January 2, 2012

Bro. Dale has had two good days since the last update.  Today they got him dressed in regular clothes for the first time since his stroke!  They prefer for the patients to be dressed for therapy.  He was able to lift his hips with his left leg to get his pants on and he got his left sleeve of his shirt on himself. 

Today he was up for 3 hours: 1 for therapy, 2 sitting in the chair.  And they had him standing for 20 minutes today! 

While Mrs. Doug was there this afternoon, the oxygen line on the trach had come loose and was just sitting on his chest.  She noticed it and went over and put it back, but he had been breathing fine on his own.  A little while later, she noticed that it had come loose again and he was trying to put it back.  But he seems to be breathing so well without it.  She's going to talk the doctor about it tomorrow. 

They haven't been having to suction him during the day at all.  He has been able to be productive enough with his cough that he hasn't needed them to suction anything. 

There are some motions that he has been using over and over that Mrs. Doug and Janice think they have finally figured out.  He has been making a circle with his fingers and they finally figured it out.  They asked him if he was referring to the trach and he nodded.  He had been patting his hand on his chest too, which they figured out he meant talking.  So they put together that he thinks the trach is keeping him from talking.  He has not had a speech valve on the trach since he's been in Baldwyn.  Mrs. Doug is going to ask the doctor about that tomorrow.  She hopes that since he is mouthing words now, that with the speech valve, he will be able to speak them.  But the hope is also that they can take him off the trach soon as well. Mrs. Doug will call me tomorrow after she talks with the doctor and the therapists. 

Janice flew out very early this morning from Jackson and has made it home safe and sound.  She had a great visit.  Mrs. Doug said it was so encouraging to get to see her girls over the past couple of weeks.

"¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹² Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." 
Jeremiah 29:11-13