together. We have much to praise God for!

Blessings, Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 07/21/06

Dear Friends:

Paul & Tabby slept in again this morning. Max is up a lot during the night. It seems he has his days and nights a bit confused. Paul was up around 7am and Dad gave him his medicines about 8:30am. Once he was up and out of bed he watched some TV. He had macaroni & cheese for lunch. It is one of his favorite things! This afternoon they all took a trip to the Mall. Dad took the cushion off the wheelchair and pushed the foot pedals off to the side. He "walked" with his feet from Sears to the GNC store which is about a hundred feet or so. He got hung up on the walls a couple times. He had to figure out how to get out of the jam. Tabby kept encouraging him ... he would shake his head "no" and Tabby would say "come on ... you can do it". Dad wanted to help but Tabby kept saying "no ... he can do it". He finally did do it. After he got to GNC they went to the food court and had dinner before they came back. Then he started where he left of ... at GNC and came back to the Sears shoe department which is about 150 feet from GNC. He is using lots of muscles these days. Tabby is quite a drill sergeant. He really responds to her even when he doesn't really want to do something. Tonight Tabby got a call from the neurologist. He is still not satisfied with the Dilantin level in Paul's blood. He wants to increase the medicine to one day at 400mg and the next day 600mg before we make any reductions to the Depakote. His trough level this time was 9 and the doctor wants that level to be 15. Saturday will be the first day of the increase. Then we wait another 10 days before another blood test. Bobby is gone this weekend ... he has a cab convention to attend in Myrtle Beach. He plans to visit with Aunt Ann & Nana Richard while he is there. Audrey will be coming late on Saturday so Dad will need to stick close to home. A starbucks trip may be in order for Saturday morning!

Have a great day! Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 07/20/06

Dear Friends:

Paul went to the clinic this morning to get his blood drawn. The nurse had a lot of trouble getting a good vein to draw from. Afterwards they made a stop at McDonalds for breakfast. Tabby got Paul into the shower before lunch. He enjoys his shower! After lunch he spent some time watching TV and resting. Dad got him up a lot to go to the bathroom. It is good walking. Around 5pm tonight Dad worked with Paul to practice standing up at the walker. Dad had him do that several times. He needs to practice getting his balance. Once he was tired and didn't want to do that anymore Dad took the seat cushion from the wheelchair and had Paul "walk" around the kitchen & dining area. He did that for about 10 minutes. He did pretty good with that. It is a small area and he was able to maneuver it around the cabinets. If he got up against something that trapped the wheelchair he would move the opposite direction and get around it. Later Dad worked on stretching his arms and turning his palms up to put small items in his hand. He has a little trouble with that. Dad tried giving him money to hold in his hand. He held his pinky finger tight to his hand so he could hold the coins. He was able to give them back to Dad all at once and one at a time but when Dad asked him to give back just the quarter he had some trouble with that. Dad got him back in bed prior to leaving for bible study. He had been up quite a bit today. Tabby said last night Paul was up until 2am. He was very alert. She worked with him to write letters on paper and draw. She tried to get him to write his name. He tried real hard and you could tell he was writing letters. He also put the marker in his teeth and tried to write with his teeth ... we aren't sure what that was all about!! LOL Tabby went out with Max this afternoon so that Tai's coworkers could see the baby. She also went to GNC (the folks that fixed the van after she bought it). Evidently they are looking for a new receptionist but Dad wasn't sure that she applied for it. The search continues!

Have a great day TGIF, Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 07/19/06

Dear Friends:

Dad arrived today and everyone was still sleeping. They didn't get up until after 9am. The pastor came by and visited. She prayed with him and he closed his eyes during the prayer. After lunch Dad, Tabby, Max, Audrey & Paul took a trip to the Harley Dealership. It's been a while since they were there last. He enjoyed seeing his coworkers and looking at the new bikes. Everyone was pleased to see the baby ... they had been hoping Tabby would bring him sometime soon. Paul had more trouble walking today. He was pretty tired and rested a lot. No therapists came today. He spent most of the evening watching TV. The night nurse was back. She is feeling better. Today was her graduation day. She passed her certification test. Tabby plans to do job hunting tomorrow. She has gotten a couple leads for jobs ... hopefully one of them will work out. Paul needs to go and have more blood testing for the medicine levels. They will do that either Thursday or Friday. He has been on the 1500mg Depacote and 400mg of Dilantin for more than ten days now. Once he does the blood tests we will wait a week for results and then hopefully we will be able to decrease the Depacote by 250mg. Then we wait another ten days before we repeat this process. At this pace it will take quite a while to reduce the Depacote but it will be worth the wait as long as Paul stays stable and has no seizures. He has been pretty stable since the last seizure but we are not seeing a lot of improvements either. When we look backwards we see that he has improved a lot but it is so hard to see day to day since it happens in such small increments. I'm grateful that God continues to heal him. Thank you for your continued support and prayers. It is a great comfort to all of us!

Love, Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 07/18/06

Dear Friends:

Paul had a pretty good day. The speech therapist was back. She worked with him to say sounds. She asked him to say "my" again. He said a clear "hi" when she came in. She asked if she could work with him and he shook his head "no". She asked "just a little?" and he nodded "yes". She stretched his face a bit. Then she had a book that had the words yes and no on opposite pages. She asked him to point to "yes" and he did it. Then she asked him to point to "no" but he pointed to "yes". She said "no ... that is "no" I want you to point to "yes" and then he did it. Then she pointed to Dad and said "is that Tabby?" and he shook his head "no". Then she pointed to Tabby and said "is that Tabby?" and he nodded "yes". I think he actually enjoys working with her. She is getting ready to go on another trip and plans to put Paul on "medical hold". From what we can understand this is better than discontinuing his therapy. She can say that he is on hold while we get his medicines straight and it doesn't jeopardize her being able to come back to him or lose the Medicaid coverage for the therapy. Once she comes back if we have Paul's medicines reduced and he is doing well she will start back up where she left off. I'm not crazy about losing two more weeks of therapy but we don't want to lose her either. She is planning to come back later this week ... I'm not sure when she starts her trip. Paul was pretty tired today and rested a lot. He only got up a couple times. Dad said that this afternoon he tried to push himself to a standing position with both arms. He couldn't do it but it is encouraging that he wanted to try! This afternoon Paul grabbed Tabby's cigarette pack that was laying on the table. There was only one in the pack. He actually opened the pack, took out the cigarette and put it in his lips like he was going to smoke it! Tabby grabbed it and said ... "no ... you quit smoking!". Now she has to keep the cigarettes away from him!! LOL Tabby went to a job fair for Comcast Cable today. Unfortunately they only want to pay $11/hr AND they want her to be available to work ANY shift ... DAY or NIGHT! She told them "no". The night nurse was sick today so she didn't come. Hopefully she will be better quickly. Tonight I went out with Brenda & Ronda. We stopped by the house on the way back to visit with Paul. Brenda hadn't seen Max yet so it was an opportunity for her to see him too. It was a good time to stop in ... Tabby was ready for relief so she could do some dishes!! Of course we don't mind helping out (that means ... HOLDING THE BABY!!). Paul & Dad watched Caddy Shack tonight ... which is a favorite movie in our family! Dad came home late tonight because Paul was still up at 10pm. He wouldn't let Dad get him ready for bed! He and Max were still up when Dad left. Maybe they will both sleep through the night for Tabby!!

Have a great day! Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 07/17/06

Dear Friends:

Today started a bit early for Paul. He had to go to the Gastroenterologist first thing this morning. The doctor said he is doing fine. This is a follow-up from when the feeding tube was removed. Paul has gained a bit of weight which the doctor said we need to watch. Otherwise he was fine and doesn't need to see this doctor again unless there is a problem. While he was waiting he seemed unhappy about being there. He was sitting in the waiting room and had his left leg crossed over his right knee. He started to doze off and his leg fell off of his knee. He woke up and looked up with a grin. The look on his face was priceless! Dad said he seemed like he was going to break out into laughter. Dad and Tabby of course were laughing. It was a funny moment. We would so much enjoy seeing him laugh ... this was pretty close. We see very little facial expression but when we do it says a lot! Once Paul was back home and back in bed Tabby and Dad both had errands to run. Dora stayed with Paul while they were gone. They didn't get back until after 3pm. The evening was pretty quiet. Dad & Tabby decided to do Tacos for dinner. It was 100 degrees outside today so Paul wasn't able to spend any time outside. The speech therapist called and plans to come on Tuesday morning. Tabby has more errands to run on Tuesday and is going to a job fair for Comcast Cable. She is currently doing searches for a new job as she has been laid off and will no longer receive disability payments as of the 23rd. Please pray that she gets a job soon!!

Love & Hugs, Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 07/16/06

Dear Friends:

Today was a pretty quiet day. Paul was pretty responsive again today. Although he says "no" a lot he seems to know what he wants and doesn't want most of the time. The speech therapist was suppose to come this morning but she called and said she had pink eye and couldn't come. She may come on Tuesday if she is better. Dad & I went out to lunch this afternoon after church. We didn't get to Paul's house until 4pm. Most everyone was outside when we got there but Paul and Tabby were taking a nap. Audrey was there and she was watching Max. She is very good with him. Once Paul & Tabby were up they came outside. Paul went with Dad to help Billy & Mike work on Mike's girlfriend's car. He seemed very interested in watching them work on the car. Dad asked Paul if he wanted to help ... he shook his head "no". You know ... he only works on motorcycles ... not cars!! Then Dad asked Paul if he thought Billy & Mike knew what they were doing and he shook his head "no"!! LOL After the car was fixed he came over and sat on the front patio and visited with the rest of us. Dad put him in the swing with Tabby. He enjoys sitting in the swing. Tabby laid down across the swing and put her head in Paul's lap. He looked down at her and watched her intently. She closed her eyes to rest a bit and he tenderly put his hand on her head and began to stroke her hair. It was a wonderful thing to witness. He is so gentle with Tabby and Max. It is so obvious that he loves them very much. Some things don't need words!! He sat there for about two hours before he wanted to go inside. For dinner he had a ham sandwich from Subway and he did pretty good with it. At 9pm Dad asked him if he was ready to get in bed and he said "no". He sat up until close to 10pm. That's pretty late since he has been getting ready for bed by 9pm most nights. Monday is another doctor visit. This is just a follow-up visit to the Gastroenterologist. Paul should have another blood test this week to determine the levels of the meds in his blood. Then we wait a week to get results before we can start reducing the Depacote again. He seems to be doing lots better since the seizure. Hopefully he will continue to do good enough to reduce this medicine.

Love & Hugs, Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 07/15/06

Dear Friends:

Dad didn't go over until after 10:30am this morning. When dad arrived Paul and Tabby were sleeping. He decided to go to yard sales today to see if he could find a floor exercise cycle that Paul could sit in his wheelchair and exercise his legs. He wasn't successful but we will keep looking. When Dad came back he got Paul up and dressed. He sat up for a bit to watch some TV. They watched Men in Black. They had started it last night but didn't finish it because Paul fell asleep. He seemed to really enjoy it. Tonight we all went out to dinner. Carolyn's birthday was this week and dinner out is a tradition with us. We all went (including Audrey, the nurse) to Sakura Japanese Steak house. We had a great dinner and even though Paul said he didn't enjoy his food ... he ate almost all of his dinner and drank three ice teas!! He is saying no to almost everything lately. Earlier today Tabby asked Paul if she could have a kiss and he said "no". She asked if he would give her a hug, he said "no". She asked if he loved her, he said "no". Then she asked "does 2+2 equal 4?" and he said "no"! At least he is consistent!! He actually gave her a kiss anyway ... so all was good! Sunday the speech therapist is suppose to come at 9:45am. She is back from her vacation and we are ready for her to be back on the job! We've missed her! This weekend the nursing schedule is a bit mixed up. Usually Dora only works during the week but she will come around 10am on Sunday so that Audrey (the weekend nurse) can go and take her test for certification as a nurse aid. She has been working only on the weekends because she has been going to school during the week. She's a good aid and we pray that she will pass the certification. She will come and work the afternoon & evening after the test. Sunday should be a quiet day of rest!

Have a blessed day! Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 07/14/06

Dear Friends:

Paul had a pretty good day today. He went outside for a bit this morning. After coming back in Steve (occupational therapy) came by. He was planning to come early next week before he goes away for two weeks. He has Air Force Reserve duty that he needs to report for on Sunday and he wanted to get in another day of therapy before he left. He worked Paul's arms a bit before moving to the kitchen to stand up at the sink. Dad encouraged Steve to let Paul stand up by himself. Paul reached up and grabbed the sink and pulled himself up to a standing position. He stood there for a little bit before sitting back down. He rested for a bit and then was able to grab the sink and stand up a second time! Dad & Steve helped him stand up a third time. He immediately sat back down after the third time and wouldn't even try for a fourth. Everyone was very pleased that he was able to do that much. He doesn't have good balance yet but he is pretty strong. His chewing and swallowing gets a little better each day! Paul was able to hold and feed Max today. He enjoys his son! Aunt Shirley, Uncle Wally and Great Grandma Johnson came by today to visit Paul. They went out to dinner at Ruby Tuesday's after visiting for a bit. Tabby & Bobby were out shopping so they met them at the restaurant. They hadn't seen Max yet so this was a nice opportunity to see him. Tonight Tabby went out with Bobby & his girlfriend to do Karaoke. This is something that all the kids did often before the accident. It will be nice when Paul is able to go with them again!! Dad, Audrey & I stayed with Paul & Max for the evening. Audrey does "double duty" with Max when he cries!! She is a blessing to have around! Tabby talked to Social Security today and it looks like she will receive an extra $600 a month for herself and Max. It doesn't seem like a lot but it will surely help! I was looking at the calendar today and realized that today marks the 36th week since the accident ... 252 days! The doctor this week said that we will probably look back in December and be amazed at how far we've come ... I'd say that now. Although we have a long way to go, we have been very blessed ... and we are most certainly grateful that Paul has made so much progress!

Have a great weekend! Love, Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 07/13/06

Dear Friends:

Today was another good day. Paul was alert and responsive most of the day. The visiting nurse came this morning. She told Tabby that she is closing out her file on Paul since he is healthy and doing well. She can come back if he gets stable and can work with the physical therapist again since she is the person that does that evaluation and orders the therapy. For now we will continue with the speech & occupational therapists that we have. The speech therapist is on vacation and should be back next week ... then the occupational therapist will go away week after next. He should come on either Monday or Tuesday next week. Dad & Tabby will keep working with Paul in their absence!! After the nurse left Dad, Tabby, Max, Dora & Paul headed out to DMV (Division of Motor Vehicles) to get a walker's permit for Paul. His license has already been suspended but the insurance company wanted him to get a walker's ID before they would take him off the insurance. While they waited Paul held his license in his hand with the paperwork he needed to turn in. He slipped the license out from behind the papers and was looking at it. Tabby said "that's your license" and he nodded "yes". He didn't seem upset about being there ... I wonder if he knows why they were there! After they finished at DMV they went to Famous Daves BBQ for lunch. Paul had BBQ chicken, potato salad, fried apples and FOUR ice teas!! After they left Dora asked Paul if he enjoyed his lunch and he said "NO"!! Oh brother ... he ate enough! Maybe he ate TOO MUCH!! LOL Friday Tabby is suppose to have a phone interview with the Social Security Office. Hopefully she will be able to receive social security for Max ... it would sure help!

Have a great day (TGIF) Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 07/12/06

Dear Friends:

Today was a more normal day. Paul felt a bit better and was able to eat better. He was wide awake most of today. Tabby & Dad took Paul to the neurologist today. I believe I told you it was suppose to be a Friday appointment but we got our appointment dates confused. Friday Tabby has an appointment with the Social Security Office to get Social Security for Max. Anyway ... the neurologist told them that he will be working with the drugs do see if the Dilantin will actually work for Paul. He wants Paul to take his medicines twice a day to even out the amount he is getting over a 24 hour period. In about ten days Paul will have more blood tests. If the Med levels are good he will gradually decrease the Depacote over the next few weeks. He will attempt to lower the Depacote by 250mg instead of 500 and see if Paul can tolerate that change without seizures. A therapeutic blood level of Dilantin is general considered to be 10-20 mcg/mL. The doctor wants to have a "trough level" (the lowest level of the drug in Paul's blood just prior to his next dosage) no lower than a 12 ... he was at 6. At that level a patient will have seizures. Once Paul's trough level of the Dilantin is 12 or more we can start decreasing the Depacote. The doctor told Tabby that she should call him first if Paul has another seizure instead of calling 911 and going to the hospital. He will walk her through some steps to take prior to deciding if a hospital visit is necessary. After they got back from the doctor's Paul ate lunch. He did well with it. He ate 1/2 a ham & cheese sandwich and some macaroni salad. He was more responsive today. Yesterday he answered "no" to almost everything but today he answered more appropriately. He walked a bit today and he had better posture while walking. He's enjoying the new cable and watched movies this afternoon. Thursday the nurse will come and evaluate Paul. He seems close to being back to where he was prior to the seizures. Praise God!

Have a blessed day! Lynne & Carl

P.S. Please pray for Suzann George and her family as her father passed away today. He had been very ill for some time.

Paul's Update - 07/11/06

Dear Friends:

Paul was still pretty tired today but he did a little better than yesterday. Breakfast was challenging. He had trouble eating and couldn't swallow his medicines without chewing them. Although it seems bad to chew them, he was having them crushed and put in his feeding tube when we first started this ... at least he is getting them!! Lunch went a little better. He had a little difficulty but was able to eat. It still took a long time to get done. The occupational therapist came. He was able to get Paul to stand up at the sink by himself. He reached out with his left hand and pulled himself up to a standing position. He didn't stand long but was able to do it. Paul was swallowing better tonight. He had pizza and did pretty good. Tabby spent some time at the hospital today but this time it was with a friend who is sick (whew ... scare you didn't I ... LOL) Dad watched Max while she was gone. Paul watched "Groundhog Day" but he fell asleep toward the end. Tabby ordered a cable box for the TV in Paul's room so he can watch movies on demand! Dad went out to look for a floor exercise peddler so he can work on his leg exercises. No luck ... but he plans to go to yard sales Saturday to hunt for one. It will be another way he can exercise from the wheelchair! We hope he will continue to improve ... and get back to where we were before the seizure very soon! We are so thankful that God continues to hold Paul in His hands!

Love, Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 07/10/06

Dear Friends:

Paul was pretty tired today. He slept most of the day. Dad said that he is also having trouble swallowing again. He had cereal for breakfast & Dad made him pizza for lunch. He had trouble eating it and it took a long time to get done. He also had trouble taking his medicines. It took two glasses of water to take them. His arms are stiff (we suspect from the IV's) and he had trouble holding his glass. He spilled three glasses of water today. Dad was only able to get Paul up to go to the bathroom once today. He just didn't have any interest in getting up. It looks like Tabby is coming down with a cold. She has been pretty exhausted. Dad has been helping out with Max a lot. Tabby called the neurologist and made an appointment for the 14th to follow-up from the hospital visit. Dad & Tabby will ask the doctor what he thinks caused the med level in Paul's system to drop so low. Steve the occupational therapist is suppose to come on Tuesday. Hopefully Paul will be feeling better.

Have a great day! Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 07/09/06

Dear Friends:

I'm sorry to have to report another setback. Paul had another seizure Sunday morning. Fortunately it was a lot less severe than the last time. He was taken to the hospital at 4am and was there all day. We took him home this evening at around 4:30pm. He spent most of the day sleeping from all the drugs that they gave him to stop the seizure. A CAT scan was done and the doctor said that there is no more damage than there was the last time he had seizures. Praise God for that!! Tabby had reduced his Depacote on Saturday morning by one tablet. He had been taking 1500mg and it was reduced to 1000mg. The doctor had said that the Dilantin level was a little low on Friday but he was comfortable reducing the Depacote. Unfortunately this morning with they did a blood test to see what the levels were, both the Depacote and the Dilantin levels had dropped from 60-80 down to 6-8. We certainly don't understand how it dropped so low. The doctor said maybe it was because Paul's body has built up a tolerance to the drugs. I'm still not sure I understand how it could drop that low! Now we not only have the level of Depacote back up to 1500mg but we also have the Dilantin level increased from 300mg to 400mg. Since he has done so well this past week, we pray that this increase won't be as devastating as when he first started taking these drugs. Saturday had been a very good day. Paul was up most of the day and Tabby, Bobby & his girlfriend, Carolyn & Billy & Dad took Paul to the movies. They went to see The Pirates of the Caribbean. He really enjoyed it but they went to the late movie so he was up until after midnight. Other than being tired he seemed well. Paul had actually said "no" earlier in the day when Dad asked him if he needed to go to the bathroom. It was a clearly understandable "no". He had also used his right arm to cover his left arm with his blanket. Tabby said his right hand has been getting stronger each day. We pray that this won't be a major setback. It is hard to believe that God would bring Paul this far and not continue his healing. Keep praying ... it means a lot to us and God has honored our prayers in so many ways!

Have a great day, Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 07/07/06

Dear Friends:

Today was a pretty quiet day. Dad arrived to find that Tabby was up a lot again last night. He took Max upstairs for a bit so Tabby could rest until the nurse came. After Dora arrived she was able to take Max and go into his room to feed him and get some more rest. Paul & Tabby both rested a lot today. Tabby talked to the neurologist today and he told her that we can start reducing the Depacote by one pill a day. Then in another week we can reduce the second pill then the last one a week after that. In three weeks we should be free of the Depacote. He said that the Dilantin level is a little low but since Paul is not showing any more signs of seizures he is OK with proceeding with the med reduction! He will probably do testing after the final dose of Depacote is removed to she what the Dilantin level is again. Saturday Tabby & Paul plan to go to a matinee movie. Dad will go with them to help Paul be able to sit in one of the theater seats. That will enable him to use the cup holder for his drink. They are going to see The Pirates of the Caribbean. If Paul was well they would have gone to the midnight showing of this movie!! Dad left early tonight so that we could go out to dinner with Bill & Ronda. It was nice to spend the evening with friends. This week we heard news about a man who had been in a coma for 20 years and then miraculously began to recovered from it. He was able to talk and count to twenty-five without interruption. He still has a long way to go but this gives us much hope since Paul is already recovering at a much greater pace. We know that all things happen for a reason. God has a plan that we don't understand and we must wait patiently for God's plan to be complete. Here is a link if you are interested in the article.

Have a great weekend, Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 07/06/06

Dear Friends:

Today was another good day. The nurse came and checked Paul over. She checked his blood pressure, temperature & took a look at his feet. She is going to request approval for an additional two months of therapy. Yahoo! The occupational therapist also came. He worked with Paul to make his lunch. He made a ham & cheese sandwich. He had a little trouble to get the ham out of the package so he reached all the way into the package under the ham and pulled it out. After lunch he had Paul brush his teeth. He didn't do real great with the brushing of his teeth but he did pretty good with the rinse and spit. Then Steve told Paul that he needed to put the top back on the toothpaste. Paul had the toothpaste in his left hand. Dad told him to use his right hand but Paul just lowered the toothpaste tube in his hand and then took the cap in his fingers and maneuvered it until he got it on the top of the tube and proceeded to screw the top on with one hand! Once he got the top on he dropped the toothpaste tube on the table, sat back and smiled. He was very pleased with himself!! LOL Last night Paul wouldn't let Tabby lower the head of the bed. She would lower it and Paul would grab the remote and raise it back up!! He did that three or four times. Who said he would never "problem solve"?? Today was shopping day. Dad, Tabby, Max, Paul & Dora (along with the wheelchair & the stroller) all piled in the van and went to Costco. What a site that site must have been! Then they bought a bunch of groceries and had to figure out how to get it all in the van along with all of them and the wheelchair & stroller. Dad said it was pretty challenging. Paul seemed to enjoy the outing. Tabby said she was up a lot again last night. Max sleeps about 3 hours and then is up for about 3 hours after he eats. She was able to go back to bed after Dad got there this morning. Dad took Max upstairs and kept him so she could rest. She also napped later in the morning while Max was sleeping. Oh the joy of being a new mom!! Max is doing real well though and is a joy for all of us! Tabby left a message for the Neurologist today but she hasn't heard back from him yet. Hopefully Friday he will call & give us information about the next steps with the medicine change. Paul is doing so well that we are hopeful he will do even better when we can start reducing the Depacote!

Have a great day! TGIF ... Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 07/05/06

Dear Friends:

No therapists came today so Dad & Tabby decided to do a regimen of exercises. They started with rolling Paul onto his stomach which he wasn't happy about but he did. After he rolled over and back the first time Dad asked if he was ready to do it again ... he said "no". Dad corrected him by saying it really wasn't a question of whether he wanted to do it ... just if he was ready!! He rolled over and back three times. Then Dad rolled him to his stomach and tried to get him up on hands & knees. They did that three times as well. When he'd finished Dad let him roll back over onto his back by himself. Next Dad had him work to scoot over to the far side of the bed and then back. He did that three or four times. Then it was time to stretch the legs and do stomach crunches. He started with upper stomach crunches by bringing his legs up to his stomach then lower crunches by raising himself up at the waist. He did ten repetitions of these each. Then Dad asked him to raise his legs up at about a 45 degree angle one at a time & hold it for five seconds. He did that about five times each. By the time they were done the bed needed to be remade so Dad told him he needed to stand up. Dad made him scoot his legs to the edge of the bed to sit up. He wanted to grab Dad's hand but Tabby said that he needed to use his stomach muscles. He was able to come up onto his elbows but couldn't come all the way to a sitting position by himself. Dad & Tabby held his knees and was able to use his stomach muscles to come up to a sitting position. Once he was sitting Dad told him to stand up. He grabbed Dad's arm and stood up by himself. What a triumph! He hasn't done this since the seizures. He really go a great workout today. Tabby demonstrated a lot of the moves and he was able to copy her! Later Tabby was holding the baby and Paul held out his arm to hold him. She gave him Max and he pointed to the baby bottle. Tabby asked Paul if he wanted to feed the baby and he nodded "yes". She handed him the bottle and without any other direction Paul started feeding Max!! He really has the process of feeding figured out! The rest of the day was pretty quiet. He earned some rest! Tomorrow the visiting nurse will come. Paul has a couple little bruises on his back and some stretch marks that Tabby is a bit concerned about so the nurse will take a look. We haven't heard from the therapists yet. Tabby plans to call the neurologist's office to see if the results are back from the blood tests.

Have a great day, Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 07/04/06

Dear Friends:

Dad & I are back from our weekend away. We had a great time at visiting with Ann, John & my Mom. It has been a busy weekend for Paul. I hope you enjoyed Bobby's message on Saturday. Sunday turned out to be a quiet day. Paul rested most of the day. They watched movies and recovered from the busy day they had Saturday. Monday Bobby & Tabby took Paul to the matinee movie showing of Superman. He seemed to really enjoy it. There were a couple of food challenges. He didn't do real well with nachos or popcorn. He also had an incident with trying to put his soda down onto the floor and he ended up spilling it. He is actually trying to stretch his arm when putting the soda down though. So this activity is actually a good thing! Otherwise he keeps his elbow bent all the time which makes it pretty stiff. Any opportunity for him to stretch it out is good. Today we celebrated Independence Day as a family. Dad & I got home around 1pm and Dad headed right over to Paul's. He was watching movies. Bobby was preparing to do a 4th of July BBQ. He makes the BEST steaks!! Paul was using his arms a bit more today. Tabby has some spring loaded hand exercisers that he can squeeze to exercise the upper arms. He does great with the left hand but he is trying to squeeze more with his right hand too. He can't completely squeeze the exerciser with the right hand but he tries!! He is learning more sign language as well. Tabby has a friend that is teacher her some signing to work with Paul. We are still waiting to hear back from the doctor on the most recent blood tests. We should hear something by the end of the week and then possibly we can start reducing the Depacote. We are praying that the elimination of this medicine will encourage even more recovery! Each day we seem to have something to be thankful for ... and encouraged by! Thanks for continuing to pray. God has continued to be faithful in Paul's recovery!

Have a great day! Lynne & Carl

P.S. Please continue to pray for Matt Gittings. His health is dangerously frail and he is in the ICU in Parkersburg WV.

Paul's Update - 06/30/06

Dear Friends:

Today was a great day. The speech therapist came again. She worked to exercise Paul's face. She said his facial muscles are moving better. She asked Paul if he was glad to see her and he nodded "yes". Then she worked with him to stick his tongue out. He really has a hard time sticking his tongue. Then she worked on sounds. She got him to say "mmm" then "I" ... she got him to say "my". Paul got to have a real shower today. Tabby had to buy a shower chair that hung over the edge of the tub. She got that a couple days ago. Dad got him in the tub and Tabby helped him with the soap and sponge. He took the sponge from Tabby and began to wash himself!! Later the Occupational therapist came. He worked to stretch his upper body. Then they worked on brushing his teeth. Steve helped Paul hold the toothpaste in his left hand and he put the toothpaste on the brush with his right hand. Then he worked to brush his teeth with some help. The CNA has been suctioning Paul's mouth when she brushes his teeth but Steve just handed him a cup of water and told him to rinse and spit and he did it!! This doesn't seem like much but Dad hasn't been able to get him to spit before ... this time he did it without any trouble. Steve also handed Paul a pen and Paul took it with his right hand. He worked on making some letters with assistance. It appears that Paul remembers that he is right handed!! Dad & I left early in the afternoon and we are now in Conway South Carolina at my sister's house We got an update from Tabby tonight. Tabby was very pleased with Paul's progress today. Bobby is staying close by this weekend to be helpful. The CNA will be there as well. Tabby & Bobby may try to take Paul out a little this weekend. Tabby would really like to take Paul to see fireworks. What a great week this has been. Praise God!! Have a great & safe weekend!

Love, Lynne & Carl