Amazing, Miraculous

A beautiful bouquet of my favorite
 flowers fresh from the garden.
Thank you Bubba & Betty!

7:30pm Fri. night - Mike was very agitated and would not sit down or quiet down. he fought going upstairs, taking a shower and getting dressed. I figured he was just overly tired. It had been a busy day with a Dr. appt., errands, lunch at Wendy's, cleaning out the calf barn, etc. So I closed us up in the back to bedrooms and he walked and walked, talked and talked for about 40 minutes or so. I finally was able to sort of push him into bed and he didn't move or make a sound.  He was just exhausted, but couldn't quit on his own. So sad.  He did great at the Dr. appt. Was mostly able to respond to the Dr. and didn't freak out when put into a small room. Dr. Rosenbaum and his nurse are wonderful!  They allowed us to come in the back door and we didn't have to wait in the waiting room. (I was there almost 3 hours on Tuesday.)

3:18am - Mike wakes up talking about calling Scot. I get him and myself back into bed 3 times, then give up and give him a Risp. and then later a Neurontin. The last time I wrap up in a blanket and sit on the floor by his bed to try to keep him in bed.  He finally quiets down and falls asleep. About 4:30, I crawl back in bed.

6:45am - Mike wakes up, is calm throughout the morning routine. Sits and reads his Bible on his own and helps me make the bed.  He starts to get wound up after coming down stairs so I give him a Risp.

Sequence time. Mom had beginner's
 luck and won both games!

After breakfast, he was walking around repeating some phrase over and over. I pulled out the Sequence game and although it took a bit for him to become engaged in the game, he did calm down and slowly began to remember how to play.  After that, he and Mom worked on a puzzle and then they played 2 games of Sequence while I baked toffee bars, did some laundry, etc. As soon as Mom got up to do something else, the perseveration (repeating) began again.  If Mike is not actively engaged in some activity, the perseveration is very prevalent. I was making the filling for a couple of coconut pies, so Mom made the crust and finished those up while Mike and I went out for a walk.  Again, we had a similar conversation as the one the other day.  It went something like this:
J - What is your brother's name?  M- What is your brother's name? J- Try to respond, not repeat. M-Repeats. J- Your brother is ___?  M- Repeats  J - You would say, "My brother is _____." M- "My brother is Mark." J - Yes, Mike! That's right!"  J- What's Mark's wife's name?  M- "Amy"  J- No that's Keegan's fiancee. Mark's wife's name is similar to mine. M-nothing J- Her name starts with a "J". M-Jenney!   Anyway, you get the gist of our conversation.  Once he gets away from just repeating what is said, he can somewhat answer the questions with prompts or cues.  We went through his family and then I asked about college, the cities they are in, etc.

He asked why I was quizzing him. I told him it was to work on his memory. The other day I apologized for myself and others talking about him in front of him and he said "y'all think I am dumb", ouch!...I said "no, we just think that due to the brain injury you don't understand." He said "I do understand." :-(  Big mental note to myself and everyone else! DON'T TALK ABOUT HIM WITHIN HIS HEARING - Talk TO him, INCLUDE him even if he seems completely unaware or unresponsive.

After our walk, we had lunch and I decided to try what Dr. Gualtieri suggested.  I did not give him a Risp. but gave him 2 neurontin.  It calmed him down, but didn't fog his mind.  We have had a really great afternoon.  He did walk down to the milking parlor and Jesse came to get me, but when I told Mike we don't work with the cows, we're the gardeners, he did not fight me to leave.  We walked out to the garden and started digging up weeds.  Then Hugh came and took Mike to help him do some yard work and I had my second horse riding lesson with Tracey.  Hugh and Mike did raking and picking up pine cones in their yard. When they drove up Mike asked me if I had ridden the horse and if I had some gum.  Now it is 10:30pm and we are both up and watching the Final Four. He has still had some perseveration, but mostly he has been able to communicate with us, be cooperative, get to the bathroom, and mostly showered himself!  Truly miraculous!  If you recall, I have tried to get him off the Risp. several times with disastrous results.  So this is really amazing.  The farm, the space, the work, the people, and no Risp. since breakfast = a calmer, more content, better cognition Mike and a VERY thankful Jennifer. :-)  He's also reading a National Geographic while watching the game!  Woo Hoo!!!

I had a thought earlier today that maybe we're entering our Year of Jubilee.  Leviticus 25:10 "This fiftieth year is sacred--it is a time of freedom and of celebration when everyone will receive back their original property, and slaves will return home to their families."  I know it's not a great analogy, but after such a year of pain, loss, trials, tears, transitions, and struggles, if this is the beginning of real change and healing, it will be "a time of freedom and of celebration" and in a very real sense, like we're receiving Mike back along with some original normalcy. Plus we'll have the added bonus of sharing this joy while surrounded by family and friends here in Virginia.  It is hard not to get my hopes up too high after an afternoon like today, but I will rejoice in every step forward and try to remember them when the backward steps come.  Through it all, the one thing I know for sure is that God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit is the ONE who has carried us through these difficult months and who holds our future in His more-than-capable hands.  I am not strong, HE is. I cannot bear a heavy load, HE can and does. Without Him my worst days would have been many times worse. He is my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my counselor, my guide. He continues to do miracles in my life and Mike's every day.  I hope you are looking for the miracles He's doing in your life too.