Paul's Update - 03/27/07

Dear Friends,

The weeks seem to go so fast ... I have been on vacation for the month and we stay busy. Dad & Paul have been working hard on walking and balance. The therapists have been working on new skills for Paul to master. The Physical therapist continues to have Paul work on exercises to strengthen his stomach & leg muscles. Tummy crunches and leg lifts mostly. She has also introduced an exercise that requires Paul to lie on his stomach and lift his head off the mat. This will help strengthen his neck and upper back muscles. She hopes that will help with his posture when he walks. The Occupational therapist works on small motor skills and thinking activities. She has him sort small objects, pick them up one at a time with each hand, arrange playing cards in the order of smallest number to largest, throwing balls & tying knots. He has a little trouble with the knots but he gets them started which is pretty good … practice will improve that. He seems to like the Occupational therapist and does more work for her without much complaint. The Physical Therapist works him pretty hard and she now has a student helper so they work together to create new things for him to do. Dad found out the other day that we are down to five therapy sessions left … two Physical Therapies and three Occupational Therapies. Since we’ve been doing each two time a week the therapists suggested that we cut back to one time a week for each until we use up the authorized time. Unfortunately that is all that the insurance company will pay for in 2008. The good thing is … he will soon have Medicare and we are hopeful that they will also authorize some therapy for 2008 … we’ll see! The Therapists are going to check on it for us! Dad plans to start going back to the gym once the therapies have been exhausted.

Every week we try our best to spend time with the Davis’s. Bill was gone to a bowling tournament last week so we spent some nice time with Ronda. We went out to dinner a couple of times with her … including Friday night! Paul enjoys our evenings out … he loves eating out … so do we! It was also Easter week. We had Max on Saturday night. He spent the night with us and went to SonRise service with us. We are at church all morning on Easter since I sing in the choir. Dad & Paul went home after breakfast at the church and Max stayed in the nursery at church. His Sunday School teachers (Ronda & Marty) had some special activities for the kids. Max is talking a bit more and loves spending time with Pap-Paw and Daddy. Even though he doesn’t get to see Daddy all the time, he seems to know who he is. You can tell him to go and give something to Daddy and he goes right to Paul. He loves giving kisses and Paul loves getting them from him!

This week has been another busy week. Paul & Dad went to therapy on Tuesday and Thursday. Paul did especially good on Thursday. Dad said he cooperated with everything the therapist asked him to do. He worked on some alphabet letters and did quite well. He has also been talking a bit more. It seems he is feeling pretty good. I don’t mention too many personal care things but since the accident Paul has been incontinent and has had to wear Depends undergarments. Over the last week (since last Thursday) Paul has been wearing regular boxer shorts. He seems to really appreciate being able to wear them and he makes sure Dad knows when he needs to get up to go to the bathroom! This is a wonderful improvement … both for Dad & for him! It is so nice when he can do “normal” things.

Next week it is “back to work” for me. It will be a busy week as we prepare for Bobby & Jen’s wedding next Saturday. Paul will be one of Bobby’s groomsman and we are anxious to witness him being able to walk down the isle and stand next to his brother as he marries his bride.

Have a great weekend, Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 03/18/08

Dear Friends:

We are back from our trip and we had a wonderful time. Paul travelled very well and we didn’t need to use any of the Dramamine that we took with us!! Yeah!! Before I get to Paul’s progress over the last week I would like to take a moment to ask you to pray for two families who lost loved ones over the last week due to brain injuries. Last week I asked for you to pray for a young man named Todd. He lost his fight to stay alive on Sunday the 9th. Please pray for his friends and family who will miss him terribly. Also, over the last three years we’ve been praying for a dear lady named Gerlinde who was injured in a bicycle accident while serving in Africa as a missionary with her husband Ben. She & Ben have fought a long battle to recover from her injury but God took her home on Sunday the 16th. She has made quite an impact on our family and many others whom she touched before and after her accident. Please keep her husband Ben and their two children in your prayers as they deal with the loss of this wonderful woman.

We spent the last week in South Carolina visiting with my mother and sister. We arrived there on Monday the 10th around noon. We spent the day visiting and relaxing. Mom & I went out and got a roasted chicken from Walmart for dinner. It was a quick and easy dinner. Paul slept on Ann’s waterbed for the night … he seems to like it!

Tuesday Ann, Mom & I headed out to look for dresses for Bobby’s wedding on April 5th. We went to a little boutique in town and I was able to find the perfect dress! Dad & Paul stayed home … shopping isn’t really their thing!! Dad decided to take a trip to Walmart and see if he could get a pair of shoes for Paul. The shoes he is wearing are two different sizes because of the brace he has been wearing to keep his foot from “dropping”. He started walking Paul in the house without the brace and he actually did quite well. He needs to be ready to wear the shoes that go with his Tuxedo for the wedding and it looks like he will do OK with them. Once Ann, Mom & I returned we took a ride to the “Fish House” for lunch. Then we went to the beach for a short spell. Paul walked on the ramp to the sandy beach with his cane and then proceeded to walk onto the sand a little. This is really a good thing to be able to do since sand is unstable and you need to have good balance to walk on it. The therapist had recommended that we have him try walking on the sand and he did amazingly good with it. We spent the evening watching American Idol … we’re hooked! Paul took residence in Ann’s leather chair … loving known as the “sloth” chair.

Wednesday Ann had to work so Carl, Paul, Mom & I took a ride to Mullins SC and had lunch at Webster’s Bed & Breakfast. If you ever go to SC … take a trip there … it is worth it! After lunch we went to the Tobacco Museum there in Mullins. Paul enjoyed the tour and he only sat down towards the end of the tour. The fellow that led the tour was a long time native and he was very interesting. The plan was to go out to dinner after we picked up Ann from work but since we ate a late lunch nobody was hungry enough to make it worth going out for dinner. We ordered a Pizza from a local Italian restaurant and took it home. Pizza is something Paul especially enjoys since he can use his hands to eat it!! LOL

Thursday Mom & I were planning to go out and do some shopping to see if we could find a dress for her to wear at the wedding. Paul & Dad decided they wanted to come along. The mall was near a Bass Pro Shop so while Mom & I shopped at Penney’s, Paul & Dad walked through the mall and went to the Bass Pro Shop. Paul started out with just his cane and walked about ½ mile worth. They went to a fish restaurant near the Bass Pro Shop. Paul had a HUGE fish sandwich. Dad went and got the walker for him after lunch but he did a LOT more walking … it is always good exercise for him! After we took Mom home we met Ann at her work and went out to the Alabama Theater for a live show. We had great seats but I couldn’t tell if Paul really enjoyed the show … all of the rest of us enjoyed it. We didn’t get home until after 11pm.

Friday we (Carl, Paul & I) took Mom and headed out for a ride in the countryside. Mom said she misses the county rides she used to take when she was in Tennessee. It was a nice opportunity to spend time with her. We met Ann at her work at 5pm and went out to dinner at the Olive Garden. It was a really good dinner … even with all the “spring breakers” who were there. We had a quiet evening … Paul was still tired from the walking on Thursday.

Saturday we headed out to shop again. I still needed shoes for the wedding. Dad and Paul were going to stay home but Paul said he wanted to go with us. We went to the mall and Paul used his walker but he walked all through the mall with Dad while we shopped. We went to Books a Million to find a couple of books we wanted to get. Dad & Paul took the opportunity to sit in the coffee shop and drink a cup of coffee. We spent several hours shopping and Paul was thoroughly worn out. We spent the evening at home. Dad & Ann went to get a new mailbox at Walmart. He promised to install it before we left … but it had to wait until after the terrible storms we had that evening.

Sunday morning Dad started getting the car ready to head home. He was able to install Ann’s new mailbox … it looks great! We left to come home around 9:15am. We made several stops on the way but Paul did real good travelling. We arrived home around 5:30pm and it was nice to be home! I think Paul was glad to be back in his own bed!

Monday Dora was back!! Yahoo! We had a quiet day relaxing. Dad spent some time reading & Paul relaxed in front of the TV. I was able to catch up on some things in my office … bills, taxes etc. We met up with Bill, Ronda & Shirley (Bill’s Mom) for dinner at the Olive Garden. Bill & Shirley were preparing to leave on a trip … Bill’s annual Bowling Tournament. We had a wonderful dinner. Paul had the … FISH … LOL! During dinner Dad was telling Bill & Shirley a joke … it is an OLD joke that Paul used to tell. When Dad got to the punch line Paul got the biggest grin on his face. I LOVE it when he smiles … emotions don’t come very often but when they do it shows that Paul understands what is going on!

Tuesday was therapy day. The physical therapist was impressed that Paul was doing so well without his brace. She timed him when he walked the hallway and he beat his fastest time!! They also worked on sitting & standing, did tummy crunches and leg lifts … all the usual stuff. He was walking better today … he has a bit of trouble bending his right knee and he drags his foot a bit but he did better than he has been. The occupational therapist had trouble getting Paul to cooperate. He didn’t seem to want to do anything for her. I suspect he was worn out from the workout he got at PT! We had a quiet afternoon and evening. Paul even went to bed early … 10pm.

It appears that we are back on track and into our routine. It was real nice to get away and Paul did so well. We will have to do it again … well maybe in a couple of months or so!! LOL Please remember to pray for Todd & Gerlinde’s families. I am reminded how blessed we are. Paul’s recovery is nothing less than a miracle … God has been good to us! Thanks for continuing to care and pray, it means a lot to us!

Have a great day, Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 03/09/08

Dear Friends:

Another busy week has gone by and Paul is doing quite well. On Friday the 29th Dad started Paul on the new medicine that the Physiatrist prescribed. This is supposed to help loosen the muscles in his legs and allow him to walk a bit better. That day was quiet for the most part. Since there are no therapies on Friday, Dad, Paul & Dora stayed home. That evening we went out with Bill, Ronda and two of their kids. We went to Centreville for Chinese food. We haven’t done that for a while!

Saturday morning Mayah showed up on time (well almost … about 7:10am). Carolyn brought Chris & Alysa over while she went to her dance class. We always enjoy having our grandchildren! We went to Warrenton that afternoon and Paul did fine. Dad gave him some Dramamine before we left … just in case. We rode in Carolyn’s van, that way most of us can ride together. This was the first time that Mayah had actually made it all the way to the Mexican Restaurant … I think he enjoyed it. We got home pretty early and spent the evening at home. Mayah stayed late to make up for some of the time he took off.

Sunday morning we went to breakfast as usual. Mayah didn’t join us so he could go to his own church. They were installing the new choir that day and he wanted to be there. Bill & Ronda only had Lew because his baby sister was sick the night before. Max didn’t come, he had a birthday party to go to that day. It made for a pretty quiet day. Paul was VERY tired and not walking well. The medicine that Dad started on Friday was having a negative effect on him that was visibly noticeable. Dad had to stay right with him and make sure he didn’t lose his balance and fall. Paul decided to go and lay down in his bed about 3pm. He actually took a NAP! He doesn’t usually do that … in fact … he almost never does that! He stayed in his bed for quite a while and watched some TV back there. I went in and watched with him … and I actually got a little nap too!! The decision was made to discontinue the medicine that evening.

Monday was the first day of my 30 day leave from the Park Authority. Every year I am required to have a 30 day break in service that occurs in March. Paul had a doctor appointment that afternoon to see the Neurologist. Mostly we were concerned about Paul’s frequent nausea. It was time to do a follow-up with the neurologist anyway. When the doctor asked Paul to do things he would hesitate a bit (which is not unusual) and then he would do what he was asked to do. He did good when the doctor was listening to his chest and back. Paul had to take deep breaths in and out and he did them on cue! Paul had been sitting in the chair next to the doctor’s desk so Dr. Levinstone asked him to get up on the examining table. Paul got up on it all by himself!! It was quite impressive. The doctor was very surprised that he was able to do that! There didn’t seem to be anything obviously wrong with Paul. The doctor checked the shunt tube and said it was “soft” which is good. He said that if the shunt was failing Paul would be much sicker … and all the time not just occasionally. He decided to check Paul’s med levels as a precaution. He also said it would be best to stop giving Paul the new medicine because it was just trading “muscle tone for weakness in his muscles” and would not really give us the results we were hoping for!! We agreed!!! Paul really doesn’t have enough tightness or “tone” to worry about. So, we headed off to the lab after we finished at Dr. Levinstone’s office. We got to the lab just in time … they close at 4pm … and it was 3:55pm!!

Tuesday was therapy day. I was able to go with them. Paul’s therapy was at 1:30pm. He started with Physical Therapy. He was not very cooperative with the therapist. She started by having him practice sitting and standing from the exercise table. Since the medicine was still affecting him, his form was terrible. She tried to get him to do some stomach crunches and was able to finally get 10 out of him … but it took a while. Leg lifts were even harder to get him to do. He just seemed very weak. They did some walking in the hallway and he did OK but he still wasn’t as cooperative as usual. After PT we met with the occupational therapist. She had him do the clothes pins on a vertical bar. They are different colors and tightness and some are way above his head. He was able to get them off and back onto the bar without any real trouble … including the ones above his head. He seemed to have a bit of trouble picking out the colors she asked him to pick however. Then she had him stand and put different size and weight objects on top of the cabinet against the wall. He had to reach just above his head to achieve that. He did really well and was very careful as he reached up there … he put two soda bottles up there with liquid in them and they did not fall over!!

Wednesday morning Aunt Shirley came by. Paul was beginning to feel better. Apparently the medicine was mostly out of his system by then. Shirley and I went out shopping for a bit. Dad & I had an appointment that afternoon with Paul’s attorney. Paul stayed with Dora for about an hour. Paul does really well for Dora. It is so nice that she can handle him by herself. Ronda & I went out shopping later in the afternoon to get a bridal gift for Jen. We went out to dinner with Bill & Ronda that evening since Bill was home early. We went to Logan’s and Paul had the Teriyaki Chicken. After we got home I asked Paul if he liked his dinner and he said “no”. Dad asked him if he would have rather had fish and he said “no”. Then Dad asked would you rather have had steak? Paul emphatically shook his head “YES”. LOL … he didn’t give him that choice when we were at the restaurant … so next time that is going to be one of the options!!

Thursday Dad, Paul & Dora went to therapy. I stayed home and watched Chris for Carolyn so she could paint Alysa’s room. It is lots easier to paint WITHOUT the baby!! They didn’t get back from therapy until after 12:30pm. They only had PT because the OT had a sickness in the family. Dad said that Paul did much better. He had to walk down the hallway with his cane while the therapist timed him. It took about 4 minutes for Paul to go about 200ft down and 200ft back. She was happy to see that Paul was walking better too! Thursday is bible study night and Ronda brought dinner. Paul enjoyed his dinner … so did we!!

Friday Dad was heading out to go to Richmond for a Brain Injury Conference that the Brain Injury Association of Virginia was sponsoring. This is the first time he has done anything like that … AND the first time since Paul has come to live with us that Dad has been away from Paul overnight. Dora and I took care of Paul for the afternoon so Carl could leave after lunch and beat the afternoon rush hour traffic on I95. Billy (Carolyn’s husband) came over and was planning to spend the night so he could help with Paul. Dad had called the nursing agency earlier in the week and told them we didn’t need a nurse for the weekend since we are all home on the weekend … that meant that we weren’t going to have a nurse while Dad was away for the conference. We (Billy, Paul & I) went out for dinner with the Davis’s. Carolyn and the kids joined us too. We went to Applebees and had a wonderful dinner. Paul got to have a Ribeye Steak and a baked potato. He ate about ¾ of it … mostly by himself (we usually have to help a bit!). After we got home Billy, Paul and I watched TV until about 11:30pm. Paul seems a bit shy around Billy … but I think it was just because it was something new!

Saturday morning was quiet for the most part. Once Paul was up and dressed Billy got him to the living room and we got him breakfast. We spent the morning watching the Science channel on TV. It was pretty interesting. Billy had an appointment to get a new stereo put into his car so Bill, Ronda and I took Paul to El Agave while he did that. Paul did real well and enjoyed lunch a whole bunch. He had chicken sticks, cheese sticks and French fries. He used his fork and at the whole plate of food by himself. Dad got home from the conference about 5:30pm. He met lots of people there that were either suffering from Brain Injury or had family with TBI. I think he learned more from the folks attending the conference than he did from the speakers! It was a good experience and he may go to another conference in June that we already have some information about. Ronda and I went out for a bit in the evening to get out nails done and the rest of the evening was quiet.

Sunday we went to breakfast & church as usual. After church Ronda & I went to Jen’s bridal shower. Bobby & Jen’s wedding is just a little under a month away!! Paul stayed home with Dad. It was a quiet afternoon. Once we got home Dad loaded our car and we headed out to go to South Carolina and visit with my mother and sister. We are staying in a hotel for the night and will arrive in Conway SC on Monday morning. Paul is travelling well and we are looking forward to a little vacation time!

Have a great week, Lynne & Carl

P.S. Please add a young man named Todd to your prayers today. He is a 25 year old who suffered a brain injury in a Rugby accident last week. His condition is very serious!