Paul's Update - 03/29/09

Dear Friends:

It has been several months since my last update and I apologize if you’ve been wondering how things are going. I will try to update you on all the things that have happened over the last few months. As I’m sure you can guess, most of our days are pretty routine. Paul continues to do very well and although we don’t see huge differences, we do continue to see progress each day.

The anniversary of Paul’s accident was on November 4^th. It has been three years now. I can hardly believe that much time has gone by. We celebrated Paul’s 28^th birthday on Nov 21^st. It is something that we certainly DO celebrate! Christmas was a special time. Paul had been working with his speech therapist to do some singing and Christmas carols are very familiar music for Paul since he was brought up in the church. It was amazing to watch him SING the carols with us. This was a BIG first since we didn’t rehearse any of these songs with him….he just KNOWS them!! Christmas day was a time for our family to spend together. I usually do breakfast for the family and everyone came. We had a late breakfast in order to allow Max, Alysa & Chris to have Christmas at home first. Max spent the day with us and we really enjoyed having him.

All of Paul’s therapy except for the Stroke Comeback center was ended at the last of December. We were supposed to start back at the Speech Therapist in February but we are still on the waiting list. It appears that we will start back with Debi in April. He still goes to the Stroke Comeback center and enjoys the socialization with the other folks in his group. They sing, do puzzles, play games and just do what little talking they are capable of. New Year’s Eve is always quiet for the most part. We stayed home but Bill & Ronda came over and rang in the new year with us. However, we were all in bed by 12:30 am!! On Jan 19^th Bobby celebrated his birthday with us. We went out to dinner at Longhorn Steak House in Manassas. Dinner was OK but the highlight of the night was when Paul sang “Happy Birthday” to Bobby. It was a precious moment for all of us (especially Bobby)!

The inauguration came and went…..but we just WENT!! We were on the road on inauguration day heading towards Miami to take our cruise to the Caribbean. We drove for three days to get there. Bill & Ronda travelled with us in Carl’s sister’s van and we hauled a trailer that was borrowed from our nephew. It was a 9 day cruise and we had a GREAT room at the back of the ship. We have to get a handicap room and this was absolutely the best room we have ever had. Paul did really well but we had one minor mishap on the first day when he lost his balance and fell backwards to the floor. Fortunately he did not hit his head and he was OK. After we returned home, we turned around and went to South Carolina to visit with Nana & Aunt Ann. We also got a chance to see my niece’s baby, Kenny!! What a cutie!

In February Dad took Paul to the eye doctor because he still seems to have trouble seeing, especially out of the right eye. After examination the doctor decided he could do surgery and try to lengthen the muscle in Paul’s right eye which would allow it to work more simultaneously with the other eye. Surgery was scheduled for March 22^nd. He was at the surgery center until mid morning and we brought him home. Other than being a bit red his eye seems to be doing well. The doctor was please with the results.

We continue to see Max most Sundays. He is growing so fast. He will be three in June! He is talking a lot and is learning so many things. He knows most of his colors and likes to sing the alphabet song. He likes to interact with his Daddy….and boy does Daddy enjoy that!! Paul smiles proudly when Max gives him kisses! Our house is really busy when the grandchildren are here but we enjoy it so much.

We are so grateful that we are so blessed. The recent death of Natasha Richardson (who fell while skiing and died two days later) made me realize how blessed we are. Paul’s injury was so severe and yet God spared him. We don’t know God’s purpose for all of this but our faith and the prayers of our friends are what we hold on to! Thanks for continuing to remember us. Have a Happy & Blessed Easter!

Love, Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 11/02/08

Dear Friends:

More than a month has gone by since my last update and I thought I should let you know how we are doing. I appreciate that you care and many have been asking about Paul. He continues to do VERY well. His balance is slowly getting better. He is able to get up from his chair in our living room all by himself most of the time. Someone is always nearby but we don’t have to lift him out of the chair. This makes things much easier for Dora and me. He doesn’t do as well sitting down by himself since he still has some trouble controlling his upper leg muscles. Around the house he uses ONLY his cane all the time. His steps are still slow and small but he doesn’t lose his balance much. He uses his walker when we go out since he still has a little trouble managing changes in elevation of the ground.

The speech therapist that, he has been seeing since July, has decided that she is going to “cycle” him out of the program for the next few months. He will go back to see her in February. This does a couple of things. It allows him to work at home for a while to see if he continues to progress but it also allows for other patients to see a speech therapist. I know how important this is because we waited a very long time to be able to get into a therapist’s schedule! Debi has been very good for Paul. He seems to like her and does about 30% of what she asks him to do. She has been very impressed that he is able to do some of the things that she didn’t think he would be able to do. She had him practicing to sing “Happy Birthday” for the last couple of weeks and he can sing the entire song. They also worked on “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” but he doesn’t have all of that song learned yet. He seems to enjoy puzzles and problem solving. He will even write alphabet letters but that takes a bit of work still. He can use alphabet letters to spell his name and Max’s name. One day Debi had Paul touch his nose and then touch Dad’s nose interchangeably. After about three times she said “I bet you’d rather punch your dad wouldn’t you?” As soon as she said it, Paul made a fist and reached out to put in on Dad’s nose. When he did it ... he LAUGHED!! Not a lot ... but a nice little giggle! There are some times that it is VERY evident he knows what he is doing ... and he even has a little humor from time to time!

We are going to look into getting some private therapy (that we will pay for) while he is not in therapy at the hospital. Debi suggested an organization in Oakton Virginia called “Stroke Come Back”. They work primarily with stroke patients but Paul’s injury is very much like that of a stroke patient. We will go on Monday to have an evaluation done to see if he is a candidate for their program.

Paul & Dad have also started going back to the gym. Paul is doing lots of weight lifting. He is actually very strong. They also like working out in the pool. That is ... once they get into the pool!! Paul sits in a lift that moves him over the water and lowers him into the pool. It moves very slowly and the water is cold so Paul is pretty miserable during the process. He really enjoys walking the length of the pool. They do it several times and get a pretty good workout.

We continue to see Max almost every Sunday. Tabitha is very good about making sure Max spends time with his dad. Max actually enjoys Pap-Paw more though. He is Pap-Paw’s shadow! They play together the whole time he is with us. Paul gets on the floor to play with them sometimes but he would rather just watch them. He really enjoys the interaction with Max. When Max gives him a kiss or brings him a toy, Paul gets a proud smile on his face. He isn’t like that with the other children ... I’m convinced Paul understands his relationship with Max! I am enclosing a couple of pictures of Paul & Max (and Carl).

One of them (thanks to BJ) was taken at the Fall Festival we had at church.

I’m sure you know we are approaching the three year anniversary of Paul’s accident. November 4, 2005 was a day that changed our lives forever. It is also a day that we received a miracle ... one of MANY that our God has blessed us with. We continue to believe that this is only the beginning of much progress for Paul. Thanks for being a part of our story. We appreciate the love and support. We are mostly thankful for your prayers!

Have a great day, Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 09/28/08

Dear Friends:

The last couple of months have been mostly quiet. A couple of significant things happened though. In July Paul started going to Speech Therapy again. This new therapist is a specialist in assisting patients with Brain Injury. The first couple of sessions she spoke with Dad to get a sense of what Paul is able to do. The third session she decided to work with ONLY Paul in the room. She asked him to do several small tasks to determine (without any input from anyone else) what he is capable of doing. She found that he was able to say his own name with some prompting, repeat her name, repeat most of the alphabet. She found that he responds “yes” to most questions he is asked even if it doesn’t seem to make sense but he occasionally (and with emphasis) will say “no”. She determined that his “no” is much more dependable than his “yes”. She asked him to do some problem solving puzzles, and tried to do some letter and number recognition. He did OK with some of it but was not consistent. She tried some color recognition but he didn’t do well with that. Mostly she found the same things that we see at home are the same as what she saw. I am encouraged by her process and eagerness to work with Paul to find what he is able to do and learn.

Paul continues to have Occupational Therapy although he now has a new therapist. Amy, who was the previous therapist is now working only with patients that are in the hospital. The new therapist started in August. Dad is still not real sure of her … but we really liked Amy. The therapist has worked with playing cards to have Paul match color, suit and numbers on cards. He starts by sorting the cards by color. Then sorting the number cards from the face cards but when he got to the Ace and put it on the face cards the therapist stopped him and told him that it was a number card. After that he wouldn’t do the cards anymore ... he considered it a face card!! She is amazed that he is able to work quickly with the cards.

We have been able to spend time with Max most Sundays. He is quite a busy two year old. He enjoys sharing toys and snacks with his daddy. Paul really enjoys interacting with Max. He smiles each time Max does anything with him. Dad had Paul on the floor one Sunday to try exercising his legs. Dad told Paul “lift your knees to your chest”. Paul wasn’t doing it … so Max got on the floor with Daddy & Pap-Paw and was lifting his knees up like Pap-Paw was doing. It was a cute picture!! Max was away one weekend with Mommy. They went to the beach. I wish we could have been there ... I bet he enjoyed the ocean and the SAND!! When they returned, Max spent the night with us Sunday night into Monday morning. He played outside until almost 9pm before he tired and was ready to go to bed. Pap-Paw tucked him in and he went right to sleep. It was a wonderful time with him. He seems to enjoy time with Daddy and Paul responds to him in a way that he doesn’t with many people! It isn’t the “traditional” father & son relationship but there is a definite connection between them. Pap-Paw is really the center of Max’s world though ... he follows Carl around and wants to play with him constantly.

Carl had a scare in August. He had severe pain in his kidney area on the right side. This lasted for several days before he went to the hospital. They recommended he see a specialist who ordered an MRI. There was concern about a spot that was seen on his kidney and the doctor wanted a better look at it. After the MRI results were ready he went back to the doctor who said that he believes that the spot is only a cyst but will have him come back in about 6 months to make sure nothing has changed. It was never determined what the cause of his pain really was … but it did make the doctor look more carefully and at least we now know to keep an eye on his condition!! Isn’t it amazing how God works??

God continues to bless our family in many ways. We have learned to see God in the smallest things and we are very thankful. I’m encouraged when someone who hasn’t seen us for a while says how wonderful Paul looks and that he is doing so much better than the last time they saw him. It is hard for us to see sometimes since changes come in such a small form ... but changes still come … and Paul continues to improve. I apologize for the length between my last update and now. We stay busy but as I said the changes come slowly and there isn’t a lot to report from day to day. I ask that you continue to pray for Paul and the work that God is doing through us.

God Bless, Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 07/17/08

Dear Friends:

The last month has gone by quickly. Many things have happened. Paul & Dad went to a Father & Son picnic at the church to celebrate Father’s day on the 21st. It was VERY hot so the picnic turned into a fellowship dinner indoors. All had a good time. Sunday the 22nd there was a going away dinner for Pastor Vickie. Her last Sunday at our church was to be on June 29th and she moves on to a new church in Middleburg Virginia. We will miss her! Our new pastor Jim Johnson (no relation!) was scheduled to start on July 6th.

On June 25th Dad, Paul, Alysa & I left with Aunt Ann (Carl’s sister) to go to the family reunion in Indiana. This is Carl’s mother’s family that has a reunion every year in June. We left on Wednesday and headed toward Kentucky to take a sidebar trip to the Creation Museum. We stayed in a hotel Wednesday night. Alysa, Pap-Paw, Uncle Paul & I went to the pool once we got settled in. Alysa started learning a little about how to swim. She was able to put her face in the water (after some encouragement from Pap-Paw) and swam a little!! She needs more practice but is getting the idea. Paul was able to go down the steps into the pool and he walked around with Dad a little. He tired quickly and wanted to sit on the steps while Dad & Alysa played. We arrived at the museum on Thursday morning. When we got to the museum we inquired about a wheelchair in case Paul got tired. They said they had them but when we asked Paul if he wanted to get one he said “no”. He used his walker and walked the whole museum. It was designed with seating and shows strategically placed to give you a break every so often. Paul did great! After we saw the interior of the museum we went to the petting zoo in the back of the museum. Alysa got to pet and feed the animals there. Paul had to walk a long way to get there and sat under the picnic pavilion while Alysa, Ann and I went in to see the animals. We stayed in a hotel near where the reunion was going to be on Thursday night. When we arrived in the room Paul walked past the bed and parked his walker, then turned around WITHOUT it and proceeded to walk over to the bed to sit down. He doesn’t do that very often since he usually has his cane at home. Later in the evening he was in the bathroom while Dad & I sat in the room when suddenly we heard a “crash”. Dad ran to the bathroom to find Paul on the floor! Apparently he tried to get up from the toilet by himself. He NEVER does that at home! He was OK … only a little bruised but he gave us a good scare! Friday morning we headed towards Frankton Indiana to visit with Ronda’s Mom & Dad. It is about a half hour away from where Carl’s cousin lives. We had a very nice although short visit with them before heading to Greenfield. On arriving we found that Carl’s cousin was in a nursing home for complications of congestive heart failure. It was to be a temporary visit until he was strong enough to do some therapy. We were able to go to the nursing home and visit for a little bit. Paul went with us and I think Loren enjoyed having us visit. We went back to the farm after our visit and had dinner with more of the family that had arrived. Saturday we went for a ride around the farm so that Alysa could see how much land 3000 acres is! While we were riding around we saw a cow on the side of the road cleaning up her BRAND NEW CALF!! We stopped on the side of the road and watched the new mom take care of her baby and were there to see “baby” stand for the first time. We just missed seeing this calf being born! According to Loren’s nephew who runs the farm, this was the last calf that would be born this season! Alysa was fascinated ... as were we!! Saturday was the reunion. There was a small group of about 24 people that met at a local family restaurant. We were able to visit for about three hours before heading out to make our way home. We stopped in Ohio on the way home to visit more family.

We got home on Monday the 30th. Since then ... we’ve had only Occupational Therapy on Thursdays. We have been waiting to get someone to work with Paul on Speech. He finally got to the top of the list and will begin Speech Therapy on August 5th. Paul went back to the Neurologist for a follow-up. The doctor is always amazed at Paul’s progress. All of his blood tests continue to be in the normal/acceptable range. Paul also went to the dentist and had a small cavity filled. Dad has not been feeling well for the last couple of weeks. His doctor ran some tests and is sending him to a specialist for more tests. He has been having severe pain in his back near his ribs and there is no definitive cause. He has been allowing Dora to take care of Paul for most of the day. It is really nice that she can handle Paul by herself when we need her to.

We have been having Max every Sunday. He is a joy to have around. Paul really enjoys watching the children when they come over. It is really good for us as well. Max is talking more and more and loves to sing & dance. Chris is also starting to say some words. He hasn’t started walking yet but is VERY close. He is taking about two or three steps without holding onto anything!! Alysa is enjoying her summer. She is doing Judo and really loves it. Her Dad is doing Judo too! Bobby & Jen have been busy and we don’t see them often enough. They came over last Sunday and we had a nice visit. Bobby has been writing a “blog” for The Bleacher Report about the Redskins Football team. He has had a couple of them published online! I can send a link to them if you are interested.

On a sad note ... today was Tabby’s court date. She has been granted a decree of divorce and has begun changing her name back to Smith. It saddens us that the relationship that she and Paul had has come to such an end. It is a sad fact that brain injury often leads to the end of many marriages ... we’ve become another statistic! I am amazed that in a flash our lives have been so turned upside down. Many days we just accept the facts as they are ... but then we stop and think about it and become sad. I often wish God would reveal the purpose of this in our lives. We can only be hopeful that Paul will continue to recover and have a more normal life some day. Thanks for your continued love and prayers!!

Have a great day, Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 06/10/08

Dear Friends:

Well … we’ve been busy over the last few weeks. Monday (June 2) I decided to work since we were preparing for our trip to Williamsburg. Dad & Paul spent some time listening to Classical Music during most of the afternoons all week. Dad doesn’t think Dora appreciates the Classical music since she turns the sound down each time he leaves the room!! Paul really seems to enjoy it though. He also spends some time reading while he listens to the radio.

Thursday Paul had therapy. We had a terrible storm during the afternoon. It was bible study night. We finally decided on a new study that we will start on June 13th.

Friday morning (June 6th) Dad finished getting ready to leave for Williamsburg. He was signed up for the Brain Injury Services “Caregivers Conference”. He and Paul left around noon to head down. The trip took about 3 hours. Paul did great. They got checked in and went to dinner. Ronda, Bill & I went to Vikki’s graduation. Since it was near a hundred degrees outside … we did a bunch of sweating!! Vikki is now a graduate of the Class of 2008!! Yahoo! After the ceremony (and the slow trip out of the parking lot), Ronda, Bill & I headed out to Williamsburg to be there while Carl attended the conference. Paul was going to hang out with us while Dad went to the conference.

Saturday morning came really early (we didn’t get in until after midnight). Bill, Ronda, Paul & I went to breakfast about 8am. Paul ate a big plate of pancakes. I insist on him using his fork ... he would much rather use his fingers. He did real well with the fork and ate ALL of his pancakes! After breakfast we went to the room for a little bit and met with Carl during his break. Once Dad went back to the conference we decided to try to go for a little walk. It really was too hot to go very far so we came back and sat in the lobby for a bit to do some “people watching’. Ronda and I went back out for a little walk and found a WaWa store. We got some Slurpees to take back to the hotel. Soon it was lunch time and (again) Ronda & I walked to the Deli to get some sandwiches. We thought it would be CHEAPER ... HA … NOT!!! The sandwiches were pretty good though. We ate in the lobby of the hotel and continued the people watching until after the bridal party we were observing left for the wedding. They were pretty interesting. We spent the afternoon resting in our rooms. Once the conference was over Carl came back to our room. Paul and I had gotten naps and were ready for dinner. We all went out to the Mystery Dinner Theater. It was pretty fun and Bill won the prize for the Smartest Sleuth!! All day Paul had done very well for Bill & me. He is getting better at getting up from a chair by himself so we don’t have to lift him up. It really makes it easier for someone else besides Dad to handle him!! We used the walker all day as a safety precaution.

Sunday we got up early and went to breakfast in the hotel. Paul had pancakes again and really enjoyed them. After breakfast we went to the Merchant Square and did some shopping. It was just as hot as it was on Saturday. The guys ended up sitting in the shade and waiting for Ronda & me to shop. We went to a wonderful BBQ place in Williamsburg called Pierce’s BBQ before we headed home. I rode back home with Carl & Paul (remember ... I went down with Ronda & Bill!). We got home around 4pm. It was pretty nice to be home.

Monday was my day off. Dad, Dora & I worked with Paul to do his exercises on the floor in the living room. He has gotten out of the exercise routine and has gained weight ... good reasons to resume daily exercise. Throughout the week Dad worked with Paul to exercise and do chores around the house. Wednesday Paul helped Dad do the dishes and load the laundry in the washer. Dad said that when he went to load the washer he had to bend down to get the clothes out of the basket and stand back up. Then he would bundle the clothes to fit through the door of the machine. He did a good job. He seems to enjoy doing some small errands!

Wednesday was Chris’s birthday; he is now one year old. Thursday was Max’s birthday, he is two! Paul went to therapy on Thursday. He had physical & occupational therapy but found out that it was the last day for the authorized physical therapy. Paul will have to go back to the Physiatrist (therapy specialist) and be evaluated for authorization to get more therapy. He now has an appointment on July 3 for that. We all went to dinner on Friday night at the Olive Garden. Saturday we had a family birthday party for Chris. Max wasn’t able to come so we celebrated with him on Sunday. Paul enjoyed watching the kids unwrap their birthday presents and then play in the living room. Chris is now able to stand up by himself without holding onto the furniture! He will be walking soon! Sunday was Father’s day. Max brought a card that he and Mommy made. He also had a card for Pap-Paw!! Carolyn & the kids visited for a bit after church. Alysa had picked out a very nice shirt for Pap-Paw. The afternoon and evening were quiet so we napped & watched TV.

This week has been pretty quiet. Dad continues to play the radio each day. He and Paul read a lot during the day. Paul has some Popular Mechanics magazines that he seems to enjoy. Tuesday was our wedding anniversary (34 years!!). Carolyn & Billy came over with the kids and stayed with Paul while we went out to dinner. It was nice to be able to go out … just the two of us!! Thursday Paul had Occupational therapy. He is doing more bending to get things and he is doing small exercises like separating coins & putting pins in a bulleting board. The therapist times him and she said he is shaving off the time that it takes to complete tasks. His balance when he bends has gotten better and he can even bend down without holding onto anything!! Thursday is bible study night. We began working in our new book.

Many folks have asked how Paul is doing and noticed that I have not written for some time. As you can see much of our time is pretty routine. That is not to say we don’t continue to have improvement … just not much on a day to day basis. We appreciate your continued interest and concern for our family and Paul. I’ve said before that we have gotten where we are because of your prayers and that is still VERY true. God continues to hold us in His hands!

Have a great day, Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 06/01/08

Dear Friends:

I know it’s been a long time since I wrote last. We are all doing fine. Things are pretty routine from day to day. Paul continues to do well.

May 9-18th Our visits with Max have been a little disrupted this month but we’ve had him on alternative days. Mother’s day Max spent time with his Mommy. We had him on Saturday instead of Sunday. Tabby is real good about making sure Max spends time with his daddy! Our kids came to visit after church. Bobby & Jen came over for a couple hours and Carolyn was here with the kids. I always enjoy when my kids are all together.

Thursday of that week Paul had therapy. Max went on a vacation with his Mommy over the weekend (the 16th – 18th) We were able to have him on Friday before he left. We always enjoy having him no matter what day it is! I was gone for that weekend with some of the ladies at our church. Dad and Paul went to dinner with Bill on Friday, El Agave on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday. Ronda was out of town. She took Lou and went to visit her family in Indiana.

May 19-26th Tuesday the 20th Paul went to the dentist. This is a regular annual visit. He has ONE small cavity. This is a nice improvement over the last time he was at the dentist. Last year at this time we were looking at LOTS of dental work. Thursday Paul had therapy. The Physical therapist told Dad she thinks Paul has trouble controlling the muscles in his buttocks and lower back since he seems to have so much trouble lifting his legs while on his stomach. She encouraged Dad to do more exercise to strengthen those areas.

Dad and Paul were on their own over the holiday weekend. Carolyn & I took Alysa & Chris to the beach to visit with Nana Richard at Myrtle Beach. We also got a chance to go and see Sarah’s new baby boy in Columbia SC. Aunt Ann Z was there with Sarah to help with the new baby. This was the first trip to the beach for Alysa and she LOVED it. Fortunately the kids didn’t get any sunburn! The water was wonderful and the weather was beautiful all weekend. Monday (the holiday) Dad & Paul didn’t have a nurse. Dora doesn’t get paid for holidays (which I find ridiculous) so she had the day off. Since Max was still gone on Sunday he was able to come over and spend Monday morning with Pap-Paw & Daddy. Later in the day Dad & Paul watched Police Academy 5. Paul really enjoyed it and got a lot of the jokes in the movie. Dad said he smiled a lot during the movie. Since we don’t get much reaction most of the time, we love seeing him smile when he sees something funny.

May 27-June 1st Thursday Dad had a busy day. Paul had therapy as usual but also had a doctor appointment with his General Practitioner. She hadn’t seen him for three months and wanted to follow up on his progress. She did a lot of blood tests and checked his weight and vital signs. All is good except that he has gained about ten pounds. Looks like the diet needs to be a bit stricter! She also wants to start him on a higher dose of the Adderall which is the medicine that typically is given to children that have ADHD. The hope is that this medicine will encourage better thinking skills. She also wants him to listen to music more. Dad has started putting on Classical Music for him to listen to. Studies show that music reaches different areas of the brain that nothing else reaches. Any stimulus is good!

Friday night (the 30th) we went out with Bill & Ronda, Mike, Tracy and Jennifer. We ate at Logan’s. Paul had fish but he said he didn’t enjoy it. Dad said it was a little dry! The weekend was busy. We went to movie night at church on Saturday night. We had Max on Saturday since Mommy had plans for Sunday afternoon. Max had fun at the church. There were lots of other children there. Once the movie started ... he layed down on the floor to watch…and fell asleep!! He is talking more and is a joy to have around. He will be two years old in a couple of weeks ... can you believe it?? Sunday was a quiet day at home. Paul wanted to walk around a lot. This evening he decided he wanted to go for a walk. He walked out the front door with Dad beside him and proceeded to walk all the way down the street, turn onto Leland St and head almost to the end of that road before he got tired. Dad called me to come and pick them up in the car. He walked about a half mile. He seemed to know where he wanted to go and didn’t want to stop walking but Dad said he was getting VERY tired and wouldn’t make it back home!

Although many things are routine these days, it is always amazing when Paul does something new. We get small things and rejoice in them. Smiling, following given commands, walking without losing his balance, all things that we were told he would never do. We are constantly reminded how blessed we are!

Have a great day, Lynne & Carl

Paul's Update - 05/08/08

Dear Friends:

We’ve had a busy week! Friday I took off from work a little early so I could get some things together for the church yard sale. Friday night we stayed home. We usually eat with Bill & Ronda but we stayed home and had sandwiches for dinner. Dad & Carolyn went to the church to help deliver the things for the yard sale on Saturday. Paul & I stayed home.

Saturday morning started early with Dad heading to the church to help do the yard sale set up. Paul slept in a little late. Once Dad came back he got Paul up and dressed. After they had breakfast Dad & Paul walked down to the church. For those that don’t know our church is only two lots down the street from us. It is all downhill but Paul used his walker and did very well. They stayed for a couple of hours. Dad bought a treadmill for Paul to start practicing on. He hasn’t tried it yet but hopefully he will be able to do that soon. Dad stayed and helped clean up while Paul & I went to Warrenton with Bill & Ronda for lunch. Bill was able to help Paul in and out of the van. He also helped with sitting and standing and going to the bathroom. We managed very well.

Sunday morning we missed breakfast at Yorkshire Restaurant. Max came in time for Sunday School. During our worship time Max came into the sanctuary for the children’s moments and saw Pap-Paw & Daddy in the front pew. He decided he wanted to sit with them for a bit. I sit in the choir so I viewed this moment with joy! It is nice to see the three generations of Johnson’s together!! Max spent the day with us. When I came home from church everyone was sitting in the front yard while the kids (Alysa, Max, Lou, Nadia & Chris) were playing. Carolyn had gotten two riding toys for the kids and we already had a riding car, all of which were being used! Bill & Ronda & Serenity were sitting at the swing with Carl, Paul & Carolyn. We went out for lunch with everyone. Tony’s Pizza didn’t know what hit them!! LOL Max napped for a bit when we got home (so did Pap-Paw). Mommy didn’t get back until late and Max was tired from his busy day!

Monday was a beautiful day. Pap-Paw & I had Chris for the morning while Carolyn ran a special errand! I had a hair appointment at noon. Paul seems to enjoy having the babies here. He doesn’t do a lot of interaction with them but he enjoys the activity they bring. Dad was able to run a load of stuff to the dump in the afternoon. Most of the debris in the yard is now gone. The shed will be started soon! Dad saved an old motorcycle (which is really a piece of junk) for Paul to work on at some time. It may be good therapy for him! Dad & I had an appointment later in the afternoon. Paul stayed with Dora. Paul has been staying up until almost 11pm most nights. Several times Dad asks him if he’s ready for bed and he will start down the hallway, get to the end and turn around to come back to the living room. I think he just needs to stretch!!

Tuesday Dad had some errands to do and met me for lunch. We actually use to do that a lot and it was nice to spend the time together. As much as we love Paul, we don’t get much time alone anymore!

Wednesday Dad & I had a funeral to go to. Please keep the Rudolph & Russell families in your prayers as they grieve their loss.

Thursday is therapy day. Occupational therapy was at 10:30am. They worked on pairing up cards, putting 2’s together, 3’s together etc. When he got to 5 she held up a 7 and asked “is this a 5?” and he said “no”. Then she held up a 9 and asked “is this a five?”, he said “no”. She held up a Jack and asked “is this a 5?” and he gave her a strange look like “are you crazy?” and said “no”. When she held up the five he said “yes”! She had him do a special exercise where she had him putting cards in order and when she rang a bell she wanted him to stop and begin putting coins in a box. Then she would ring the bell again and he was suppose to stop and resume matching cards again. He didn’t do very well, he didn’t want to stop and had to be encouraged to stop and begin the next task. This will take a little more work. They worked on some visual exercises, batting a balloon and balancing a ball which he didn’t want to do. Physical Therapy was at 11:30. He had a substitute therapist. They worked on some exercises to start. Then the therapist put some plastic cones on the floor and he had to walk around them. He did very well with that. He understood what he needed to do and walked between the cones without knocking over more than one of them out of four passes. She tried to have him face the wall at a bar and stand on his toes but he didn’t seem to understand when she wanted him to do. Thursday was bible study night. Ronda brought a favorite for dinner ... Calico Beans & corn muffins! Paul enjoyed it ... so did we! Again, Paul wanted to stay up late and took a couple of walks down the hall before finally being ready to go to bed! It looks like we are heading for another busy weekend!

Have a great one! TGIF - Lynne & Carl