Paul's Update - 06/13/07

Dear Friends:

Wednesday Paul had a dentist appointment at 11:30am. The dentist removed his stitches. He did real good. The nurse started to take them out but Paul would turn his head away from her. Once the dentist came in he cooperated very nicely for him. I think he really likes this dentist. After he got the stitches out the dentist was evaluating what he wants to do next. Paul still has a root canal that needs to be done, four more fillings and a crown. Dad brought Paul home and then went to get some of my prescriptions at the pharmacy. On the way home he got McDonald's for Paul's lunch. Dad is suffering from a cold so he napped most of the afternoon. I had choir after dinner. Once I got home Dad & Paul watched TV most of the evening until bedtime at about 10:30pm.

Thursday Dad got Paul up and headed out to the living room. He proceeded to the back door and wanted to go out on the deck. Dad said "Paul, you can't go outside ... it's raining". Paul stood there for a second or so and tried again to go outside. Dad told him again that he couldn't go outside ... so Paul turned around and went back towards the living room. He didn't want to sit in the living room though ... he kept on going to his bedroom. He wanted to go back to bed!! It was a good day to go back to bed! Paul had therapy at 10:30am. Cathy had him work at the parallel bars. He walked while holding the bars and he did well. She felt he was still leaning too far forward and depends on his arms a little too much still but she felt he walked good. She put a box in front of him (between the parallel bars) and he held the bars to step up on the box. She had him step up onto it and then off of it. He had to bend his knee to step down (going backwards) and he was able to do that. Cathy was impressed! She had a small trampoline that she put on the floor between the parallel bars. She wanted him to jump up and down on it but he wouldn't do that. He was able to balance himself on it though. She told him which foot to step up with then she would tell him which foot to step down with. She felt he is getting better with balance. She then put a balance beam between the parallel bars and had him step up with one foot. He immediately pulled his other foot up and put it in front of the first foot. She had him walk heel-toe, heel-toe all the way to the end of the balance beam. She had him step down (straddling the beam) and walk backwards to the beginning of the beam. Once he got back to the beginning of the beam she had him step up on it again and walk the length of it a second time. He did this a total of four times. Once he was back at the beginning of the parallel bars the fourth time she handed him a ball that he had to hold in one hand while holding onto the parallel bar with the other hand. He had to hand the ball across his chest to her and then away from his body and behind a bit. Then he switched hands and did the same thing with the other hand. When he was done with the workout Cathy was going to have him back up away from the parallel bars and sit in the wheelchair. Paul decided he didn't want to back up ... he turned a quarter of the way around while holding onto the bar with one hand then turned the rest of the way to be facing the wheelchair so he could walk away from the parallel bars!! Once they got home Dad spent most of the day in bed. His cold seems worse and he is taking medicines to fight it. Thursday night is bible study night. Ronda brought dinner. Paul sat in the living room and ate all of his Taco Soup!! During our study we talked a bit about how Satan causes bad things to happen which cause us to doubt that God is in control. Paul seemed to be upset by the talk about his accident being one of those kinds of things that Satan uses to make us doubt God. He was starring at Dad from across the room and Dad thought he needed to go to the bathroom. When he got up and headed down the hall ... he went right past the bathroom and went to his bedroom. He watched movies in bed for a couple of hours before bed. Dad & I tried to talk to him and reassure him that God loves him and we will work hard to do everything we need to do to help him get better! He seemed a bit better after our talk. Imagine what he must feel ... I'm sure he would love to tell us! Maybe he will some day!

Have a great day! Lynne & Carl