Paul's Update - 08/29/06

Dear Friends:

This last couple of days have been a bit more encouraging. Paul seems even more alert. He is still tired a lot and has trouble walking but he seems to understand quite a bit. Monday was a busy day in which Tabby was gone most of the day. She visited the attorney who basically told her that her health insurance company is now looking for compensation from whatever she recovers from the other girl's insurance. By the time she pays the attorney and the insurance company ... she won't have much left to take care of Paul for what could be the rest of his life. The attorney will be exploring her options ... but this was disappointing news. She has been sending out applications for a job but nothing has really come out of that yet. Paul on the other hand has been able to respond to us very nicely. Tabby asked him yesterday if he remembers being married and he nodded "yes". He said he knew that they were married for 6 years, he knew Dad, Me, Carolyn, Bobby and Alysa. He still wants to be in charge of some things and becomes stubborn when he doesn't want to do something ... but we can handle that! He was up in the recliner for quite a while watching TV. Today he was not up much but we went out for dinner at the Japanese Steak house (one of his favorite things). Dad gave him a menu and asked him if he could read it. He shook his head "no" but then Dad asked if he could show him where the Teriyaki Chicken was and showed him which one it was. He then read down a line of menu options Chicken, Steak, Salmon, Filet Mignon & Vegetable and asked Paul if he could point to the Chicken dinner. Paul took his left hand and started to point to the middle of the page ... but then moved his finger to the top where the Chicken Dinner was!!! He picked it out!!! We aren't sure he can read it but he remembered where it was! After dinner we went to Lowes Hardware. It has been a very long time since Paul was at Lowes. He really seemed to enjoy shopping the tool isle! It was really good to get out of the house and do something "normal" for a change! We certainly enjoy the small blessings that we get!

Have a great day! Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 08/27/06

Dear Friends:

Saturday turned into a pretty quiet day. Dad was able to get Paul outside for about 3 hours. This is very encouraging since Paul wanted to go out and wanted to stay out! Dad asked Paul several times "do you want to go inside?" and Paul would shake his head "no". This is one of the few times lately that Paul has WANTED to get up and go outside. It was a hot day but there is a big tree in the front yard which gives lots of shade and makes it very pleasant in to sit out there. Many of you know that the street Paul & Tabby live on is VERY busy ... there is traffic going by almost non-stop. Paul enjoys watching it and has been known to pay attention to the motorcycles that pass by. All of this seems to be good stimulation for him. After they came inside Paul wanted to sit up for a bit so Dad put him in the recliner in the bedroom. He can watch the TV from there. Our new weekend nurse seems to be very good. She is on top of all that needs to be done. She cleans the room, washes Paul's (and even Tabby's) clothes, she cleans the kitchen & is even willing to cook Paul's meals. Max is starting to sleep for longer periods now. He slept from Friday night around 9:00pm until 7:00am on Saturday. It was really nice for all. Paul did a little walking on Saturday but he is having lots of trouble moving his right foot. Later in the day it became a "movie day". Paul was ready for bed a bit early (around 10pm) which allowed Dad to go home a bit early! Since he is staying at Paul's from Thursday night until Saturday night ... he was glad to be able to go home early!! Sunday was another quiet day. Dad & I were gone most of the day since we went to Alicia & Lee's baby's christening. When we arrived Paul & Tabby were watching Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. Paul had a Taco Bell Burrito for dinner. He wasn't up today since we were gone. Monday Tabby has an appointment with her attorney and will be doing some running around. It seems she is busier now then when she was working!! Today the pastor talked about God knowing what is best for us ... and his answers to our prayers. We ask God for what we think we need when indeed God already knows what is best for us. It is the experiences we go through that make us strong and encourage our faith. Our struggles make us grow. The pastor this morning quoted a line from a movie something like "the years reveal what the days don't give us". I pray that some day we will look back at all of this and understand that which we don't understand now!

Love & Hugs, Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 08/25/06

Dear Friends:

As I said before ... not much happens from day to day. Paul continues to be defiant from time to time. He doesn't want to get out of bed much. This makes it difficult for Dad & Tabby to keep him exercised. He seems pretty alert and when we talk to him he seems to understand most everything we say. Dad got Paul up and outside on Thursday for a bit. It was pretty hot and he didn't want to stay out long but at least he was out of bed. The same was true for Friday. It was pretty hot (90 degrees or so) and so they only stayed out for about an hour. Paul also has the recliner in his room and sometimes he enjoys sitting in that to watch TV. Max is so enjoyable most of the time. He smiles all the time now and he has discovered his mobile that hangs over his portable crib. It keeps him entertained sometimes for 15-20 minutes. It is always fun to watch Paul hold Max. Every once in a while he will reach down and give Max a kiss on his head. Max seems to like being with his daddy! They are really good for each other! Dad & Tabby finished the laminate flooring and WOW ... what a difference it makes. First it brightens up the basement area ... but it also makes it so much easier to get the wheelchair around. It is especially great for going through the doorways! This week has been an emotional rollercoaster for all of us. It appears that we are all feeling the strain from doing this for so many months now. It is especially difficult since we don't know how long we will continue to do this ... if not for the rest of Paul's life. It is also difficult when he is defiant since everyone is trying so hard to do what is best for Paul. I know God continues to hold him in His hands. I still believe that a miracle can happen in Paul's life. I only wish we could know what God's plan really is. Thursday night Dad & Tabby decreased Paul's medicines once more. I believe that makes him down to 750mg per day on the Depacote & an average of 500mg per day of Dilantin. I pray that he will continue to be seizure free as we continue to decrease this medicine!!

Have a great weekend! Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 08/23/06

Dear Friends:

When Dad arrived this morning Paul & Tabby were still sleeping. Tabby had closed and locked her bedroom door so when the nurse came she was surprised to find she couldn't get in to attend to Paul. Poor thing ... she really didn't know what to do!! LOL George came by to visit now that he is back from his trip. He brought T-shirts from Sturgis for everyone. If you haven't seen the blog since he came home, check it out. A great big thanks go to all who supported George's benefit ride. Once everyone was up and dressed they took a trip to Starbucks. Paul always enjoys this outing ... everyone else does too!! While they were out the speech therapist called and wanted to come by. When she came she asked Paul "do you remember me?" and he nodded yes. Then she asked "are you going to work for me?" and he nodded yes. But when she asked him to start working he shook his head "no". So she asked him "if Dad & Tabby leave the room will you work for me?" and he nodded "yes". She was able to get him to work with the prerecorded button that says phrases when you push it. She made it say "I don't want to do that" and "I want Kool-Aid". She asked him if he wanted Kool-Aid and he nodded "yes" but she said he HAD to push the button to get it. After several tries he finally did it. Today was the first time she heard him SAY "no". He actually has been trying to talk to us ... not in words we understand but he looks at us and makes sounds like he is trying to communicate something. It is hard when we realize he wants something and we cannot figure out what it is. I imagine it is very difficult for him as well. Once he was back in bed this morning he was pretty exhausted and not interested in getting up. He was sleepy and napped a bit this afternoon. Dad & Tabby took a day off from the flooring work. I think they overdid it (shhh ... don't tell them I said so!). Thursday is another reduction in Depacote ... so far so good!

Have a great day! Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 08/22/06

Dear Friends:

Not much changes from day to day. Paul continues to have little desire to do anything. It is challenging to get him up from bed and yet ... it is hard to see him be in bed so much. We continue to pray that the decrease in medicines will begin to make a difference soon! Dad tries to get him up a little each day but it is difficult. He enjoys being up and he likes going outside when he can. Dad & Tabby have been busy laying laminate floor in the basement so that it will be easier to move Paul around with the wheelchair. Paul likes to watch from his bed since he can see right into the kitchen area. Monday they got Max's room and part of the kitchen. Tuesday started out with a trip to the lab to have Paul's blood drawn. After they got back it was a nice enough day to sit outside for a couple hours. By lunch Paul was tired and Dad put him back in the bed. We haven't been seeing the therapists lately so it was a quiet day. Dad & Tabby continued to work on the floor and finished the kitchen and started Paul & Tabby's room. Paul was in a better mood and didn't fight Dad or Tabby much. The plan for Wednesday is to try to take Paul on an outing to Starbucks. He enjoys his Starbucks and this could be a refreshing outing for him.

Have a great day, Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 08/20/06

Dear Friends:

This has been a mostly quiet weekend. Paul has been somewhat stubborn and hasn't had much energy. He seems to be alert but doesn't want to do anything. Usually he fights Dad & Tabby over taking his medicines (duh!) and getting dressed. Sometimes he doesn't want them bathing him either. Saturday he was outside for a bit. We have a new nurse (I believe her name is Abina). She is very good and we like her. She is also from Ghana just like Dora & Audrey. Dad & I went out to lunch with Bill & Ronda like we usually do on Saturday. When we returned Paul sat outside with us for a bit. It was pretty hot so he didn't stay out long. Sunday was also pretty quiet. Dad didn't go over to Paul's first thing in the morning so Tabby had to let the nurse in. Max has been up a lot during the night so Tabby is pretty tired. Dad called her to make sure she was up and she said she'd been up since 5:30am. She was afraid she would sleep through the nurse's arrival! The day was spent mostly watching TV. Paul was in bed most of the day. He fought with Tabby this afternoon when it was time for the antibiotic (for the spider bite) and a friend who brought coffee by was able to talk him into taking it!! Tonight he took his medicines without ANY fuss! I guess he just gets in a "mood" from time to time ... but then ... we do too sometimes!! We have now been taking only 1000mg of Depacote (as oppose to 1250) since Thursday night. Paul seems to be doing well and hasn't had any adverse side effects. We certainly are thankful for that. Tuesday Paul will go and have blood drawn again to make sure the Dilantin level is still OK to continue decreasing the Depacote. Tabby talked to the insurance people (AD&D) last week again and it looks like they are currently reviewing Paul's case and will probably pay her something ... no telling when though!! She has been working on getting Social Security for Max. She will also be eligible for WIC & food stamps. It looks like she will be OK for the next couple of months thanks to the generosity of our friends and the severance that she has finally received. I really wonder how people who have no support network get through things this tough! I'm thankful that God has provided so many good friends & family for us!

Have a great day! Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 08/18/06

Dear Friends:

Paul didn't want to take his meds this morning Each time Dad asked him to open his mouth he would clench his teeth closed. Finally he nodded "yes" that he would let Tabby do it but when she tried he wouldn't do it. They would tell him what the medicines were and asked him if he wanted to have another seizure and he shook his head "no" but he still didn't want to take them. Tabby finally got him to take them. It is another display of defiance along with not allowing them to dress him or clean under his arm (where the rash is). I'm sure it is only because he knows he CAN have control of those things! After getting dressed and breakfast they went outside for a bit. Another beautiful day!! He sat on the swing for a bit. They stayed out for about 1 1/2 hours. After lunch he sat up for a while watching TV. Dad & Tabby went to Lowes to get some laminate flooring for the downstairs. They put Paul in bed to rest before they left. Tabby got a really good deal on some custom flooring that was discontinued and discounted about 90%!! They plan to do the downstairs first and then move upstairs and do the living room and office. It will make getting around much easier for Paul and the wheelchair! Dad was able to walked Paul a bit going in and out of the bathroom today. He still has some difficulty but he is doing it. He has been looking at us like he wants to say things to us. It must be frustrating to see us and want to communicate and NOT be able to! It is hard for us ... I can't imagine what it must be like for him! He seemed to eat better today. He ate his dinner in about 20 minutes which is quick for him. He had melon for snack tonight and he used his fork and stabbed it to get it. This is a new technique ... he usually just lifts his food with his fork without stabbing it. So far we don't see any adverse effects from the decrease in medicines. We are at the Depacote level he was at before the last seizure. He is currently getting an average of 500mg a day (actually 600mg one day & 400mg the next which average out to 500mg) and 1000mg of Depacote. We see some improvements already as evidenced by his alertness! We pray that we are on the right track and will continue to see these improvements and more!!

Love & Hugs, Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 08/17/06

Dear Friends:

Today was a really good day for Paul. Dad got him up this morning and took him outside. He enjoyed being outside. They were out there most of the morning. Paul sat in the swing with Max & Tabby and he used his legs to swing them. He got to hold Max while he was swinging. It is a nice "family time" and also good exercise for Paul! Tabby got Paul to exercise his tongue too. She was having him stick his tongue out of his mouth and hold it there. This seems silly but is actually good for his mouth and facial muscles. Dad also got Paul up and walked him about three times during the day. At first he wanted to lay his head on Dad's shoulders while he walked but Dad said "no ... you need to hold your head up when you walk" and he straightened up and did OK. Dad still has to hold onto him and guide him but hopefully he will continue to get stronger. Tonight is the second reduction in medicines. Needless to say we are a little nervous since the Depacote will be at the level it was when he had the last seizure. The Dilantin should be high enough to prevent any seizures but it still makes us nervous. Dad is staying there for the next few days in case Tabby needs him. If you haven't been watching George's blog about his benefit trip for Paul & Tabby ... it looks like they are having quite an adventure. There are lots of beautiful pictures and some great stories of each day's travel. We are grateful for all the love and concern that people have been expressing for us. Our family in Christ has been such a great source of strength and encouragement! Thanks to all of you who pray each day for Paul's recovery. I've said it before but it REALLY does mean a LOT to us!

Love & Hugs, Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 08/16/06

Dear Friends:

Paul had a pretty quiet day at home while Dad, Tabby & Max did lots of errands. He still isn't real interested in getting out of bed but he seems more alert each day. Dad keeps working with Paul to exercise his right hand and it is getting stronger. He has a little trouble relaxing the hand to open the fingers. This is a similar problem that we had when we first started working with the left hand so we are hopeful that with time he will be able to use the hand more. Max was up most of the night again last night so Tabby was tired tonight. Hopefully Max will sleep tonight. Tabby & Dad went to Area Access today and ordered the chair lift for the stairwell so that Paul can go upstairs. They put a deposit on it and when it is ready (in about 3 weeks) they will install it and the balance will be due then. It will make the house much more friendly for Paul. It will also make it easier for Tabby. Tabby also went to the Social Security office, the Social Services office and returned some things she bought at Costco & Walmart. After they got done with all that they went grocery shopping and made a stop at Starbucks. Whew ... busy day! Thursday will be another reduction in medicine. We will then be back to where he was when he had the last seizure so we pray that he will adjust to it OK. Dad will probably spend the night over there for the next few days as a precaution "just in case".

Love & Hugs, Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 08/15/06

Dear Friends:

Paul had another day that he didn't want to get up. He continues to get better at responding when we talk to him. Dad asked him today if he knew several people that he should know and he shook his head "no" when asked if he knew them. It is hard to tell if he really doesn't know or is just fixated on saying "no". Dad worked to exercise his right hand. He asked Paul to squeeze his hand, then let go and then squeeze it again. He did that several times and is getting stronger. Tabby went out to get a haircut today. She'd been wanting to do that for several days. Max was up a lot during the night and Tabby did a lot of cleaning during the night. It is the best time to get work done! Hopefully Max will sleep better tonight! Tabby tried to call the insurance company today for the Death & Disability policy. The girl she talked to said she hadn't received the doctor's information yet but Tabby told her she KNOWS the doctor sent it by fax last Thursday because the doctor had to ask Tabby for permission to send it. The girl is going to follow-up on it and get back to Tabby. They promise to get this processed ASAP ... whatever that means (in insurance language!!). Wednesday Dad plans to go to Area Access (where we got the chair lift for the van) and see about getting a stairway chair lift. Tabby would really like to be able to get Paul to the upstairs part of the house. It will be very stimulating for him ... he will be able to visit folks better there. So far ... no bad effects from the decrease in medicine! Praise God for that!

Have a great day, Lynne & Carl

Update on the Ride for Paul and Tabby

Paul's Update - 08/14/06

Dear Friends:

Dad slept in a bit this morning but when he arrived at Paul's Max was just waking up. He had slept from 9:30pm until 7:30am ... Yahoo! He is such a good baby and he is growing like a weed! The speech therapist called to see if she could come by today but Tabby had already scheduled a doctor appointment for the time she had available so she couldn't come today. She will try to come on Friday or Saturday. Dad & Tabby got Paul ready to go to the doctor. They told him that they were taking him and he seemed OK with it but when they arrived at the office he was very upset about being there. The doctor said the bite on his hand looked like it had a little staph infection in it. She recommended that Paul soak it in Epsom Salts twice a day and she gave him some antibiotics. She also recommended that Tabby put talcum powder on Paul's body where his arms rested to prevent a buildup of moisture that causes the rash he has. Paul was responding to the doctor's questions and she was real impressed that he has improved since she saw him. This is the General Practitioner and she hasn't seen Paul for a few months. Dad tried to get Paul up a bit today. He is still very weak and doesn't walk well. He does appear to be a bit more responsive when we ask him things. Thursday will be the next decrease in medicines. It may take a while for him to adjust to the change in medicine. Paul spent some time feeding Max this evening. When Max stopped eating Paul sat the bottle on the bedside table. Then he reached for his own cup and proceeded to try to give Max a drink from it. Dad stopped him ... he really wanted to share his drink I suppose. This is one of those times when it is apparent that his brain doesn't process normal things in a normal way! Dad made it an early night. He has been staying at Paul's for the last four days. Tabby, Bobby & Jen were there to get Paul ready for bed and watch a movie with him ... he's enjoying that big TV in his room! :-)

Have a great day! Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 08/13/06

Dear Friends:

Sunday was a pretty good day. The nurse showed up late this morning. She got lost but at least she came. Paul got up around 11am. He seems to be more alert. He is still having some trouble with walking and tires easily. Dad had a little trouble getting him out of the bathroom this evening. Dad took Paul outside today. It was a beautiful day. He is using his right hand a little more. Tabby exercises his arm and has him practice squeezing his hand. Tabby encourages him to keep trying and tells him he will get better if he works hard. He shook his head "no" at this. It appears he doesn't think he will get better but we will keep working on it. Monday Tabby is going to call the doctor. Paul has what appears to be a spider bite on his hand. It is red and inflamed so Tabby wants to have the doctor look at it along with the rash that he has on his body. He has other bug bites on his legs as well. Tonight Paul watched the Redskins game with Dad, Tabby, Bobby & Jen. They moved the big TV down into his room since the DVD player Tabby bought doesn't work with the older TV. He seemed to enjoy having the big screen and he wanted to wear his Redskins shirt for the game :-) . Max also watched the game ... Uncle Bob made sure of it! LOL Paul is scheduled for another reduction in medicines on Thursday this week. He seems to be doing OK except his eyes are flickering a bit. We will watch carefully and maybe call the doctor before reducing the medicine. I returned from South Carolina and got home around 11:30pm. It was a fun but exhausting trip for Ronda, Mike (my nephew) and me.

Have a great day! Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 08/12/06

Dear Friends:

I've really fallen behind. The last few days have been mostly uneventful. Thursday the doctor called and said that the test results finally came back. Paul's Dilantin level was at 19 and he was Ok with that as long as it was above 15. He told Tabby that we can start to decrease the medicine by 250mg a week until we eliminate it all together. Paul has been out of bed only to watch TV. He is so tired and weak that Dad doesn't even try to get him up most of the time. He was able to go outside for a bit this week and he enjoys being out. Carl has been staying at Paul's house for the last few days. He is not comfortable with leaving before we know how Paul will react to the decrease in medicines. Saturday Paul was still pretty tired but he perked up a bit as the evening came. Dad was able to go out for lunch with Bill in the afternoon. Ronda and I are spending time in South Carolina with my family. Dad got Paul to stand and sit at the side of the bed about 5 times and he was able to get him to walk about 10 steps. He sat up for a bit this evening. We hope this is a beginning to him feeling better. He has a little bit of a rash on his torso from his arm resting on it and sweating. He also has a bug bite on his hand that is swollen up a bit. It will require some monitoring for the next few days. We actually had a nurse show up today and we should have her again on Sunday. This is still a substitute for Audrey who is working at the hospital as part of her Nurses Aid certification. She should be back soon ... we miss her! George is still traveling ... please check out his blog. Pray for him and Mark as they travel.

Have a great day, Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 08/09/06

Dear Friends:

Tuesday was a pretty quiet day. Paul was pretty tired and not willing to do much. Dad couldn't manage to get him out of bed. He seems alert when he is awake and he is doing better with his swallowing. No word from the doctor about the medicines. The doctor did call to say he wrote a report for the insurance company in regard to the speech disability that Paul has. The Accidental Death & Dismemberment policy that Tabby had taken out should pay at least half the benefit amount for the loss of speech. Evidently the doctor's letter was pretty specific that Paul's injury was VERY devastating and that he will most likely be disabled for the rest of his life. This doctor hasn't given up on Paul's recovery but in his medical opinion there is no reason to believe based on the evidence of injury that he will ever be ABLE to recover. It will be interesting to see how the insurance company views it. At bedtime Tabby laid right next to Paul with her back to him. He reached up and stroked her arm. Tabby really enjoyed that!! It is one of those "tender moments".

Wednesday started early. Dad arrived at 4:30 to find Max awake. It was a beautiful day so Dad took Paul outside for about two hours. The nurse changed the bed linens and cleaned up while they were out there. Tabby is fighting a cold and so she was a bit under the weather. Paul seemed to enjoy watching the motorcycles going by the house. It is nice to see him enjoy little things like that! The doctor called to say that we can now start decreasing the Depacote by 250mg per week. As long as he doesn't have any seizures we can continue until we completely get rid of it. If he does have a seizure we will have to accept that the Dilantin doesn't work for Paul and we will be back at square one. Dad tried to weigh Paul today since the doctor advised that he needed to lose weight at the last visit. Paul has decided he doesn't want snacks and has lost about 9lbs already! It seems that Paul comprehended what the doctor said and he will voluntarily say "no" to snacks ... well ... most of the time!! LOL We heard tonight that one of the fellows on the benefit Motorcycle Ride for Paul & Tabby was involved in an accident along the way. Fortunately he was not critically injured and will be flying home to be with his family. Praise God that he is OK! We pray that the other two guys will have a safe journey the rest of the trip. The occupational therapist called to see if he could come by but Dad told him that Paul is not doing well enough to get much out of the therapy and suggested he come next week instead. My brother and his family are here from Alaska to visit. They plan to go to Paul & Tabby's house for coffee on Thursday morning. Paul was pretty tired by the time they got back from sightseeing in DC. When I asked him if he remembers Uncle Keith ... he nodded "yes". It should be a good visit!

Have a great day! Love, Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 08/07/06

Dear Friends:

Dad tried to get Paul up more today. He sat up and watched TV for a while. He didn't do well with walking. The speech therapist came and worked with him today. She couldn't get him to do anything new. He is doing a bit better with controlling his swallowing. This has been a problem since the last seizure. He seemed a little emotional today. Dad said his eyes periodically watered up. He complained of a headache. Dad tried to get him to go outside but he didn't want to do that. The doctor still hasn't called. We hope that will happen on Tuesday. Max slept until 6:30am today. He went to the pediatrician today. This is his two month checkup. The doctor said he now weighs 11lbs & 7oz. His size is 56% of the average for his age and his head is 19% for his age . He is 100% perfect as far as we are concerned!! Tabby talked to Social Services today and is going to apply for WIC (Women, Infants, Children) and Food Stamps. WIC will give her formula juice, iron-fortified cereal, eggs, cheese, milk, peanut butter, dried beans or peas, tuna, and carrots. The food stamps should help with other foods and non edible products. Tuesday she will go and sign Max up for Medicaid which will make the process of eligibility easier. She finally got her severance pay. This will help with her mortgage. She got a lead on a job that she is planning to apply for on Tuesday. This evening Dad stayed with Paul & Max while Tabby had a chance to go to the Freedom Center Pool. Overall today was a better day. We still have lots of "homework" to do in order to understand what the financial future is for Paul & Tabby. I now know why people feel "trapped" by the system! Thank goodness our hope is not solely dependent on the "system"!

Relying on God as our source of hope! Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 08/06/06

Dear Friends:

Paul was even worse on Saturday than he had been all week. He wasn't even out of bed all day Saturday and didn't even WANT to get up. Tabby said he had a little fever and she was giving him some Tylenol to help. Needless to say the Starbucks trip was out of the question. Dad arrived to find out that the substitute nurse that we were suppose to have didn't show up! Boy ... Tabby was furious! It was good that Dad was able to be there! Tabby's parents came to visit. It was a great time for them to be here. They took Tabby & Max and went out for the afternoon and evening. It was a good time for them to spend with their daughter and grandson! Bowling, a movie & dinner are a great way to spend the day. Dad & I stayed with Paul. Bobby & Paul watched the Redskins scrimmage game that evening. What a great thing ... they used to do that a lot!

Sunday was a little better. Paul was still very tired and didn't do much. He missed going to Sunday School which Tabby was a little disappointed about. Dad got him up later in the afternoon and took him outside for a bit. He didn't really want to do it but I think he enjoyed being outside. It was refreshing. Dad said he was paying attention to all the motorcycles that went by the house. For those that don't know it ... they live on a VERY busy road and when we sit outside it is noisy! He hasn't paid much attention to the traffic until today! Maybe this is a good sign! His temperature was normal today and we are hoping that maybe we were dealing with a virus or something last week. Hopefully we will hear from the doctor soon to start decreasing the Depacote and he will feel even better. Later in the evening Tabby was fixing leftover chicken for dinner. She asked Paul "do you want your chicken hot or cold?" and he said "ha". It isn't really "hot" but it is close. This is also a good sign! He seemed more alert and stayed awake most of the day!

Max has a doctor appointment on Monday. He will have 4 shots! Tabby has the infant Tylenol READY! Nobody likes a fussy baby! :-)

Have a great week, Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 08/05/06

Dear Friends:

Enclosed is an email I received from our friend George who is doing the benefit ride for Paul & Tabby (and Max). If you are interested in helping ... this is a great way to become involved and support not only Paul & Tabby but George & his friends as well. Thanks for your support.

Lynne & Carl

P.S. Here is the link to George's blog site for the trip! Enjoy

Paul's Update - 08/04/06

Dear Friends:

Thursday was another long & frustrating day for Paul, Dad & Tabby. Dad arrived early (4:30am) to find that Max was awake. Dad took him upstairs to watch him while Tabby & Paul slept. Paul was even more tired (if you can believe that!). He didn't even want to get out of bed. He was disagreeable and tired. He did allow Dora to put some medicine on his tongue, he seems to have some Thrush. Tabby spent most of the day on the phone calling Social Services, Medicaid, Insurance Companies, & Doctors. She has mostly gotten long waits and disappointing information. It appears that Medicaid is only going to cover a percentage of the costs that were approved for payment by her Primary Health Insurance carrier. And, by the way, the insurance is denying payment for the last visit to the hospital when Paul had his most recent seizure since "she didn't get prior approval"!!!!! Arghhh!!! She also found out that since Paul gets Social Security, Medicaid wants to recover more than half of that money to cover the medical expenses they have incurred for Paul. I don't really understand how or why they can do that! Tabby also figured out a budget that is significantly higher than her current income from all sources! You know ... when it rains ... it pours! Apparently Tabby is getting some call-backs from the places she has applied to for jobs. Nothing has come of it yet but at least she is getting feedback.

Friday was much the same. Paul didn't really want to get out of bed. Dad was able to encourage him to get out of bed and sit in the recliner. Paul seemed to enjoy that. He liked it so much that when Dad tried to get him to get in the bed for a while he had to promise to get him back in the recliner later before Paul would agree to it!! No word yet on the blood tests. Tabby did talk to the doctor about writing up something that says he believes Paul will never speak again. This is difficult to accept but it will enable her to collect from the Death & Disability Policy that she took out. It would be nice to see her get some money that she is entitled to and since speech loss is covered under this policy and it looks as if he won't get much of his speech (if any) they may pay her the benefit amount. She also is working on getting her severance pay from her job now that she is officially laid off. Saturday we will have a new nurse. He will be covering for Audrey who is doing her mandatory work at the hospital as part of her certification as a Nurses Aid. Dad & I will be there to help out since Tabby will be spending some much needed time with her parents.

Needless to say this week it has been difficult to stay optimistic and focused. We try to remember that God will provide for us somehow. It would be so much easier if we knew the end of this story ... but then we wouldn't need faith! Our God has been so good to us so far ... I know he has a plan and will walk with us through this. Thanks for your continued faith & prayer. We would be lost without our faith!!

Love & Hugs, Lynne & Carl

P.S. Here are some more pictures of Max ... :-) Are we proud of him ... uh ... YES!!

Paul's Update - 08/02/06

Dear Friends:

Paul had his blood test this morning. We now hope the results come back quickly. Paul has gotten steadily more lethargic for the last several days. Today was the worst. Dad had the most difficult time getting him out of bed and into the bathroom. Paul didn't even try to help and Dad practically carried him out of the bathroom this evening. He stayed in bed most of the day. He was able to sit in the recliner a bit and watch TV, Other than going to the doctor he wasn't outside today. It was nearly 100 degrees outside so he probably wouldn't have gone out anyway. I was reminded tonight that Paul has now been taking the medicines for just past ten days. It takes ten days before the medicine gets to it's greatest level and is considered stable. I pray that the reason for the lethargy is that he is really taking too much medicine and the doctor will be comfortable with reducing the Depacote to level him out. Tabby got a phone call today from the Medicaid social worker that she has been working with. Tabby didn't talk to her but she left a message to say that the nursing care we've been getting isn't completely covered by Medicaid. We are not sure if that means that Tabby will have to pay what Medicaid doesn't cover or not. If that is the case we will probably lose the nursing care since Tabby won't have the income to pay that! Oh brother ... another thing to deal with. Hopefully Tabby will talk to the social worker tomorrow and get the full scoop. As always we ask that you continue to pray for our strength and Paul's healing.


Love, Lynn & Carl

Paul's Update - 08/01/06

Dear Friends:

I apologize for the delay in getting my updates out to you. The weekend was mostly uneventful. Paul continues to have difficulty walking. He is also being defiant a lot. He seems to take out much of his anger on Tabby which is difficult since she has been so patient and has worked so hard on his behalf. It was an emotional weekend for all ... but mostly Tabby. Monday was mostly quiet. Tabby had some errands to run. She also spent some time cleaning up the bedroom so that it would be possible to put the recliner that is in the living room into the bedroom. That way Paul can be sitting in a chair instead of the wheelchair. The wheelchair is very difficult to maneuver in the bedroom. She was able to throw away some stuff and make more space in the bedroom. Later in the evening Tabby & Dad had gone outside for a few minutes and when Bobby came downstairs to see Paul he discovered that Paul had fallen out of bed. Evidently he had a cup of water and the bedside table had not been put next to him. He decided to put the cup on the floor but since he doesn't have good judgment of distance he rolled over to his side and went too far ... thus falling out of the bed. He didn't hurt himself ... thank goodness!

Today the speech therapist came to our house. Dad came to the house to do more work on the kitchen. Paul didn't want to cooperate with the therapist. Tabby tried to get him to cooperate and he got very mad at her and started crushing her hand. The therapist finally got a little cooperation as long as Tabby was behind him and couldn't see her. Needless to say this is upsetting. The therapist tried to reassure Tabby that some anger can be normal with head injuries even though it usually occurs earlier it could be delayed with Paul's injury. He seems to understand what is happening around him. Dad said he was dozing in his chair this afternoon while they were watching TV. A funny commercial came on and when they laughed he woke up with a smile on his face as if he thought it was funny also. Wednesday is another blood testing day. My hope is that the doctor will see that he is ready to reduce the Depacote. The last time we got results by Friday which could mean we may be making changes this upcoming weekend. Our prayer is that this can be done safely without any seizures.

Love, Lynne & Carl