Paul's Update - 03/29/07

Dear Friends:

Wednesday was a pretty quiet day. Paul didn't want to go outside or do much therapy. He did do lots of walking with the walker. He now is using the walker every time (well almost every time) he walks anywhere. Sometimes he is so tired that we still have the wheelchair available. We worked a bit on the day of the week. He usually cannot get the day until you prompt him ... "Wed" then he says "Wednesday". He always remembers the "day" part once you get him started. He and I worked to identify things in the room. The TV, Lamp, Couch, chair, table and blanket. He still has lots of problems identifying them without lots of help. Billy came by on his way home from work. He plans to take Paul for a ride in his convertible possibly this weekend. Paul will enjoy that! Just before bed I was talking with Paul and he was smiling at me. He gave me a kiss and I asked him if I could have a hug. He nodded "yes" so I said "what do we do for a hug?" ... He smiled and held up his pointer finger and motioned as if to say "come here!" It was very cute. Paul was very alert and didn't go to bed until after 10pm. Thursday was another good day. After breakfast Dad went to the medical supply store to see about getting a more heavy duty walker for Paul. The one we have is good but just not wide enough. He gets his feet caught in the side bars when he walks. Dad got one that is rated for someone up to 300lbs. Paul does really well with it. Most of the day was quiet but Dad decided to do some physical therapy. Our laundry room has all sorts of exercise equipment including a weight machine. Paul worked on the weight machine first, then moved to the floor exercises. He did some work with hand weights then did some chair bicycle exercises. He worked really hard. He wanted to give up some of the time but Dad made him continue to work out. It is amazing to watch him and realize that doctors said he would "never be able to do anything on his own!!". Tabby came by for a little while tonight. She visited with Paul for a bit before she needed to head out and get some errands done. Dad asked Paul if he was happy to see Tabby & Max ... he nodded "yes". Tabby told him she loved him and he told her back "I love you". Tabby is still fighting a cold still but Max seems to be feeling better. Pap-Paw has been missing Max a bunch! We are amazed at how well Paul seems to be doing. Maybe the change has been good for him. Dad has enjoyed being able to work with Paul so much! Tomorrow we will be having lumber delivered for a new deck on the back of the house. Dad hopes to have Paul outside with him while they do the construction!! Paul will enjoy that I'm sure!

Have a great day! TGIF Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 03/27/07

Dear Friends:

Paul is settling into a bit of a routine here. He has been at our home forthe last four days. He continues to use the walker more each day. Monday after Dora arrived she and Dad got Paul bathed and dressed he ate breakfast at the table. Later in the morning he needed to go to the bathroom, when he was done he walked down the hallway but wasn't interested in sitting in the recliner. He kept walking toward the dining room. Dad thought maybe he was hungry but he kept walking past the dining room ... into the kitchen ... then into the laundry room. He went to the garage door so see inside the garage!! He had helped Dad build that garage! He did really well with transitioning from the carpet to the laminate flooring in the kitchen and then to carpet again in the laundry room. He still tries to put the walker a bit too far ahead of himself but he is working on that. Around 11am Dad started working on the new swing for the front yard. He took Paul outside with him and Paul was able to help hold the trellis while Dad bolted it together. When they got to the overhead piece that creates a shelter from sun & rain Dad gave Paul a wrench to hold on the bolt while he tightened up the nut! Paul enjoyed being outside with Dad ... so much that when they took a break to go to the bathroom he wanted to go right back outside!! We have been working each day to remind Paul what day it is. We have a whiteboard that we write the day & date on each day. Periodically during the day we ask Paul "what day is it?". He still struggles with this but is getting somewhat better if we give him a little prompt. By evening Paul was very tired. He complained of his stomach hurting. Since there is flu going around and Max is sporting a cold it is possible he could be getting a virus. He was in bed by 9pm. This morning Paul seemed to feel better. He was talking a bit this morning. When asked what day it is he said "today is ... ow" so Dad said "tue" and he finished it ... "Tuesday". He still only gets this right about 10% of the time. Uncle Jimmy called this morning and Paul talked to him on the phone. Paul really enjoys talking on the phone. He actually TALKS to convey his answers. They are mostly "hi", "good" or "I'm good", "cool" or "yes" but at least he answers almost everything the other person is saying. Paul wasn't interested in going outside today so Dad brought the new chair set that goes with the swing into the house to put together. This time Dad gave him the bolts and had him put them in the place they go and then gave him the nut to screw on. Paul put the nut on and knew which way to screw it ... in fact if it was misthreaded he was able to take it back off and fix it!! He sat on the floor "Indian style" to work with Dad. Later this afternoon the Speech Therapist came. She started working with Paul right away. She attempted to get Paul to point to the TV and the light next to the couch. He didn't want to cooperate. She tried to get him to identify the number 8 on a flash card when it was with another numbered card. He only got about 30% of them right. Then she put two shapes on flash cards on his lap desk and held up a duplicate of one of those shapes and asked him to identify the card that had the shape in her hand. He got those right EVERY TIME!! This went so well that she decided to try it with numbers. He got ALL of those right too!! Then she tried it with three numbered flash cards and he also got them all right! Matching pictures seems to be something he excels in!! She recommended we work on object & person recognition as well as continuing the date and number recognition. She will come back next week and work some more. She was real good and I think she can make progress with Paul! Tabby called and talked to Paul on the phone. She wasn't able to come over since she is sick. He really enjoyed talking to her and he listened intently when she spoke. By 8pm tonight Paul was very tired and wanted to go to bed. It is a bit early for him but he's had a couple of busy days! Hopefully he isn't getting sick ... Bobby & Tabby have been running fevers. What a blessing these last couple days have been!!

Have a great day!! Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 03/25/07

Dear Friends:

Paul had another great day. After Gladys arrived Dad got Paul into the shower. He hasn't been able to have a real shower for quite some time since it has been difficult to get him into and out of the tub. Dad had installed a new shower head that detaches so it can be held in Paul's hand. He was able to clean himself some and Dad helped with some of it. After breakfast we prepared to go to church. He was able to come to Sunday School with us. He attended the Worship service with us too. He did really good ... that is a long time to be out. When Dad, Paul & Gladys got home they sat outside on the front porch while I went and got Sub Sandwiches for lunch. This afternoon Paul was tired and napped while Dad & I went out to do some errands. We purchased a new outdoor swing for the front yard so that Paul can sit outside without being in the sun. Dad will work to put it together on Monday. This evening we had dinner around 5pm. It is really nice to be able to sit down together as a family. After dinner we went to a friend's church for his ordination as an Elder. Carl worked with Jeff for 30 years and it is a blessing to see him called to God's work! Once we got home it was time for Paul's medicines. He watched TV with us (Extreme Makeover Home Edition!) and he seemed to want something. Dad asked him what he wanted and he just said "ow". Dad told him to think about it a minute so he could tell us. Then Dad asked "does something hurt?". Paul nodded "yes" so Dad said "is it your stomach or head?" and Paul said "Bed". Evidently he was tired and wanted to go to bed. He was in bed by about 9:30am. It is amazing that God seems to be blessing the decisions we've made to have Paul at our home. He may heal faster and better with Carl's constant attention. Tabby didn't come over today. She picked up Max in West Virginia early. She called and said Max was fussy and not feeling good so she was going to take him right home and put him to bed. There is lots of flu going around ... hopefully he doesn't have it. Monday Carolyn will start babysitting Max during the day. She is at home with her father-in-law during the day and having Max will be a good situation for her (and probably Jim too!).

Have a great day! Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 03/24/07

Dear Friends:

Dad went to Tabby's house first thing this morning to meet up with Gladys (the weekend nurse) and show her husband how to get to our house. Once they were at our house Gladys helped Dad get Paul bathed and dressed. They took him to the dining room table for breakfast. It is nice for him to be able to sit at the table!! The morning consisted of mostly getting Paul's things put away in places that will make his care easier. Around 3pm Tabby & Carolyn came over. They had more of Paul's things, including some of the foods that she has for him. He eats lots of low calorie things like Lean Cuisine & Healthy Choice meals. It was Billy's birthday so Carolyn was going to make a cake for him. She brought the stuff for the cake and Alysa & I cooked the cake while Carolyn & Tabby went out to get more of Paul's things and do some errands. When they got back Tabby visited for a bit. She was able to see Paul's room and how things are set up. It was nice to have her visit. We miss seeing her. Dad decided today to see if Paul could use the walker to go to the bathroom. Paul started out using the walker that the hospital gave him. It has wheels on it and Paul had trouble with it. It kept getting too far away from him. We have another walker that doesn't have wheels and Paul was able to use it to get up from the recliner ... walk to the hallway ... and walk all the way down the hallway to the bathroom ... with MINIMAL assistance. Gladys was in front of him and Dad was behind him but he did most of the work by himself!! WOW ... what a wonderful thing to watch. Billy came over after work. He has a new T-shirt that Carolyn bought for him last week at Myrtle Beach. I read it for him ... "ROCK is dead ... long live Paper & Scissors". When I read it ... Paul looked up at Billy and gave him a big smile! He enjoyed the humor of it!! Smiles are really good ... he doesn't have much spontaneous reaction to humor. This evening Uncle Wally and Aunt Shirley came by to get a woodstove that we offered to them. Paul seemed very interested in Aunt Shirley. It was like he recognized her but wasn't really sure who she was. I actually wondered if he thought she may be his Grandmother ... Aunt Shirley looks a LOT like Grandma did when Paul was growing up. We had a nice visit with them and they stayed for dinner. Paul sat at the table with us again tonight. He waited for us to sit down and do the blessing before he ate!! After dinner we sat in the living room and visited for a bit. After Uncle Wally & Aunt Shirley left Paul sat up until almost 9pm. He had gotten his medicines and was ready to go to bed. Tabby brought over the baby monitor this afternoon so we will be able to monitor Paul during the night. His room is at the opposite end of the house from our bedroom. He was awake several times last night and Dad knows that because HE was awake several times worrying about Paul! Today Paul had such a great day ... so did we. I am hopeful that this is the beginning of many good things to come. Paul may actually progress well with Dad being able to work with him so much. It is amazing how God blesses the most difficult situations! Thanks for your prayers!

Have a great day, Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 03/23/07

Dear Friends:

Today started as usual ... Dad headed over to Paul's around 7am. Once Tabby left for work it was time to start getting things ready to move to our house. Dad started with Paul's clothes and toiletries. It was a little overwhelming to think about where we were going to put all the things that needed to go in my spare bedroom which will now be Paul's room. We emptied the dressers and the closet in that room to make space for Paul's things. I headed out to Wal-Mart to pick up some Space Bags and a mattress bag for our bed set. Dad went over to give Paul his lunch. Dora had stayed at the house with him during the morning. While I was gone Bobby & Dad moved Paul's bed to our house. Carolyn came over and helped pack some of the blankets & coats in the space bags. This makes an amazing amount of space in our closet. Once the bed was set up and the room was somewhat organized Dad went over and put Paul in the van for the trip to our house. Paul was able to sit in Dad's recliner for the afternoon. He watched TV while we worked around him. I'm sure we were as entertaining as the TV!! LOL Around 3pm Dad asked Paul if he was hungry. He nodded "yes" so I went to see what I had for snack. I told Paul I had carrots & apples. I asked him "do you want carrots or apples?" ... he said "apples". Our hallway is somewhat long and narrow so when Paul needs to go to the bathroom he has to walk some distance. He did really well and the new handicap toilet is really nice to have!! Tonight I fixed dinner for Paul, Dad, Carolyn, Alysa, my sister Cathy and me. It is the first time I've cooked a dinner in a very long time!! Paul came to the table and waited for all of us to sit down before he ate. Dad told Paul we were going to do a blessing and Paul bowed his head and waited for Dad to finish before he began eating!! It was really nice to sit down as a family. After dinner Cathy helped me organize our sitting room. There is a TV in that room and it is across the hall from Paul's bedroom. He probably won't really spend much time in there but it will also serve as a storage place and can be used as a spare bedroom if necessary since I have an apartment sized sleeper sofa in there. Dad got a call from Tabby that forwarded a message from Paul's neurologist. It appears that Paul's sodium level is back in the normal range and his med levels are all looking good. The doctor wants us to continue to add juices instead of water along with salting Paul's foods in order to keep his sodium level up. Paul got his medicines around 8:30pm and was ready for bed around 9pm. Once he was tucked in I went to tell him goodnight and I asked him if he liked the room. He said "I like it". Tomorrow Dad will need to go to Tabby's to meet with the weekend nurse and show her how to get to our house. We will continue to organize the house and especially the laundry room that will serve as an exercise room for Paul. All seems to be going well so far. Please continue to pray ... we still have lots of emotional decisions to make.

Have a great weekend, Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 03/22/07

Dear Friends:

Carolyn & I stayed an extra day in SC and were able to go and see the "Extreme Makeover Home Edition" house that is near Myrtle Beach. The house will be featured on the show this weekend (3/25) and it was fun being able to get a "sneak preview" of it! We headed home today and arrived around 7pm. Wednesday was a good day for Paul but Dad had quite an emotional day. It is difficult to deal with our emotions even though Paul is doing well. We continue to believe that Paul will improve significantly ... he improves a little each day. The difficulty is that his improvement is slow and we become impatient. God commands us to be patient ... it is truly a virtue that is part of a Christian's life. Patience begins with the affirmation that God is sovereign and in control and working in our lives. We believe that Paul first of all is HERE because God is in control. I believe that he is also in control of Paul's healing. Please continue to pray for our patience! Much of Dad's day is working with Max. He is a busy baby! He is such a joy for Pap-Paw! When Dad was working with Paul on Wednesday afternoon he asked him "how are you?", Paul responded "I look good". It doesn't make a lot of sense ... but it is better than just "good". The Speech therapist came later in the evening and worked with Paul. She brought some cards for Paul to work with. She suggested we ask Paul periodically during the day if he knows what day it is. If he cannot remember we can remind him. She got him to point out numbers on flash cards. He was about 40% right on the numbers. She would ask him to pick out a specific number and sometimes he did it right and sometimes he didn't. She wants us to keep working on that until he can get about 90% right. She did days of the week and March and April cards for him to start recognizing the cards and names on them. Today (Thursday) Paul's day started early. It was the date for his dental appointment. This was to have an evaluation with the Sedation Dentist that Tabby found. When the nurse came in to see Paul she introduced herself to him. She held out her hand to shake his and he held out his hand and said "Paul". WOW ... this means he really does know who he is ... he INTRODUCED himself to her! Dad was moved to tears. He has not ever said his own name without being prompted! The nurse did lots of X-rays and she had to have Paul cooperate in order to do that. He did everything she asked him to do without any fuss. When they were probing his mouth she said he would pull away or move his head when it would hurt. She was a bit concerned that unless he was completely sedated the work that needs to be done could not be accomplished without hurting him. Dad, Tabby & Paul were at the dentist from 9am until 12pm. Considering the quote that we received as well as the level of cooperation that Paul was able to exhibit, we have decided that we will try to get another opinion about seeing a regular dentist ... maybe one that has experience with difficult patients or even children! Dad worked with numbers and dates tonight. They also looked through Paul's Harley Davidson (motorcycle) Encyclopedia. Dad pointed to one of the engines and asked Paul if he knew what it was. Paul shook his head "yes" so Dad asked him what it was. Paul shook his head "no" so Dad asked him to try to say what it was. Paul took his finger and pointed to the top of the engine. Dad asked him if it had something to do with the head ... he shook his head "yes". It turns out that it was a Shovel Head. We can't tell if he really knows what it is but wouldn't that be great if he remembers about the motorcycles that he loved so much! This evening Tabby took Max to her parent's house in West Virginia. He will spend the weekend with Grandma & Grandpa Smith. Today our nephew Tony was able to come to our home and put a handicap toilet in our hallway bathroom for Paul. Friday we will start packing Paul's clothing and the things that we will need at our house to prepare to move them on Saturday. Although we believe that our home will be a good place for Paul, it is very difficult to be moving him out of his home. I pray that we will continue to have wisdom as we make the changes that we feel we need to make. I pray that God will bless and guide ALL of us in this change as He continues to bless Paul in his recovery. Have a great day! TGIF

Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 03/20/07

Dear Friends:

Carolyn and I are in South Carolina. We travelled on Monday and arrived around 6pm. It was a beautiful day in the 70's. Mom and Ann are glad to be home ... and Ann's dogs were VERY happy to see us!! I called Dad to find out how the day went. Paul had a quiet day with Dora (the nurse). Max was fussy most of the day so Dad spent a lot of time caring for him. Paul continues to say new things each day. After Dad had taken care of Max's breakfast and had him dressed he went back downstairs to check on Paul. When he came in the room Paul said "Hi" and Dad said "hi" back. The Paul said "How are you?"!! He hasn't ASKED Dad how he is before. Later in the evening Bobby and Billy were talking with him . Billy asked Paul if he remembered who he is. Paul nodded "yes" and Billy told him "you need to SAY ... not just nod". Paul said "you are a felon". This doesn't seem funny but it relates to a family joke that has been going on for years. It was VERY significant for us ... since it shows he remembers something from before the accident that is funny to us all! This morning Dad had to be at Paul's early to get him ready to go and have his blood drawn. This is to test the level of medicine in his blood since they have reduced the medicine. When they went to draw the blood Dad left Paul's coat on and pulled up the sleeve. Once they were done Dad just pushed the sleeve down. Paul reached with his RIGHT hand and straightened up the sleeve then proceeded to SNAP the cuff! He managed to get it snapped by himself. I talked to Paul on the phone this evening and he had a little more trouble talking to me but he really does well on the phone. I think it must be because he HAS to think about what we are saying. The rest of the day was pretty quiet again. Max has figured out how to pull the nipple out of his bottle. When he does that he spills his milk all over himself. He thinks this is pretty funny! On a more serious note ... our family has been facing lots of emotional decisions lately. As a family one of the decisions we have made is to move Paul to our home. This will allow him to have more access to the whole house. We also have a room on the back of our house that can be set up as an exercise room. Dad will be able to work with Paul more easily. This will also eliminate Dad having to travel back and forth to Paul's so much. This decision has been difficult for everyone but will be the best thing for all in the long run. Please continue to keep us in prayer as we struggle through the emotions that we are dealing with. Paul has done so well lately and we certainly hope that will continue but it has been over 16 months of stress that we are seeing effects of. God promises that he will not forsake us and He won't. We know we are not alone ... and that is also where you come in. We are thankful that you are standing beside us and continue to pray for us.

Love & hugs,
Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 03/18/07

Dear Friends:

We've had a pretty busy weekend. Friday Mom, Ann & I spent the day with my sister Cathy and her daughter Lizzie. It was a rainy, cold day but we went to lunch in Occoquan at a restaurant that overlooks the river. Then we did some shopping. It was nice to spend the day together. Dad said that Uncle Jimmy called and while they were talking Dad asked him if he wanted to talk to Paul. Paul really enjoys talking on the phone. Uncle Jimmy wasn't aware that Paul could talk on the phone. When he spoke to him, Paul said "hello" then Uncle Jimmy asked him how he was doing. Paul said "I'm good". He said I heard you had the speech therapist come and asked how Paul liked her. Paul said "I like her". Everything Uncle Jimmy asked Paul he verbally answered him on. He had a really nice conversation and Uncle Jimmy was very surprised. Later that day I called him and had a similar conversation with him. He answered every question I asked which is a marked improvement ... we've been telling him he HAS to talk because we cannot hear him nod his head. He understands this and is doing more talking!! Dad spent the night at Paul's in case Paul had any problems from the reduction in medicines. Saturday Dad was gone for much of the day. He came home to get some work done. Tabby worked with Paul some and she asked "who am I" and he told her "you are medicine giver". She asked him "who are you?" and he said "I am a Methodist". Pretty amazing!! Sunday, Dad went over and took Starbucks. He opened the door for the nurse and then went to breakfast with Bill, Ronda, Lew, Bill's Mom Shirley, my sister Ann, Carl and me. Mom wasn't feeling real well and stayed home until time for church. Dad went back to Paul's after breakfast to get Max ready for church. Max really enjoys playing in the nursery during church. There were lots of children today too!! When we went back to Paul's after church Tabby asked Paul "how are you?" and he said "I'm good". She asked "how's your day going?" and he said "good". She asked "What have you been doing?" and he said "nothing". It was an interesting thing to watch them have a "conversation". He is getting better at this. Although he cannot do it all the time, when he is having a good spell he does these things well. Tonight Tabby asked him "how are you" and he said a series of about six or more words. They didn't make much sense but the fact that he put a long sentence together is interesting! Paul has not had any adverse effects from the change in medicines. Thank goodness. I will be heading out to take Mom & Ann home on Monday. Carolyn is going to travel with us so I will have company when I come home. It will be a nice opportunity to spend time with my daughter! Please keep us in your prayers as we travel. Also please continue to pray for our entire family as it has been an emotional weekend for us all. Many emotional things have been shared and we need God's wisdom to make wise decisions. One of the things that has sustained us to this point is that our God promises that he will not forsake us and the prayers of His people have been our comfort.

Blessings, Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 03/15/07

Dear Friends:

Wednesday Paul had a pretty good day. He didn't want to exercise so Carl had him on the floor mat for about an hour. He was mostly just laying there but Dad sits at the end of the mat so that Paul has to raise up to see him. He is actually getting some sit-ups in doing that. Ann was feeling sick so Mom & I went to do some grocery shopping. We took lunch over to Paul's. Paul wanted a sub sandwich from Subway. We stayed and visited for a little bit before going back home. While I was visiting he was very alert. I asked him ... "how are you?" and he said "I'm good". He doesn't even hesitate when he says this anymore. Mom went to my sister Cathy's later in the afternoon and went to a play that was at Hylton High School. My niece Lizzie was the director of a fundraiser play called "Mr. Hylton". A good time was had by all! Tabby asked Paul how he was doing in the evening and he said "I want a hug". The speech therapist showed up this evening. She was very aggressive and started working with Paul right away. She was impressed with Paul's progress. Paul talked to Bobby on the phone. He picked up the phone and said "hello". Then Paul said "your fading" and held the phone closer to his ear! Everyone was amazed that he said that ... we don't teach him those things!! He also told Bobby "your very interesting"!! Bobby asked Paul how he was doing and he said "good". When Bobby asked him another question and he said "ow" so Tabby told him he needed to speak ... so he said "yes". The therapist was there and was able to see what Paul does. She encouraged Tabby & Dad to have Paul ASK for what he needs more often. She also suggested that Tabby not use her fingers for the days of the week but write the names of the days on paper and have him identify them when he says them. The doctor called tonight and told Tabby that Paul's sodium level is low. He told Tabby that maybe Paul was getting too much water but he has already cut back on his water. He wants Paul to get more salt in his diet. He also recommended that one of the Trileptol doses be discontinued. Thursday night will be the first reduction of the medicine. Dad will probably need to stay at Paul's on Friday night to make sure everything is OK. Medicine reductions are always scary ... keep him in prayer ... he's been doing so well lately that it would be terrible to have another setback.

Have a good day! Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 03/13/07

Dear Friends:

Monday Ann, Mom & I started out from Harrisonburg and headed to Strasburg which is only about an hour away. We traveled down Rt. 11 through the countryside and stopped at several thrift and antique stores. Consequentially it took us about 5 hours to get to Strasburg!! We had a great time and we ate dinner in Strasburg before heading back to Manassas. We got home around 7pm and went to see Paul. He was sitting up on the futon when we arrived and looked really good. We sat in his room and visited for quite a while. Aunt Ann & Nana were able to get a hug from him. He actually gives very nice hugs. He said "hi" to us and we asked him how he was ... he said "I have M-ow" ... I'm not sure what he meant but he said it three times in a row!! Tabby He did some counting and the days of the week for them. He still struggles with the days of the week a bit but he did OK. Dad said that the nurse (Dora) didn't show up for the day. It turns out she had a fever and had been to the doctor. He had the responsibility for Paul and Max all day. They had a good day. Max has discovered that he can get up the stairs pretty quickly now. Pap-Paw has to keep an eye on him. He has a play yard fence where he plays and he climbs up the fencing. It won't be long before it will be hard to contain him!! Today Dad headed out early to Paul's. Dora showed up and was feeling better. We met Dad, Paul, Max & Dora for lunch at the City Tavern in Manassas. Paul was feeling really good today. We had a good lunch and visit. This evening Dad asked Paul what he was watching on TV. He said "Garcia" ... he was actually watching "CSI". Amazingly if you say it ... they sound VERY similar. We haven't heard anything back from Paul's neurologist about the blood tests he took last week ... but "no news is good news"! Tabby talked to the speech therapist on Monday. She is having a lot of family problems and asked if it would be OK to send one of her students to work with Paul. Thursday evening at 6pm we will have a visit from her and we are hopeful that she will be able to work with Paul!

Have a great day! Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 03/11/07

Dear Friends:

Today was a great day for site seeing. Mom, Ann & I headed to Natural Bridge. We spent a couple of hours there before taking a drive in the countryside. We attempted to go onto the Blue Ridge Parkway but most of it was closed. It was hard to tell if it was from snow or storm damage ... there were lots of tree limbs on the road along the way. We proceeded to go back to I-81 only to find that there were so many trucks on the highway that it made the trip slow and not very interesting. We jumped off the interstate and went north on Rt. 11 through many small towns as we made our way back to Harrisonburg. We are spending the night in the hotel we were in last night. Dad went out to breakfast this morning with Bill, Ronda, Lew & Bill's Mom. Afterward he headed to Paul's. Paul wanted to sit up on the futon and didn't have any desire to go back to bed so Dad stayed home from church. At lunchtime Dad was sitting with Paul and asked him what he wanted for lunch. Paul said "you're Pap-Paw". This is significant because our granddaughter Alysa calls him Pap-Paw ... Max will too someday. It was a beautiful day and Dad decided to try to go for another ride on the motorcycle. He rode for about 2 hours. Later Tabby and Dad worked to put together a new wardrobe that Tabby bought at Ikea. There is not much closet or dresser storage in the bedroom so this should help. Paul sat on the futon and watched them work. It took several hours to complete. Dad was still at Paul's at 10pm when I talked to him ... getting ready to head home soon! Ann, Mom & I will head towards home on Monday.

Have a great day! Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 03/10/07

Dear Friends:

Today was a less eventful day for Ann, Mom & Me. We started out around 9am this morning and headed toward White Sulpher Springs. We stopped at a Craftsman's Mall that was recommended to us. It was a nice place but we were a little disinterested in shopping. We decided to continue on to White Sulpher Springs ... but when we got there we found that was nothing we could actually DO there!! So we headed to Virginia State Welcome Center. The lady there suggested we go to Hot Springs Virginia (which we had already considered) and told us that if there was room we might be able to stay at the Homestead Inn there. Well ... the rooms that were available were $205 per person for the first two people and $127 for the third person ... needless to say we DIDN'T stay. We headed on down the road to the Warm Springs. We found an Inn that was across from a bathhouse that was reasonably priced BUT ... it was an old farmhouse converted to a bed & breakfast. The house was up a hill and there were several old steps to the porch ... AND a steep stairwell to the second floor where the rooms were. We decided that it would be difficult for Mom to climb the stairs ... so we continued on. The next plan was to go to Monterey Virginia to possibly get in on the Maple Festival that was to happen on Sunday. We drove about 20 miles through the mountains ... in the rain ... only to find that "there was no room at the Inn"!! Then it was DARK and we had to drive another 50 miles at 25mph to get to Staunton Virginia ... which we never saw ... we ended up in Harrisonburg Virginia and got a hotel where there is a lot of high school students in town for an Archery Competition. We finally settled in around 10pm. I called Dad around 10:30pm. He said Paul had a good day. He wanted to sit on the futon again. When Dad told him to get up he tried to sit straight up in the bed....then he put his legs over the side of the bed! Dad reminded him to lean way over his legs before he stood up and he was able to stand up very well. Dad had an opportunity to go riding on his motorcycle this afternoon. It was a beautiful day. He had to charge the battery and get the bike running but once he got that done he was able to take about a forty minute ride. Tabby & Max went out with a friend for a bit today. Gladys stayed with Paul while Dad was out. This evening Jen was working with Paul to do the alphabet with a Dr. Seuss book & tape that Tabby bought. He was able to do some of the letter recognition in the book. Tonight when Dad got Paul ready for bed he kissed him and told him good night. He always tells Paul that he loves him ... tonight Paul told Dad he loved him back!! This is the only time Paul has told Dad "I love you"! Another blessing for Dad!!

Have a great day! Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 03/09/07

Dear Friends:

Mom, Ann & I stayed in the Holiday Inn Express in Shelbyville Kentucky last night. It was new and very nice. After our continental breakfast this morning we headed out for Shaker Village in Pleasant Hill Kentucky. We toured the grounds and learned a lot about the Shakers and their religion. We ate lunch there and enjoyed that very much. We watched a man make a broom and he explained how it was done during the time the Shakers lived in that village. We spent almost four hours there. When we left we took a drive down a scenic byway and saw some beautiful countryside ... horse countryside!! We drove through the Lexington Kentucky area which is the "Horse Capital of the World". It was very evident that there is MONEY there! We stopped around 7pm in Morehead Kentucky for the night and got dinner at the Food Lion down the road from the hotel. I talked to Dad this evening. Paul had his neurologist appointment. The doctor said he noticed some improvement ... DUH! He noted that Paul was using his right hand better and was "walking" the wheelchair better than when he saw him last. He used some of his words for the doctor as well. Tabby was able to be there for the visit. The doctor said he really wants to see a new MRI done. Tabby will need to get Paul on the COBRA policy from the job she had prior to this one. Once that is in effect she can schedule an appointment for the MRI. We are all interested in how much different the results are from the last time (just after the seizures). Saturday I will be heading to WV. Mom, Ann & I are not sure what we will do yet but it looks like we may be home by the end of the weekend!

Have a great weekend....

Lynne & Carl

P.S. I recieved an email from Tabby from Tuesday ... here is a copy of it ...

Hi Mom,

I really enjoyed your e-mail this morning. I'm sorry I didn't e-mail you last night, but you know how it gets at night. I had a few minutes and decided to veg out on-line looking at the housing market. (Yuck.)

When I got home yesterday, Jen was downstairs talking to Paul. He wasn't saying much back, but seemed to be listening intently. I sat down and started asking him a few questions as I always do. I asked him "How are you?" He said, "I'm okay". Then I tried asking how his day was, what he had done for the day, etc. Out of the blue Paul states "I hope it's you". I'm not sure what it was supposed to mean, but I'll take it as a good thing. Four word sentences are a fabulous thing.

A few minutes later Carolyn called me on my cell phone. I asked her to call me on the house phone so that I could put her on speaker for Paul to listen in. She did so and Paul seemed to interact well to it. He nods his head a lot, so you have to remind him to "say Yes or No." He would typically say yes. Carolyn told us that she put in her 2 weeks notice so that she could watch over Jim and take it a little easier while she is pregnant. Not a bad idea now that they have a little extra money in the bank. She also told us about their new ferret. Paul just listened intently.

After a few minutes of talking, Paul picked up the remote to the TV (that I had recently turned off) as if he had become disinterested and wanted to go back to watching TV. I asked Paul if he wanted to talk to Carolyn. He nodded. I handed the phone to Paul and he put it up to his ear and said in a clear voice "Hello." Carolyn answered back, and Paul looked rather puzzled, because the phone was still on speaker, so he took the phone away from his ear. I asked him if he wanted the phone off of speaker. He nodded. I did so, and luckily Carolyn was loud enough that I could listen to the conversation that was carried on. We had to remind him to say Yes or No frequently, but he thoroughly enjoyed the conversation. After it seemed that Carolyn had run out of questions for Paul, I asked Paul if he would hand me back the phone. At first, he really didn't want to, so it took a minute of convincing to get the phone back. I went to go outside and handed the TV remote to Paul, after turning the TV back on, so that he could change the channel. He put the remote up to his ear, and again said "Hello." He really enjoys phone calls. I would really like to encourage more of that as he improves.

He had not had dinner, and it was around 6:20 PM. I asked Paul if he was hungry, and he shook his head no. About 10 minutes later, I tested the water again, by asking him if he was hungry. He lo oked at me and said "I wait". Okay ... that was cool. I went into the kitchen and peeled a Clementine for a snack. I asked Paul if he would like some. He nodded, so I took a single slice and gave him the rest. I went ahead and prepared his dinner after he chose between the fish and the chicken. (He really likes his fish. - Good brain food.)

That was pretty much our evening as a whole. Max ran around with both his walker and his Daddy's walker. He loves scooting around. I gave Max a bath, and laid him down around 8:15 PM. (Bringing his bedtime in earlier because we'll be losing an hour this weekend with the time change.) He slept well through the night.

Paul and I had our normal dialogue through the evening. Christi stopped by with cookies from "Mrs. Fields", and had a short one sided conversation with Paul before he fell asleep. She told us her husband fina lly received a job offer with Home Depot (I was the one who made the suggestion to apply there because of the fabulous benefits and fair pay, so she wanted to thank me.)

Yet another good night passed ... except, I still haven't won the lottery ... :)

Tabitha Johnson

Paul's Update - 03/08/07

Dear Friends:

Mom, Ann & I started out the day in Murfreesboro and headed out for Kentucky around 10am on Wednesday. We drove to Horse Cave Kentucky. Mom had an Uncle that lived there a long time ago. We stopped in a bookstore in town (well ... a strip of stores along the road!) and spoke to a man who lived there. He had heard of Mom's family and told us a lot of information. He suggested we go to Munfordville and visit the Historical Society. We drove to Rowletts Kentucky where my mother's grandmother lived and saw the family land where my mother was born. Then on to Munfordville. At the Historical Society we were talking to the lady that runs the place and my mother told her that her maiden name was Waddell...and a lady that was there doing research came over and said "I hate to interrupt you but ... my name is WADDELL!!" It turns out that she was a second cousin of my mother's!!! It was amazing to talk to her and we got some stories about the family. After we visited for a bit we headed o ff to Louisville and found the Seelbach Hilton Hotel. It is right across the street from where Mom use to work in 1955. We stayed there. Mom is amazed how much Louisville has changed. We went to dinner at the hotel and didn't finish until around 11pm. I called and talked to Dad after we got into the room and he said Paul had another great day. He sat up most of the day. It turns out every time he goes to the bathroom he stops at the futon to sit. He really likes the new futon. Dad said this morning Paul was having a snack of apples and oranges. He was eating the oranges and Dad said "why don't you eat some of the apples" and Paul put an orange back into the bowl and picked out an apple!! He also said that Paul was walking better today than he has been! He may try to work more with the walker soon. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get a lot of information about Paul's day since I woke Dad up around 11:30pm when I called home! We started out the day on Thursday by walking around the street nearby the hotel in Louisville and then we boarded the trolley that drives around town and saw some of the city. We went to the Brown Hotel and had lunch. We were told at the Kentucky Visitor's Center that we needed to try the "Hot Brown" for lunch. It is the hotel specialty and it was GREAT. Afterwards we took a drive around town and found Mom's old high school and then went to Churchill Downs. We were able to get a guided tour of the racetrack and facility. By then it was after 7pm so we headed out of Louisville and got a hotel in Shelbyville Kentucky for the night. I spoke with Dad and he said that Paul spent a good part of the day on the futon. He fell asleep on it this afternoon so after Dad took him to the bathroom he asked Paul "Do you want to get back in bed for a while?" and he nodded "yes". He didn't go back to sleep but he watched TV there for a while. Later he sat on the futon again. Dad asked Paul if he remembered who he is and he nodded "yes". He asked "do you know my name?" and Paul said "I don't know". Dad said his name and Paul repeated it. Then Dad said "do you know your name?" and Paul said "I don't know". Tabby tried "What's your name?" and Paul said "I DON'T KNOW". He doesn't even hesitate to say this now. It is nice that he can say it instead of just shaking his head "no". This evening Tabby was standing Max up and she let go ... he actually stood by himself for a few seconds ... it isn't going to be long before he is trying to walk!! He will be 9 months old in a few days!! He is feeling better and has not had any more crying spells. Dad thinks that Max may have eaten something that disagreed with him. Friday Paul has an appointment with the neurologist. It will be interesting to see what his doctor thinks of his progress. Tabby plans to call the speech therapist to see when she can come to visit with Paul. Hopefully that will be in the next few days!!

Have a great day! Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 03/06/07

Dear Friends:

Monday I left Conway SC and headed for Tennessee. Mom, Ann & I stopped in Columbia SC to visit with my niece Sarah. We had breakfast with her and visited for about an hour. After breakfast we headed toward Tennessee. The drive through Atlanta is always interesting and I let my sister drive that part!! We made a stop in Chattanooga Tennessee and ate dinner at the Chattanooga Choo Choo. If you want a great dinner at a reasonable price ... this is a great place to visit. We arrived in Murfeesboro around 8:30pm and settled in at a local hotel. I talked to Dad at home and he said Paul had a pretty quiet day but he sat in the Futon most of the day. Earlier that day Tabby got a call from her attorney to find out that the insurance company is willing to settle for less than they originally wanted from her insurance settlement. The attorney is also taking a little less than his regular fee ... thus leaving Paul with about half of the settlement amount ... about 50K. They will arrange to have the money put into a Medical Trust account so there will be money for Paul's continued care without affecting the Social Security or Medicaid!! This will be the last of any financial settlements. Tabby sent me a message this afternoon ... here is an excerpt from that message " I had to go to Paul's neurologist's office today to set up an appointment because I haven't had any luck getting them on the phone. I set up an appointment for him on Friday, March 9th so that he can see Paul's progression and update his medication prescriptions. I then walked upstairs to talk to the dentist that resides above the neurologist's office. Once again we were turned down. I then called another dentist in Burke, VA to see if they would be able to accept Paul. They said they were not sure if they would be able to do anything for him, but they would be willing to see him for an evaluation. Problem came when I asked them if they were handicapped accessible. They stated they had about 20 steps to walk up and down. That will not work. When I got to my office I finally decided to contact Dr. Steven Burch, because I've heard so much about them on the radio and they were highly recommended by a friend. I know they cost more, but I also know that they do IV sedation dentistry. You can check them on the web. I gave the back story to the receptionist. She gave me every reassurance that they should have no problems handling Paul's case. She talked with the dentist and got back to me with a definite "OK". She said that Paul is one of the many reasons that Dr. Burch started his practice. I have a good feeling that this will cost between 20K and 30K, but it has to be done. Our only other option would be to go through a hospital, and I'm not sure that would change the price or if they would even try to save his teeth the way a good dentist would. Dr. Burch is in McLean, VA. Once again, it's a bit of a haul, but worth it because they can get his teeth done in a matter of potentially 2 or 3 visits as opposed to 20 or so visits. (Cleanings, root canals, teeth pulling, laser gum removal, crowns, etc, which is what the prior dentists have stated he would need.) I've already talked to literally dozens of dentists, so I'm comfortable with this decision. We'll get the money together somehow. His appointment is set for March 22nd. I already told my bosses that I would have to attend the initial visit so I can fill out the paperwork and go over the treatment options. Dad should be okay for the other visits. Paul's been speaking a lot of jibberish in the mornings and late at night. So far he's been speaking at least one new/crazy word a day. That's pretty darn good I think. Not sure if you heard about the baby's bout of crying last night. Max was in some severe pain or something. He screamed bloody murder for what seemed like an hour with few breaks in between. Had me a little freaked, but I just held him until he was ready to be laid down, which was about 10 last night. So far so good tonight."

Tuesday we started out slowly and had the continental breakfast at the hotel before heading out. Mom had some business in town to take care of and then we visited a few people that she wanted to see. We drove around town for a bit seeing all the changes in a year!! Mom was surprised how much can change in such a short time. We had dinner at a great little country "lunchroom" that serves home cooked foods. It is a great little place. We went to Mom's old neighborhood after dinner and visited with a few of her neighbors. She got to see her old house ... it hasn't changed much! After we returned to the hotel I spoke to Dad. He said Paul sat on the Futon again today. He seems to really enjoy it. He did some counting today ... he can do one to ten all by himself. He also can do the days of the week Monday through Thursday without any help. When Tabby got home this evening she asked Paul if he wanted dinner and he said "I'll ... wait". She was surprised ... but pleased. During dinner they were talking about the lottery which is at $370 million. Later she asked him to talk to her ... to say ANYTHING. He said "I ... hope ... you win"!! She said "are you talking about the lottery?" and he nodded his head "yes". He really seems to be making a lot of verbal connections lately!! Wednesday ... we are heading to Kentucky!!

Have a great day!! Love, Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 03/04/07

Dear Friends:

I started out on Saturday morning to go to South Carolina only to realize that I left my camera in Carl's truck. I went to Paul's house to get it and got there in time to see Paul working on the floor mat in the kitchen. Tabby was arm wrestling with Paul, he was trying to push her arm to the floor with his left hand. He was pushing really hard and was able to push her arm all the way down. It seems like it should be easy but Tabby is pretty strong. After that Tabby got Paul to do some sit ups ... not just crunches ... all the way up sit ups. She had him hold onto her hands and pull himself up to a sitting position on the mat. He did that about four times. It took a lot of encouragement since he really didn't want to do it but Tabby promised him a kiss each time he got all the way up (he seemed to like that!!). Before I left I told Paul I was going to visit Nana & Aunt Ann Z and asked him if he wanted to say anything to them. He nodded yes and Tabby asked him what he wanted to say. He shook his head "no" and then said "I ... don't ... know". Wow ... it is apparent that he WANTS to say things but he doesn't know what to say! I believe he will be able to soon though ... he is making so much progress!! Sunday I went to church with my sister and then came home to my mother's house for lunch. The plan was to go out for dinner later in the evening with John (Ann's husband) so we ate a light lunch. I got a picture from Carl of Paul sitting on the new futon that Tabby put in the bedroom. Paul didn't want to get in bed after he went to the bathroom so Dad had him sit on the futon. He seemed to enjoy that. Later in the evening Dad told Paul that I was away but he could talk to me on the phone. Paul shook his head "no" so Dad said I'll call and you can talk to her. He called me on the cell phone and I talked to Paul. He said "Hello" ... and I asked him if he had a good day (Carl said he shook his head each time I asked him something) finally he repeated "I had ... good day" I told him "I love you" and he said "Love you". Then he said "Are you awake?" and I asked him what he said ... he repeated "are you awake?". I didn't understand it but when Carl told Tabby that he said that she was wondering if maybe what he REALLY said was "are you AWAY?" That makes more sense and maybe he really DID say that!! We really had a nice talk on the phone and at the end I told him to give the phone back to Dad ... which he did! It is hard to be away ... especially since he is doing so well. He is in the BEST hands though! Today at church I was reminded that we are running a "marathon" ... we are running the course that was set for us. We didn't chose this but we must run with diligence and be ready for a long journey. We get refreshment along the way ... a marathon has "water stations" where the runner gets refreshment. Our friends and family have been "refreshment" for us. Your prayers are "refreshment" ... they get us to our next station. Anyway ... thanks for your continued refreshment ... and encouragement.

Love & Hugs, Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 03/02/07

Dear Friends:

Dad headed over at the regular time this morning. He decided that they would not work on the floor mat today since Paul was on it quite a bit yesterday. He sat on edge of bed and had his snack this morning. This is pretty good exercise and gives him a chance to balance himself. Dad practiced going over the days of week and months of year with Paul. Then he asked Paul if he remembered anybody's birthday. He nodded "yes" so Dad went over family members birthdays. He told Paul who's birthday was in which month ... once he finished Paul said "I have November"....Guess what...his birthday IS in November!!. This afternoon Dad asked Paul if he wanted to go to the bathroom, he said yes but didn't want to get out of bed when Dad asked him to get his legs on the side of the bed. Dad decided to sit in the chair next to Paul's bed and wait until he was ready to help. While he was sitting there Paul looked over at him and said "I want to go" so Dad took him! If he SAYS he wants something ... we try to make sure he gets it! Dad came to my office with Max at lunchtime. We made the rounds in the office to meet my coworkers but it was at lunch time and several folks were gone. We'll have to go again. Max was very fascinated with the elevator and seemed to like the florescent lights. Tabby worked with Paul again tonight with numbers and days of the week. Paul does really good with one through ten. Tabby just gets him started with "one" and Paul can do the rest without any help. He also does good with Monday through Friday but still struggles with Saturday and Sunday. Tonight he told Tabby "I am money" ... hmmm ... not sure what that means LOL. She was going out and she was trying to get him to say "see you later" but instead he said "I love you"! As I said before ... he can't go wrong by saying that!! Dad & I went out for dinner this evening. We came back and spent about an hour before Paul was exhausted and ready for bed. Saturday I will head out to go to SC and visit with my sister Ann & my mother. We are going on a "road trip" to Tennessee and Kentucky. I will be gone about ten days. Tabby & Dad will try to keep me informed so I can keep you updated.

Love & Hugs,
Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 03/01/07

Dear Friends:

Dad said Paul had a pretty good day on Thursday. He wasn't much interested in doing exercises but Dad did get him down on the floor mat. He laid on his back for quite a while but didn't want to do leg lifts or stomach crunches. Dad sat on the floor at the end of the mat and read his book while Paul laid there. Every once in a while Paul would look up trying to see Dad ... he was actually doing stomach crunches even though he didn't really want to!! Dad kept asking him if he was OK and he nodded "yes". He did roll over and lay on his stomach for a while before he rolled onto his back again. Tonight Tabby came in and asked Paul how he was doing and he said "OK". It is nice that he responds to the question pretty regularly now. Tabby worked with Paul doing speech again tonight. Uncle Jimmy came by and visited and was able to see Paul do his speech exercises. He counted and did the days of the week. Saturday I will be leaving to go and visit my mother in South Carolina. My sister Ann, my mother and I are going to take a "road trip" to Tennessee and Kentucky over the next couple of weeks. I will try to keep you updated as much as I can. I'm thankful that things are good enough to think about going away. Our God has blessed us with so many good things lately!!

Have a great weekend! Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 02/28/07

Dear Friends:

Dad went to Paul's as usual this morning but he had a doctor appointment at 9:20 am. I went over to sit with Max while Dad went to the doctor. I asked Paul how he was when I arrived, he said "I'm OK". He was watching the Today Show. Max & I came down and visited for a while. Max found that Daddy's walker was great fun. He was pushing it all around the bedroom. Dad got home around 10:30 and I headed off to work. Dad had Paul get himself up each time he needed to go to the bathroom this afternoon. It is good exercise ... and it gives Dad a break! Tonight Tabby had Paul do the days of the week. He could do most of the week except Saturday and Sunday. Then she tried to get him to count and she held up one finger and Paul said "Monday". She held up two fingers and he said "Tuesday" so she continued until Friday ... then he had trouble with Saturday and Sunday. He did each day by himself!! While they were watching TV this evening a commercial came on for a new movie "Meet the Robinson's". At the end of the commercial a dinosaur is trying to get the kid. The bad guy says "why haven't you gotten the kid?" and the dinosaur says "I have a big head and little arms" ... it was pretty funny (you can see the trailer for the movie ). Dad and Tabby were laughing and looked at Paul to notice that he had a great big grin on his face. Tabby kept repeating the line "I have a big head and little arms" and waving her arms. Paul would grin each time she did it. Laughter is something we don't get much of ... and although this wasn't REALLY laughter ... it was the closest thing we've gotten to that! Tonight after Paul had his medicines Tabby asked Paul if he needed to go to the bathroom. He nodded so she said "you need to get yourself up". He wouldn't do it ... so she left him and came back a few minutes later and asked "are you ready to get up now?". He shook his head "no". She said "if I give you a kiss will you get up?"...he shook his head "no". She said "how about a hug...will you get up then?" he shook his head no again. Then she said "Is there anything I can do to get you up?" and he shook his head "Yes" and held out his hand. She wasn't sure what he wanted but when she took his hand he immediately got up!! The fact is he just wanted a little help!!! Later Tabby asked him "how are you?" and he said "I'm awake" ... which is amazing since he'd already had his medicines and it doesn't take long before he is falling asleep. Dora left early this afternoon. She had a call from her son's school that he was sick with a fever so she left and didn't come back. Hopefully she will be able to come on Thursday. Carolyn was able to come over and help out with Max. She was off from work today. Carolyn, Billy and Alysa went to Carolyn's sonogram appointment today. It looks like in June we are going to have a GRANDSON!! Billy was very excited ... he was pretty sure the baby was a boy ... now he knows it is! They are considering the name Christopher William ... which is the reverse of Billy's name (William Christopher). We are all very happy ... Alysa will have a little brother and Max is going to have a cousin that will be only a year younger. What a blessing he will be!

Have a great day! Lynne & Carl