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