Connect the Dots

I was in Stanardsville with Mike on November 4-6. I think he looks much better now that the Haldol is out of his system. He has lost the really dark circles under his eyes and his eyes seem brighter and clearer. He is more stable physically also. His mind seems a bit clearer; however, he is a bit....edgy. It's hard to explain, but since he is not as sedated, the fast-blood Mike (his nickname in Palau) is more apparent. When his fastness is combined with the no-filters-TBI component, the impatience and quickness to action can cause problems for his overall well-being. (i.e. eating and walking too fast) I still think it's better than being overly sedated and unstable.

The Harbor has connected with students from a nearby high school who have volunteered to spend time with some of the residents. On Tuesday, November 3, two students from the cross-country team and their father came and took Mike for a walk. This is great, but unfortunately their first time out with Mike, he fell. Evidently, as they talked about running, Mike became excited and tried to run. I'm assuming they semi-caught him, because he wasn't seriously injured, but did receive scrapes on his right arm and a cut above his eye. The volunteers said they would be back, but I don't know if they have or not.

Thursday was a lovely Fall day and Mike was doing well. We walked a little and then sat in the garden while I showed him photos & videos of Caleb, Anastasia, and Watson. It did not seem to phase him that I had gone to Arizona (I wasn't sure if it would upset him that I went and he didn't).  He asked me if I lived with Mark and Anastasia. He still gets people in our family confused. I told him "No, Caleb and Anastasia live too far away."  Mike - "No, they don't!" Ah well, he enjoyed the photos. We do have the cutest grandson ever!

Sleepy Watson

I can see for miles and miles!

Cool hats

I had a great 10 days in Arizona. Watson is at such a fun age. He was crawling fast and would take several steps. I'm convinced that ottomans are a must for those learning to walk. He would careen around those things, fall, scramble up again, go round and round, giggling and having a fine time! His laugh would have all of us laughing. Such a doll.  I am so blessed to have been able to go and see Watson during this quickly changing phase of his life.

We also enjoyed a short 2 day trip to Sedona and Flagstaff so that I could see more of the beauty of Arizona. We saw the red rocks and visited some adobe ruins which I found very interesting plus a volcano site. (Sunset Crater?)

From the ashes

Beautiful scarred tree
preserved from the volcano 

Anyway, back to Mike. He is still on pureed foods and thickened drinks. They brought his plate and I asked for a lunch plate too. He ate all of his plate and I shared my solid food with him. I had to constantly remind him to eat slow, chew and swallow. Since he was doing so well, I decided to take him out to get his haircut. We found a local barber and he did OK. I'm guessing that the noise of the clippers bothered him, because he would keep turning his head. The barber was very kind and worked with him. Afterwards, we went through the drive-thru at McDonald's to get him a milkshake. While waiting in line, he kept moving things around in the car. I asked him if he needed something to do with his hands and he said "yes!" All I could find in the car was a straw, but he took the paper off and played with the flexible straw until we placed our order and got the milkshake. Now that he had something to occupy him, I decided to drive a little so we could see the beautiful fall foliage. We drove up Lydia Mountain which isn't far and then he was ready to go back to The Harbor.

 On Friday he had a dentist appointment for a filling. After seeing how he did at the barber, I asked the director if he could be given his PRN medication before going to the dentist. That was granted. Now let me back up. On Tuesday night, I had the idea to email Pastor Aaron at Gateway to see if anyone from their church was available to go with Mike and I to the dentist on Friday. I received an automated response that the Pastor was unavailable until Nov. 11, but it gave another Pastor's name, phone number, and email in case of emergency. This wasn't an emergency, so at first I wasn't going to email, but decided I would, just in case this other pastor had heard of our situation and knew of any volunteers.

Well, I think God has been having a lot of fun connecting dots for Mike and I. When I heard from Pastor Matt, it turns out that he is from a small town close to Blackstone, he went to the same high school that lots of my family went to (including me) and was in the band with 2 of my nieces. He even went to a dance with one of my nieces! God's small world! He was available Friday, so came and assisted Mike and I to the dentist office. It was so great to already have connections which made it all more comfortable for me and gave us things to talk about right away. The best part is that he was able to meet Mike, learn more about him, and is going to work at getting a couple of guys to come visit Mike on hopefully a regular basis. Mike did fantastic at the dentist. He was calm while driving back and forth plus conversed a little bit with Matt.

When we returned, it was lunch time and Mike became very anxious. We were able to show Matt where Mike's room and games were and then proceeded quickly to the dining hall. Lunch was difficult and I could not get him to slow down and relax. Matt went on and left while Mike was eating. After getting his noon medication, we took a walk and he began to calm down. By then he was tired, so I got him in bed with a book then headed home myself. All in all, I believe he did very well with both outings and meeting a new person. I'm very glad he did well on both drives. That gives me more confidence to take him out for short trips which is a pleasant diversion for him and makes me happy to get him out.

I will be going up again this Friday. Mike will have his first treatment with the brain injury specialist on Saturday from 11-1. I would appreciate prayers. I will be taking him to her office in Orange which is about a half hour drive from the Harbor. It's right at lunch time, so I will take him yogurt before and maybe after also, until we can get back for his lunch. Since he's on the pureed diet, I don't want to take him out to eat. I'm excited to start this treatment and hope we'll see some improvement as the treatments progress.

He does seem to be settling in and more comfortable at The Harbor, so I am thankful for that improvement. The staff said he has really enjoyed watching football. They were amazed at how different he was while watching a Redskins game. They said that Mike and another lady were cheering and Mike knew all the rules of the game. That long-term memory is there when given the right stimulation. Is always a joy to hear those good reports. The other interesting thing is that the older women there seem to have taken Mike under their wing. When we returned from the barber shop on Friday, one lady came up, took me by the arm, looked at me with such kindness, and said "Thank you, that was so good for him."  It reminds me of how God shelters us under His wings.

Psalm 91:1-4

The one who lives under the protection of the Most High

dwells in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust."

He Himself will deliver you from the hunter's net,

from the destructive plague.

He will cover you with His feathers;

you will take refuge under His wings.

His faithfulness will be a protective shield.