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