Back Behind the Wheel!

So if you see a silver Mercedes sedan coming your way, beware! Because Dad might be behind the wheel.

Mom tells me that yesterday afternoon he drove them to the polls and on a variety of errands in the Zebulon area. And today he drove them to Rocky Mount for an appointment. She reports that he's doing an amazing job, and that he might even be a better driver now than he was before. I'd argue that's not saying much! :)

I can't really express how much this step means to me. Dad was always The Driver, and I feel like it was such a big part of who he was, and what it meant for him to be an autonomous, free individual. So this really is great news!

Outpatient Therapy

After this week's therapy sessions, Dad will be discharged from Wake Rehab. They estimate that his recovery is at about 90% -- meaning that he's almost entirely back to where he started! It's just amazing how quickly he's gotten better, and, in fact, how much better he's gotten.

He'll continue to see a physical therapist in Nashville to work on that slow right leg and puny right pointer finger. But sometime in the very near future, he'll start driving again. I think everyone will be glad when that happens!

Montreat

Last week Mom and Dad spent the six days at Chapman House in Montreat along with Aunt Joyce, Aunt Jean, and Uncle George. My cousin Lynn and her husband Mark drove up from Atlanta for a few days as well. Reports are that everyone had a great time. This is the first extended trip Dad has taken since having the stroke.

I'm back in Pine Ridge for another short weekend visit, and Dad is doing very well. He was fitted a few days ago with a C-PAP, which is a breathing device for people who suffer from sleep apnia. It's definitely taking some getting used to. He's had a couple good nights and woken up feeling very rested, and a couple other nights of little sleep and much tossing and turning.

Otherwise things haven't changed much since my last post. Dad's outpatient therapy continues to go well, and he's started seeing a physical therapist/ trainer in Nashville to build his strength. Mom is carrying on, as usual.

Mom and Dad are going back to Asheville for a few days in a couple weeks, and then they're coming out to Rhode Island for a week at Thanksgiving.

Long Farm Weekend

I had Rosh Hashanah off work, and I was able to take one vacation day, so I spent this past weekend with Mom and Dad in Pine Ridge. It was such a treat! We did lots of chores, as usual, but we also took off time and had a few very nice outings. On Saturday night, we went to Zely & Ritz in Raleigh for an early birthday dinner. And then on Sunday, we had brunch at Foster's Market in Chapel Hill and then drove out to Fearrington Village for some shopping.

On Monday, Dad saw his internist and received a glowing report. His bloodwork all came back with good results, and he's lost 7 lbs. since his last visit a month ago. Dr. Helton also commented that Dad was much more alert and engaged than during his last visit. So all is very well.

Much Overdue Update

It's been far too long since my last post. Life has become more complicated for me in the last several weeks; Matt H. and I are both fully immersed in new jobs and finding our way around our new home in Rhode Island. But of course, lots has been happening with Dad.

A few weeks ago, he rejoined the choir at Pine Ridge Baptist. They've already started working on their Christmas music, and Dad greatly enjoys his biweekly sessions with his choir friends. Apparently stroke survivors dealing with aphasia frequently benefit from being involved with music, and so Mom and Dad are thinking of his time with the choir as not just a source of pleasure, but also a form of therapy.

He continues to go to the outpatient rehab center three days a week for speech and occupational therapy, and just this week, he has started seeing a physical therapist in Nashville. While he ended his outpatient physical therapy several weeks ago -- he regained his balance and basic mobility very quickly -- he still needs a little work in the areas of stretching, toning, and enhanced range of joint motion. Anyone who knows Dad will also know that he's not exactly the most flexible person around! His joints, especially his knees, have given him trouble for years -- basically as long as I can remember, he's said he has "bad knees." Meanwhile, he continues to have some weakness in his right index finger. His therapists, though, have said they expect it to return to 99% of its original strength over time.

Whenever Dad thinks about returning to life as usual, and doing things he loves like turning bowls, he's faced with the present reality of a puny right pointer. But at the same time, his attitude throughout this entire experience has been amazing and, without fail, upbeat. And so he seems a bit philosophical about it all -- turning and other sorts of fine motor work will come back eventually. And in the meantime, he'll mow grass. (There's been lots of grass, what with all the rain.) And watch Law and Order.

Last weekend Mom and Dad attended one of their favorite annual church events at Pine Ridge, Homecoming. I was not surprised to hear that Dad indulged in a large wedge of his very favorite Homecoming dessert, Maple Nut Chiffon Cake.

Just today he's had an opportunity to give back a little in the caregiver department and minister to Mom, who had a routine colonoscopy in Raleigh. Thanks to Dominee for shuttling Mom and Dad to and from the hospital!

I'm heading home for a long weekend on Saturday morning; I can't wait to see how things are in Pine Ridge.

Aphasia Day

Yesterday I had an opportunity to attend Dad's weekly group therapy session for aphasia patients. I confess that when I first heard that part of dad's outpatient rehab would involve these weekly gatherings, I was seriously dubious. Dad's just not a group therapy sort of person! I couldn't imagine him participating in a break out session, or a small group exercise, or anything of the sort.

But fortunately, my doubts have turned out to be altogether incorrect. Dad really seems to enjoy spending time with the patients in the group, and has developed an excellent rapport with the group leader, a very dynamic and charasmatic speech therapist named Maura Silverman. Most of the patients deal with much more serious impediments than Dad faces. Most -- but not all -- of the patients have suffered strokes, but all have had some sort of brain injury. Some of them struggle with apraxia (another speech function disorder) in addition to aphasia, others have significant physical challenges, and still others are working to recover everyday functions such as recognizing numbers and letters. And yet despite their many differences, they all seem to genuinely enjoy being in a community of shared goals. I witnessed much laughter, many smiles, and a great deal of mutual affection.

Spending a little time with the group helped me understand just how well Dad is doing, and how amazing it is that he's progressed so far in such a short period of time. Likewise, Dad also seems to have gained an important sense of perspective. About midway through the group session yesterday, he came over to where I was sitting and took a little break. He was more reflective than I once would have imagined possible, and I was so pleased and encouraged to hear his comments about this experience. "These are all good people," he said, "and being with them makes me so thankful to be in the condition I'm in." We talked about the different ways the group members had sustained their injuries -- one young member was invovled in a terrible cycling accident, another member has just recently had a portion of her skull replaced after surviving numerous complications that required her to wear a helmet for several months. And Dad also made an important point: lots of people who suffer brain damage don't make it at all. He seems to be truly grateful to be alive, and that perspective seems to have made a tremendous difference to his outlook.

Next week Mom and Dad are flying back to Rhode Island with me to visit for a few days. Who would have thought 10 weeks ago that he'd be able to make such a long trip? I'm constantly amazed by the speed of his recovery; he's such a strong, resilient person.

And on the 31st of this month, Mom and Dad will celebrate their 45th anniversary. What a wonderful gift to have had all these years together -- and to be able to look ahead to many more to come.

Belated Update

Lots has happened since the last time I posted. Dad's recovery continues at a rapid pace. He has completed the physical therapy portion of rehab, which consists primarily of working to build balance and mobility functions. This is not to say, however, that Dad's completely back to his pre-stroke condition. A bit of weakness in his right leg remains, and he still has a ways to go with recovering his full right hand fine-motor skills. Of course, these are minor impediments that will likely be corrected with time, and it's amazing that he's come so far in just over 10 weeks.

Dad's physical recovery has been so swift, in fact, that he's returned to working in the garden and around the farm, especially on Saturday morning--always the big chore time--when he has help from Lee. Of course, Dad's undaunted approach to work has been essential for returning to this sort of demanding physical activity. Even when faced with a challenge, he just charges ahead and works through it.

Earlier this week he decided it was time to get back to additional everyday activities, namely using his computer. It seems that some of his computing skills disappeared with the stroke, and so he and Mom have arranged to begin weekly private instructional sessions at the Apple store in Raleigh. Apparently the in-store training staff has training in working with stroke survivors, and so Dad and Mom are both very excited to get going with this new adventure.

Another everyday skill he hopes to recover soon is driving. His therapists at the rehab center will begin working towards this goal soon; they have a battery of tests, as well as in-the-center driving exercises, to determine when he's road-ready. Any of you who know Dad will surely appreciate how difficult it's been for him to be only a passenger for this long!

Meanwhile, Mom and Dad have just enjoyed a very long visit from Matt, Elizabeth, Lucy, and Simon, who were able to spend two weeks in Pine Ridge. Matt and Elizabeth provided much help and support around the house and farm, and Mom tells me that Lucy and Simon kept Dad company and made him smile. What better therapy can a grandfather get?

Mom is doing really well. Of course, she has gained tremendous strength and support from all the family members who live close by, and from the wonderful community at Pine Ridge Baptist, and from all her dear friends from Rocky Mount and elsewhere. She's also done some reading that has been very helpful, both in terms of encouraging her through difficult moments, and by helping her understand the nuts and bolts -- medical, physiological, psychological, etc. -- of what happens during a stroke. Two books in particular are Jill Bolte Taylor's My Stroke of Insight and Norman Doidge's The Brain that Changes Itself.

Thanks to all of you who have visited Dad recently. He really seems to thrive on this sort of contact, and any opportunity he can have to engage in conversation, initiate discussion, and just make chit-chat with friends is incredibly helpful.