Day 48

Tomorrow morning begins the 8th week since Stan's stroke!! He (and God) have certainly made believers out of a lot of doubters! When I think of some of his doctor's "predictions" I shudder and rejoice!!! Shudder, because one wanted to pull the feeding tube three weeks ago!! Rejoice that I said NO, and because God has restored him so much in the last week!! I was thinking this morning how wonderful it is going to be when Stan walks into Regional to see all those caregivers who came to love him. (And when he once again shows the power of prayer to the doctor at St. Elias who said he will never walk. )

It may take a while, but it is certainly not impossible!!

We had a huge milestone yesterday...........but I for one, was NOT surprised!! He has been saying words now and then for a few days!! The speech therapist put a device over his trach that allowed the air to pass by his vocal cords so that he could talk. He said several things............very coherently! When she asked him if there was anything he wanted to say, he said, "They won't let me sleep around here." (He was sound asleep, after having been awake for four hours and then "exercised" a bunch and tired out, when she came in and woke him up to do the therapy. There is always someone poking and prodding him.)

(Exercised, as in...being cleaned up, turned, etc. All that wears him out!)

He also is reaching with his right hand, and I saw him rub his right eye and itch his nose several times yesterday!! (Yesterday ...as in, Monday)

He does something new every day!!! PTL

It is morning again when I am writing this report. I stayed at the hospital until almost midnight. I was going to "Ring the New Year In" with him, bu since he was sleeping soundly, I just kissed him "Happy New Year" and decided to go home before all the party goers got back on the streets! I saw lots of fire works going off on my way home. It is so neat that people who don't even know Stan are celebrating his "victories."

Love, M