Dear John,

Three years.....

2011-07-27T21:49:00.001-07:00

Three long years since I heard you speak to me. I miss you so much Dad.

It feels like three years since I've posted last. It wasn't until recently when a friend suggested I pick this back up that I decided to try writing again. I recently spent the weekend at that special place out in Pacific Beach. This photo of my Dad on the jetty, here dubbed "you are my sanity". Well, at least, that's what I called it at the time. It was on that weekend, on that beach, on that jetty...the last real memory of being on vacation with my Dad and taking that long walk with him. So I revisited the same place we all stayed in, Bob's Pacific Beach House. Beautiful home. Drank lots of wine, turned on the fire, and reflected on the memories of a great man. I'm sure the wine didn't help hold back the tears, but it felt good to get that emotion out again. I love that place. This place that photo's cannot do justice, you have to witness it's beauty with your own eyes to fully appreciate it. The drive in feels like you are in a dream. The beach stretches as far as the horizon. Clammers gather in flocks when the season is right. Beach combers gather every morning attempting to find a new treasure that the ocean brought to shore over night.

The first two days yielded a glorious sunshine, but where this place really shows it's beauty in these eyes is when that morning mist rolls in. I remember getting up out of bed just to go sit on the deck with a bowl of cereal, listening to the silence of the morning, watching the waves roll one after the other, taking in that clear Pacific air. Looking down on that beach, I see my Dad and I walking. I wish I could give him that feeling again. That feeling of wet sand between the toes....running from a swift rush of seawater that crept up on you. Climbing up on that jetty and taking in the power of mother nature with the each crashing wave.

It was a weekend filled with emotion, sadness, and solitude. I wish you were there with me.

I miss you Dad.

updates!

2010-11-12T22:11:00.000-08:00

It's been a few months since I have posted anything, and I really thought I was done posting. However, I am currently throwing my parents onto the Facebook bandwagon, and in the process having a link to this blog....soooooooooo, I thought it best to update in the event any of you are still checking in.

So not much has developed since July. Dad has his good weeks and bad weeks. Seems lately they have been good, good speech, good walking. He has developed a deep admiration of Dibs. They are similar to Bon Bon's. His latest thing is to get one Dib per lap he walks around the island in the kitchen at the house. So, by the time I get down there in the evening, he has a request for anything from 8-14 Dibs.

A coworker of my Mom gave her a Wii game system, and we are able to feed Netflix through the Wii, so Dad has an unreal amount of Westerns and war movies at his fingertips. Every once and awhile the rest of us can watch something of another genre. :)

We got him all dressed up to the nines and drove him down to his niece Kelly's wedding back in September. The first time he's had his old suit on in a few years. He looked like a champ!

We found a small owie above his ear that turned out to be a form of skin cancer, but that has since been removed and I believe we are all clear there.

Other than all that.....all is well.

Hope everyone is doing great and looking forward to their happy holidays with family and loved ones, as we are!

Two years...

2010-07-27T22:37:00.000-07:00

Since he sat me on the back deck and told me his thoughts.

Since he walked around the house on his own.

Since he helped make dinner.

Since we enjoyed the sound of his voice.

Since he hugged me with both arms.

Since he had happy thoughts of his retirement.

Since he sang in the shower.

Since he helped himself to a snack in the fridge.

Since he held his wife and told her how much he loves her.

Since he told me "try not to worry"

Enjoy the little things. You never know when you won't have them again.

Spring update!

2010-05-26T13:03:00.000-07:00

All is calm at the Petro ranch. I can't remember if I blogged about the hydrotherapy before, but we finally got that in motion. This is my Dad's second week working with this specialist friend, and everything seems to be working wonderfully. He is outfitted with his own swimsuit, tank top, and aquasox. I'll see if I can't sneak in there next week and snap some shots to see the old man gettin his fitness on! Some of my oldest and fondest memories of my childhood involve me riding piggy back on my Dad while he swam. It goes without saying that I miss those times.

We've also been working hard with the Dynavox system, trying to get him comfortable with that for better communication in the future.

Mom and I are still working on that jewelry idea...well, more Mom than me. I can't seem to get my creative side motivated back into jewelry.

With yard work, my various jobs, and various projects around their place, jewelry seems to fall through the cracks....but we're working on it!

Overall, I'd say my Dad is keeping his strength up, however it's difficult to stay motivated as all of us could understand, I'm sure. He goes through spurts of impressive feats though, which keep me forever impressed.

Feb Update

2010-02-06T12:30:00.000-08:00

Well that's frustrating. I just had a big long post that vanished. Arrrgh!

Well let's try that again.

So we are embarking on the first ever guys weekend. My Mom had an opportunity to go stay with her sisters and have a little R&R from reality. I cancelled my Super Bowl trip to Vegas, and me and the bro's made it happen. She has been gone almost 27 hours, and I asked my Dad if he was sad that she is not here. Normally the guys would be excited to spend some guy time without the ladies...ESPECIALLY on Super Bowl weekend. He admitted that he was sad, despite my assurance that no other husbands were there. I think he is more sad that he can't take her on these trips, something they once enjoyed doing quite often. I'm sure he had hoped this would have all been over by now.

I baked cookies last night while he played online poker. I got him in a free tournament, and out of 8000 players, he placed in the top 250...granting him a seat at the next tournament where he has a chance to win up to $1000. I am allllll for him making money any way that he can. He and I used to play these tournaments all the time, and this is the first tournament he had won since before the surgery. He seemed to be on a small high from this, and I was elated to see him with a sense of accomplishment again. He could not wait to get out of bed this morning and get his hands on some fresh baked cookies.

Brad and I are going to take him for a little drive now.

Hope all of you are doing well.

All our love,

Chris

New Year!

2010-01-07T18:01:00.000-08:00

Happy 2010 everyone!

Well let's see, a year ago today we were in a hospital room praying that the pneumonia would subside. This year, his speech is better, his eating is improving (though he is down to a slim 148), and his mobility is improving. I'd much rather have this year than last!

This post comes following a very realistic dream I had last night. I dreamt that my Dad's brain suddenly "came to", and he was walking and talking again. This doesn't surprise me, as I was talking with my friend, Mike, about this scenario. I remember crying in the dream, and hugging him incessantly. Needless to say, I didn't want to wake. But, I did. I came into his room where he was still sleeping and gave him a big good morning hug.

We had a great low key Christmas, and it was just perfect. For New Years Eve, Brad and I drove Mom & Dad up to the Skagit River. There is a place up there that they went to prior to the surgery where there are more Bald Eagles than you can count....all in one spot over the river. We weren't as lucky as they were on that trip, but we managed to see a few. The weather wasn't as ideal, so I guess our nation's bird is a little particular to when he/she will be seen. :)

Mom and I have been pumping out quite a bit of jewelry as promised, and I am in the process of photographing each of these pieces for purchase. Hopefully by my next post, I will have some samples.

Before I leave you, on a recent trip to Portland (just for a couple hours), I found a friend's new restaurant. If you are in the Portland area, you have to stop by!! Very tasty sandwiches! Lisa, part owner, was a huge help in promoting this site to the masses when we first started out. Her help didn't go unnoticed, so when I heard she and her husband Brian had opened the first restaurant...we made it a point to swing by on a recent photog trip to P-town! Pops got the T-shirt!

Here is the link to their website and menu!

http://www.bigasssandwiches.com/

Take care everyone!

Holidays!

2009-12-03T19:58:00.000-08:00

Hello all and sorry for no posts lately! Hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your loved ones! We stayed around the house working on projects, while Mom cooked up a feast! This time last year, we had nothing to show for the day other than quality time together. THIS year, however, pops was able to sit down at the table, share in some turkey, stuffings, and his favorite...mashed potatoes and GRAVY! I have to hand it to my Mom, she really makes an amazing Thanksgiving dinner, though I may be a little biast there. :)

Soooo let's see, what is new around here? Dad is in a communication class to help him with his speech, and so far so good! His brother came up recently and was impressed with his improvements. With improved speech, comes more and more food items that he gets cleared to munch on. His weight has climbed back up, as a result, though slowly. Brad is complaining that he is getting too heavy to lift! Haha.

He is getting more and more efficient on his computer, so please, continue to email him.

I went to a show recently of an artist whom I only knew due to his touring with the Dave Matthews Band this summer. Turns out, he is the son of a man that my Mom & Dad used to listen to when I was just a little tot. I stayed after the show and we reminisced of growing up in the same small town in Idaho. My Dad is going to try to touch base with his old friend.

My Mom and I have started a new hobby to help out with some of the expenses that come with home care. We have joined forces as former jewelry designers and decided to run a line of pieces to sell. Our first thought was to showcase them via this site, but I fear I have lost a great deal of my readers due to my lack of posts recently. We may just start another site. Undecided....stay tuned for further details.

Lastly, an extra big thanks to the continued support and love from family and friends. I love this time of year and the kindness that it brings out of all of us.

Love for all of you!

Health Reform!

2009-10-17T09:33:00.000-07:00

Ok, so my Mom emailed me this contest type deal proposed by the Obama administration regarding a push for Health Reform. You submit a 30-second video capturing your thoughts on why we need to push Health Reform, a panel of judges reviews them and selects 20 finalists. The winner gets their video displayed on a national ad promoted Health Reform.

By the time she emailed it to me, we only had a week to get our entry in. Initially, we sorta gave up on the idea, not having anything but a script. No gear, no video camera. Luckily, my roommate is a photographer, and came through in the clutch with some gear. He also offered his editing services and came through with quite a handsome clip. We were done ahead of the deadline, YES!!! But, my own panel of judges thought it could use a little more meat. This is quite challenging considering you only have 30 seconds. You try to sum up what I've been blogging for over a year into 30 seconds and let me know how YOU do. :)

Sooo, last night we attempted our second take. Once finished with plenty of good footage, we did some blooper reels. Lots of fun. I am taking the material to be edited this afternoon, and released to You Tube by tomorrow's deadline. Wish us luck!!! We could use a little more national attention, I figure.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Updates on health. Well, what I had originally thought to have been a freak occurance, is unfortunately not. It seems whenever my Dad is making great progress, someone wants to kick him back down. Being the fighter that he is, he continues to manage to get back up in a short amount of time.

What I am referring to his seizure he had recently. The doctor prescribed some medicine to prevent future seizures, but sadly, it didn't work. He had another one the other night while in Brad's care. He was a little lethargic the next day, but bounced right back, and we are back on track. Ever since his birthday excursion to Reno, which was a complete success by the way, he has been extremely focused on improving his speech. The one frustrating part about the trip to Reno, was the inability for him to communicate in a car rolling down the freeway. At home, it's quiet, we can hear him better. On the freeway, it's another story. As soon as we got home, he and Fred started a program in which he will practice 10 words a week. Everyday, he and Fred will work on pronunciation. Come Friday, it's up to the rest of us to guess the words he is trying to speak to us. This compiled with the singing has improved him, but it's still a long road ahead.

If anyone reading has other suggestions we can work on, please feel free to share.

I see our photos are working. Strange that they didn't work before.

Mike (roommate) subbed in the song "Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls for our video clip. When we have it finished, I will forward the link pending my Dad's approval, of course. I'll end this post with the lyrics to this song which are amazingly powerful and accurate.

And I'd give up forever to touch you
Cause I know that you feel me somehow
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be
And I don't want to go home right now

And all I can taste is this moment
And all I can breathe is your life
Cause sooner or later it's over
I just don't want to miss you tonight

Chorus
And I don't want the world to see me
Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am

And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming
Or the moment of truth in your lies
When everything seems like the movies
Yeah you bleed just to know your alive

And I don't want the world to see me
Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am

I don't want the world to see me
Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am
I just want you to know who I am
I just want you to know who I am

BIRTHDAY!!!!

2009-09-25T11:31:00.000-07:00

For those that don't know, today is my Dad's birthday. As a gift, we have decided to take him to Reno. There is a hotel there that he loves, so we are renting a pair of cars and hitting the open road. Fred is going to stay behind and watch after the house, Jack gets to go see his cousins and run and play to his little heart's content.

I can't tell you how excited my Dad is. Last night I saw an energy in him that I haven't seen in a while. Very cool. I asked him what he wants for his birthday, and he says he has it. His life, and this trip with his family. "Very noble", I said..."but how bout something to go along with your life and your trip." haha.

He took his swallow test for the third time, and I guess third time is the charm. The doctors were quite impressed with how significant a change he has made. They approved him for more foods, and a larger variety. He even gained weight since they last saw him! Very cool!!!

I am seeing now that the pictures I uploaded didn't show up in the slideshow. I will try to work with this issue and get it resolved ASAP, as well as upload pics of our journey.

Send him a birthday wish if you get this in time!!!! cjpetro1@gmail.com

Take care, and god bless!

Hello again!

2009-09-08T23:03:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I took August off from writing. I have my reasons. There was much to write about, and over this holiday weekend, I found the words. I got away for a few days to one of my favorite parts of the summer. It was a relaxing weekend, and I had a lot of time to think about everything.

For those that don't know, pops had a seizure a few weeks back. Just out of the blue, and bam....back in the hospital. A week before our big family picnic that he has been fighting so hard to make an appearance at. This set him back for a few days with the new medication to prevent future seizures. He fought through it like the soldier that he is, and overcame the obstacle. A week later, we were in Portland smiling and laughing with all the family. He got to dine on a hot dog, one of his all time favorite treats, and was treated to something that I find incredibly romantic. A king sized bed next to his wife. Try to imagine sleeping in hospital beds for over a year, away from that person that has held you tight for so many years prior, and then for one night only...you get to sleep next to him/her. Perhaps I am just a hopeless romantic, but that was something that couldn't go by unnoticed.

The seizure symptoms came and went, and he is right back on track, maybe a little sluggish at times, but his strength continues to astound me. His singing improves the more he practices, as does the swallowing. He has been even having harder foods such as chicken and beef lately....in very small doses.

I got some pictures from the family picnic to share, which I will do now...as it is getting late and I will have to continue my thoughts another night.

**Bud, I'm sorry I didn't get pics of you and my Dad on this trip...by the time I remembered the camera, you and Olga had already left the building. I will be sure to get some of you two soon!

Interesting week.

2009-07-24T22:44:00.000-07:00

This Monday marks a year since I heard my Dad speak to me with the voice I'd grown accustomed to for 35 years. It's kind of weird, though. I've gotten so used to his new voice, that when I hear that old voice (on our home answering machine), it takes half a second to recognize that person on the machine. I could go into fine detail of all the things this next week represents, but I know he checks in and reads this, as does the rest of the family. They don't need a reminder, and my Dad certainly doesn't need to feel sad.

We spoke of the big day coming up, and he said that he should be walking and talking by now. I completely disagreed with him, reminding him that just seven months ago, he was closer to dying than any of us want to see ever again. Most of the encouraging stories I read when this all began had one thing in common, the first year is always the hardest. Then things start waking up. I told him he is making huge strides given his condition seven months ago. He can now feed himself via the mouth. We still have the tube fixed to him for his nutrition, but he gets small doses of real food such as chicken, green beans, mac & cheese, and his favorite...ice cream!! We have a outdoor event coming up that he has set a personal goal for, and has been working very hard to accomplish...two words....hot dogs. :)

I don't recall if I blogged about this already, but he got his new teeth back from the dentist. His original set "disappeared" from the hospital, and he really hasn't needed any since. Now he has a HUGE pearly white smile when he laughs. It's quite a comedy.

My Mom has been having a hard time with this month. Understandable. At least her Mariner's are doing better. :) Gooo BIG RUSS!

There is so much more I want to put down that is in my head & heart right now, but it's family stuff. Maybe if I make a book out of this, it will make the book. ;)

It is still amazing to me that we still have some faithful viewers of this blog, despite my lack of writing lately. I know this has probably turned some viewers away, as there aren't as many updates, but as long as he continues to progress, I will continue to write. The day you get a phone call from him asking if you want to meet for a round of golf is the day this blog will end.

(I'll be teein off with my old man)

MOOORE UPDATES!

2009-07-07T11:42:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a happy and safe 4th!!

Much to write about, so let's get rolling...

I finally finished his standing frame, which he has been using for up to 40 minutes at a time! His swallowing is so far so good. My mom has been starting to give him pieces of banana, ice cream, and his favorite...Mac&Cheese!! :) I think we are about a week away before the Speech Therapist is going to try some chicken. He seems to be getting it down nicely, we still worry where down is, of course...haha, but they've been monitoring his lungs and everything seems to be ok.

The singing is a hit! We started him off with something a little slower that is an old classic. "You were always on my mind" by Willie nelson. When we first started, he could barely finish a verse...now he is getting through the whole song. Not clear, by any means...but improving!

He has several posts that I need to copy/paste in here, hopefully this weekend. The picture above is from our weekend excursion to Mt. St. Helens on 4th of July.

So we drove down to Helens on Saturday to escape not only the heat, but the fireworks. I have to agree with my Mom on this...since when did it become alright to give drunken idiots small explosives to set off in close proximity to other houses??? Do any of these people even understand the value of the holiday?? We were driving home from Helens later that evening, and you could feel the shock wave from some of these fireworks from inside your car ON I-5!!! Crazy, just crazy. I wrote off the entire weekend to hang down at their place in case the neighbors did something stupid and caught our house on fire. Shame that we have to worry ourselves with such things.

Anyway, back to Dad. As I was working out in the garage, Brad and Dad were practicing some walking, and decided to take a break on one of the chairs in the living room. Dad sat perfectly in this chair. No leaning, no struggling...sat there like he's been doing it this whole time, and it didn't even have arms! It just seems lately, he has been "waking up", and much of his body is getting tired of that wheelchair. He is accomplishing things the doctors would have never forseen.

I have a feeling the voice will be last to "come back". He has lost 8 lbs since his last weigh-in, as you will see in the picture. Hopefully he can get off the tube soon, and start putting some of that weight back on.

He gets his new teeth soon, which should help in a lot of his speaking, AND chewing.

Overall, his spirits are pretty high. To quote him on our way back from Helens....

"It's good to be alive"....."Thank you for my life"

UPDATE

2009-06-08T11:56:00.000-07:00

Let me start off by saying thank you for all the emails to my Dad, and of course the wonderful comments in here.

Summer is officially here, and we are a couple months away from the one year mark. Pops has exceeded above and beyond what the doctors originally thought. My first question when I see him now, is "How many laps?". We have an island in our kitchen that he walks around with assistance from Fred. I remember at Christmas time, his "present" to me was getting around this island once. Just six months later and he is averaging around 16 laps or more. He even did some stairs off our front porch the other day!

He still struggles with his speech, and my Mom found an interesting article regarding music therapy and Parkinson's patients, or those that have had a stroke. I've spoken to some friend that have had personal experience with this, and they have said when their loved one sang, the words were much clearer than their regular speech. Those that know my Dad, know he looooved to sing...despite his children asking him not to. :)

Soooo, I am going to try to implement this into his routine somehow. His swallowing seems to be improving, but we're still a little gunshy on getting too crazy with foods. He's back on with his number one favorite pass time on his computer...online poker. He and I used to play together all the time, and I must say...he hasn't lost his touch. I told him to start playing real money and earning some big money so my Mom can retire!!! haha. But, we just play for fake dough, obviously.

I'll be down there later this week, and I'll try to get another post from him to put in here.

Keep the emails comin!!! Be patient with him getting back to you, though. He's working on it...but he loooves incoming mail. :)

Dad's first post!!!

2009-05-14T20:41:00.000-07:00

He's just getting used to typing again. Like everything else, nothing comes easy, everything needs work...but this is a great day. Enjoy.

The BOYS HAVE BEEN TERRIFIC; CHRIS WIITH THIS BLOGHAS BEEN PARTICULARLY HELPFUL CHRIS HAS GSDOVRR 4000RESONSEIY BLOWSMY MIND OF COUSE THIS IINCLUDESTHOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE RES-
PONDED MORE THAN ONCE----BUT STILL THAT NUMBER HUMBLES ME
F0R THE RECORD I DHN’T RECALL ANYTHING UNTILL IWOKE UP AT THE NURSING HOME CLAUDIABY THAT TIME HAD EVERYBODY GEAREDTO MY RECOVERY SO I BEGAN THE LONG SLOW ROAD BACKY;NORMAL COMING HOME WAS A BIG STEP
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOOUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS

Monday morning

2009-05-11T11:49:00.000-07:00

OK, so I have put this post off for far too long. No excuses, let's just get right into it.

First and foremost, pops is reading this blog now. He has access to a computer, and is even starting the long process of responding to so many of you. I got him set up with a gmail account this weekend, so if you want to wish him well personally, his new address is cjpetro1@gmail.com.

My next posting will be he and I typing something up together.

So we've just about finished the deck project that we started last year for him. Some generosity came in the form of hard working bodies recently, and they slapped together the last of this ramp. All that is left is some aesthetics, but it is fully functional and working wonderfully!! That evening we had a little dinner with our guests, and while the boys entertained my Dad watching the Blazers in the playoffs, my brother and I sat with my Mom and her sisters. There was talk of the past, the future, and the present of course. Something noted that stood out for me was the incredible love that is within this family. We have our differences as most families do, but in this day and age, it is so rare that two people share the same love through thick and thin as my Mom and Dad do.

The irony here is that through the past decade, it was not uncommon for my mother to slip in little guilt trips for my brothers and I, and how we have NOT produced any grandchildren yet. Had any of produced said family, it would have made our current situation extremely difficult. Luckily for her (and him), we are all taking our sweet time. :) Any single ladies reading this blog? Brad is brown hair, blue eyes, medium build....hahaha. Perhaps this whole ordeal was part of my Dad's ultimate sacrifice in getting us ready for fatherhood? I am smiling as I am writing this by the way.

ANYWAY, speaking of pops....all is well. His left side is slowly getting stronger and stronger. He impressed us all this weekend with the additional mobility in his left arm. He is taking more and more steps, with less and less aid. Limbs and muscles, I feel I can help out with, work out, and strengthn...but his speech, I just feel so helpless. It's super frustrating for him as well, so the computer access is a great way to communicate for now.

Interesting thing happened this weekend. I was at a benefit dinner for auto-immune research, and the cohost of the evening was Dick Foley, a former member of the "Brothers Four" (One of my Dad's favorite bands), and one of the many visitors to see my Dad when he was in ICU. I snuck over when he was off stage for a brief thank you, and he had assumed that my Dad had passed, based on the diagnosis at the time of his visit. He was elated to hear that pops is still fighting the fight, and wished him his best. The event raised over a million dollars for the research. I can't tell you how much I would love to put an event like THAT together. Not just for Parkinson's, but for hundreds of causes. Such an exciting and emotional evening....to see people come together for a cause. Very moving.

More to come this week!! Look for a post from the ol man Wed or Thurs!!

Saturday eve

2009-04-11T22:46:00.000-07:00

First off, it has been far too long since I've posted, and for that I apologize. Can I use "writer's block", in this situation??

Soooo, let's catch up to speed here. I'm being told he is getting stronger and stronger with his walker, though I still have yet to see this. His speech has reached somewhat of a plateau, which worries me. He has admitted this is the most frustrating thing for him, is not being able to communicate better. I worry about him getting discouraged, and try to emphasize patience as much as possible. He sticks to his motto "It's good to be alive", which I love hearing him say.

His feeding via the mouth has commenced, though it is in very small doses, carefully monitored, and only a few select items...though he continues to add to his list of things he misses food wise. :)

His love of basketball has now been replaced by our beloved Mariners, and one of my parents favorite sports stars, Ken Griffey Jr. Goooo M's!!
I asked my Dad if he thinks he could sit through a whole game, if we got tickets, and he seems to think he could. He has been to the theatre twice now, with Fred. Apparently if you are the caretaker of an individual, you get into movies for freeeeeeee! I honestly don't know how he does it, since the popcorn at the theatre's and at the ball parks, is one of his favorite treats of all time. :)

I have spoken before about how I cannot express everything I would like to say via this blog, and I stand firm to that...though I will say that this country has a long way to go on health insurance, and our legal system astounds me. That is all I am going to say on that.

I know I owe some photos and will get them up soon!
Take care everyone.

March Madness!

2009-03-21T11:55:00.000-07:00

Don't let the title of this one fool ya. Pops is doing good. His brother suggested we get him involved in the NCAA Mens Basketball tourney through a league that he (his brother) is involved in. Soooo, Brad and I printed out some brackets, Dad made his picks, as did Brad and I. Much to my mother's distaste of it all, we have been watching every game. :)

Regarding his recovery, he retook the swallow test and did a little bit better this time, and the doctors approved him for nectar like substances, which he has already started a list of. :)

This all makes me verrrrrry nervous, since the result of this the first time led to almost losing him earlier this year. But, the only way to get better swallowing, is to practice. The only way to practice, is to give him something. We are taking steps to make this a much more regimented training, not just a chance for him to taste things. There will be rules and guidelines, and things we will know to watch for this time, which reassures me slightly.

Last night was rather special, as he began asking questions again regarding what happened in the hospital. He cried for the first time in a long time at the thought of what he has been through, and everyone that has come together to support him. He asked me this morning if I was still angry at the doctors. I told him I buried that emotion, as it was not healthy to obsess over the past when there was so much work to be done for the future. He spelled out on the reader board that they have no idea the labor they have caused his family...but that "it was good to be alive". We paused for a moment in agreeance, before he pointed to the screen to let me know it's time to get back to the tournament.

My Mom found a really good deal on a laptop that we think will help him begin to send e-mails to everyone, respond to comments in here, and work on his hand/eye coordination...among other things. It has a touch screen so that he doesn't have to rely on a keyboard. Should be here in a couple weeks. :)

More and more movement from the left limbs. He got a brace for his left leg to strengthen it when he walks. I want to reemphasize that his walking is very limited to our support, and that of his walker, aid, etc. He is, by no means, freely walking again and has much work to do...but is anxious to do so.

Do not be surprised if you see some incoming mail from him in the next months. He, as do all of us, owe everyone in here our extended gratitude.

Wednesday

2009-03-11T18:24:00.000-07:00

I was unable to post last week due to being out of town. Needless to say, I was excited to be home. Not for work, or to sleep in my own bed so much, but to see Pops again. It's been almost a week since I've seen him, and a lot happens in a week around here these days.

As stated before, the entire left side is coming alive. His leg is more and more responsive, and his arm is slowly coming out of hybernation. My Mom surprised me with a call late Sunday evening telling me they even went to a concert Saturday night! One of his favorite newer performers is Raul Malo, and he was here in town that night, so Brad surprised them with tickets. My Mom said it was an awesome show, and my Dad held up as good as could be expected if not better.

I have yet to see him use his walker, but am told it's quite impressive.

I have some pictures to post, and will do so this weekend. Love to all!

Late post

2009-02-25T12:12:00.000-08:00

I apologize for not posting recently. I have been out with the flu, and not having the energy to do much.

I am due to be down there today to see him. I miss him. When I last saw him, he was going to get a walker. He was very excited about this opportunity. The Speech Therapist has moved his swallow test forward as she has been impressed with his improvements. As noted in the previous blog's comments, my Mom's sisters all came up last Thursday to take her out on the town and see how Dad has improved. I have a picture of this that I will upload first chance I get.

It is nice to see him laughing more. I look at this as a blessing in disguise, as challenging times continue to rise and as tough as times may seem, we have the laughter and love of a humble man just happy to still have his family.

I will post more towards the end of the week, when I have had some time to spend with him.

Baby steps!

2009-02-13T11:51:00.000-08:00

WOW, so in one week he went from being able to wiggle his toes a little on the left side, to being able to lift the entire lower half of his left leg in a sitting position to where it is almost straight out in front of him. I can only imagine what surprises he will have for us next week.

His talking is getting better and better, and there is plenty more of it, as a result! :)

Random acts of kindness continue to come our way in so many different forms. I have never been one to speak publicly about these individual acts, they are all awesome in their own right...and those that are keeping tabs on this know what they've done, and are not looking for recognition for it. So, I can just say thank you to all of you. Whether your donation is in prayer, gift, thoughts and stories, or from your checkbook, they are all incredible to us. My Mom just commented the other day on how she can't believe everything that everyone has done.

I remember that first day at the hospital, how helpless we all felt. How my Mom even said "Who is going to care about our situation??", when I told her I was putting together a donation page. Who would have thought it would have gone this far? I'm not sure what the future holds for my Dad, but it is clear that he is not wasting time on what the doctors tell him. He is stronger now, than I think he has ever been. Strong in spirit, and sometimes that means so much more than what your body is able to attain.

Smiles and laughs

2009-02-06T18:13:00.000-08:00

They are BACK!

Despite his laughs and smiles not being the same as what I remember from pre-surgery, these kind take on a whole new authenticity. He can have this frown on his face and my Mom starts in with this little song and dance, and he lights up, and I would love to find someone who does not just buckle cracking up at the site of this man when he gets into light up mode. It is just hilarious, and I am doubtful it will ever get old.

He continues to have an issue with his IV clogging up, so weekly visits to the hospital are not uncommon, but hey...it gets him out of the house, which I know he likes.

Beyond that, everything is improving day by day. He has been sleeping better, communicating better, and moving better. He had another surprise for me this week when I came over after work. He had me sit beside him and pointed my attention to his left foot. I sat and watched as he made considerable attempts at elevating the foot. The fact that there is movement there from a sitting position is a great sign.

My Mom's birthday is coming up on the 9th. Feel free to send her good wishes, and I will see that she gets them. :)

Friday

2009-01-30T12:02:00.001-08:00

Ohhh MAN, it feels like forever since I have blogged. My apologies, crazy week with work and plans and pops and well, everything.

But, as my Uncle Bud has said before...."No news is typically good news".

He has been progressing wonderfully. His smile has come back, and even a chuckle here and there. He is so anxious to get up and walk, my Mom and Brad found him trying to get out of bed two different nights. He apparently heard something outside. We use this metal basket beside his bed as something to hold misc. items, including a bell that he can ring if we are asleep and he needs one of us. My Mom said he had this basket high up in the air, as he was trying to get out of bed. Apparently he was going to club this "burglar" with a metal basket. :)

I tried lifting this thing myself, and it's not the heaviest item in the world, but it IS a bit precarious. I was impressed. Aside from the IV's that we will be giving him for another couple weeks, he is back to where we left off, and then some. The doctors say there will be a scar in his lungs after this episode, likely forever. It was a pretty bad case. The speech therapist has requested another swallow test in about 4-6 weeks, so we have been "working out" with words and exercises to strengthen this area.

My nights down there used to consist of coming over after work, having dinner, watching the news, and putting him to bed, all while catering to whatever needs may come up of course.

NOW my nights consist of walking in the door after work, and getting right to work with an eager patient. Walking, standing, talking, whatever....he doesn't waste a single moment, and I have to beg him to allow me some time to eat. HA! I love this enthusiasm, though it is tiring...on all of us.

Some close friends of mine put together a sweet gift for my Mom recently, for a visit to Gene Juarez with a gift card and an undisclosed amount. I'm hoping she uses this for some back therapy, as she has been aching more and more lately....DESPITE my requests for her to start practicing proper bending techniques!!! AHEM...MOM!!! (I know she is reading this...hehe)

Anyway, thank you thank you thank you to those involved in that. Very sweet!!!

Have a great weekend everyone, and keep the comments comin! I read them all to him.

Improvements!

2009-01-22T12:01:00.000-08:00

Despite having IV's, and plugged lines, and mild diarrhea, and all the other post pneumonia complications, he had an awesome day yesterday. I would go so far as to say he was about 90% back to the way he was prior to the pneumonia. His strength is growing, his speech is coming back, his posture and general poise is strengthening. You would not know he spent the first two weeks of the month in treatment for a severe case of pneumonia with a collapsed lung. Ofcourse, yesterday may have just been a very good day, but I am extremely please to see his recovery from this episode. He is overanxious even to get back to his physical therapy, often interrupting our dinner with a request to stand up out of his chair. Again, I hate to jump the gun and say he is back to where we left off. I am just writing regarding yesterday's events. We'll see what his condition is this evening, but from what I can see....he is extremely anxious to continue his training. The doctors told us it would be months before he would see his strength come back from the pneumonia, which is true...however, it would seem that he may have been sleeping when they told us that part. :)

Home again...at last

2009-01-15T18:58:00.000-08:00

Thank you all to these comments I am seeing, for the love, and for the words of encouragement. This is my first night with him since he has come home, and I'm not sure what I was expecting. He is as attentive as he has always been, but he is without his speech, and mobility. Mom has him hooked to an IV for precautions, and he has a bit of a runny nose but that is about all there is to report.

We have a long road ahead of us, but when I asked him how he felt tonight...he showed me his fist and acted as if he was flexing his arm. :)

Thank you all again for your prayers and positive thoughts. More to come in the next day or two.

Post Surgery

2009-01-09T15:51:00.000-08:00

So the surgery took place about 6pm last night. We took him down to surgery, and I continue to be impressed with the interiors of this hospital. Very warm and inviting.

Anyway, we took him downstairs, and you could see in his eyes he was terrified. He even started crying. Which got me crying, my mom crying, even one of the nurses.

They were drawing on his chest of where they were going to insert these tubes, and it was very busy with people running all around him....I can't blame him for being worried, since we woke him out of a dead sleep.

From this surgical prep room, where we sat with him while they ran all their tests and asked a bunch of questions, they took him into surgery finally. As they rolled his bed out, he gripped my hand HARD....and would not let go. I could not go where they were taking him, so I had to pry my hand loose. Very hard to do emotionally.

We went to the waiting room which, again....Starbucks has the same interior designer I think...lol...and about an hour later the doc came in to let us know the results.

One of his lungs had collapsed prior to surgery, which they believe they have partially restored. His saturation levels jumped from 90 to 98 almost immediately after surgery, so that is a great sign. They took him to a recovery room, and in the meantime, I decided to run get a workout in to clear my head.

When I returned, he was in his new private room....this room has ALL the bells and whistles....truly awesome. He has his own little gadget that he can press in case he feels any pain. At the press of a button, he gets a small dose of pain killer.

It's still a guessing game as to how he will recover from all of this, but I saw the tube coming out of his chest...actually there are two small tubes feeding one big tube (about 1/2" in diameter), and I could see the fluid coming out. It's somewhat pinkish in color...and yes, there was a lot of it.

He acknowledged me with a pound, had us all smiling again...and went back to sleep. He tried to talk, but is still too weak...and it came out as a moan. I will likely spend the night with him in his room tonight.

Thank you all again for the love and support, I whisper in his ear every night who is leaving comments and what they are saying.

Surgery

2009-01-08T15:30:00.000-08:00

Well, they drained about 70 cc's of liquid from his pleuria....which is not much, and surprisingly, he was showing signs of improvement. It was obvious his breathing had gotten better, but his temperature is still fluctuating. The time came to make the decision to surgically install a chest tube to drain the remaining liquids. From what we are being told, and have heard...this can be rather painful. He agreed to have it done, and I am being told he is going in as I am writing this.

Should this procedure be a success, he could be home as early as this weekend, albeit with an additional tube coming out of him to go with the feeding tube, and oxygen tubes. The problem is, is that unless he learns to swallow efficiently in the near future, the doctors claim it's only a matter of time before another case of pneumonia sets in.

Thank you all for your thoughts and kindness this week....it's been the hardest week since this started. I read all your comments to my Dad, and he is trying to respond...but simple words are a great deal of energy right now, and we typically deter him from using this precious energy.

updates

2009-01-06T09:23:00.000-08:00

Regrettably, I feel I need to get back to more frequent updates, as his condition is day to day....once again.

He has developed an inflammation of his pleura, the double membrane that wraps our lungs and acts as a lubricant for the lungs to smoothly inhale and exhale. In his case, he has a pleural effusion, which is when excess fluid seeps into the pleura and adds pressure to the lungs making it more difficult to breath. The doctors are going to attempt to drain some of this fluid by injecting a needle into this area.

He has worked so hard only to come to this. This is really upsetting and difficult for all of us. He squeezes my hand to let me know he is still in the fight.

A step in the wrong direction.

2009-01-04T11:45:00.000-08:00

I've lost count of days, but due to recent complications, I could almost start a new post under Day 14....because that's where we are again.

As many of you know who have been keeping up on events, my Dad's speech therapist OK'd him to have small amounts of food via the mouth, and of those items...only well blended consistencies.

I found this surprising at the time, being that he failed his first swallow test, but hey...she's the professional, right? When a physician gives you the green light, you trust them...otherwise, why are you paying them for their services?

My Dad has developed a "massive case of Aspiratory Pneumonia". He has been in the hospital since the first of this new year. A new year that I had hoped would have so much more promise than the last. That day started off wonderfully, as I spent the morning with him, then the afternoon with a special friend.   Only moments after dropping off this friend, my brother called me and told me I better rush home, as we have to get him to the ER.

I remember he was a little weak that morning, and asked to lay down. Typically, we do not lay him down during the day, or he will not sleep at night, but my Mom and I agreed that a little nap wouldn't hurt.   I put him to bed, and off I went to pick up my friend.   What a difference a few hours made. By the time I had returned, it was clear that something was very, very wrong.

I have spent the remainder of my weekend in his room, as has my brothers and Mom. It is a much different atmosphere than before...not as much sadness, as there is patience.   He sleeps for the most part, but opened his eyes briefly for me last night...and if I didn't know any better, I would say nothing looked wrong.   What is going on inside his lungs speaks a completely different tale, unfortunately.

For those that do not know, Aspitory Pneumonia happens when a liquid or object is inhaled into the lungs. This can be anything from saliva to food or drink. Once in your lungs these things can cause blockage, which will in turn cause swelling, and an infection known as Bacterial Pneumonia, which is what they are saying he has developed.

It goes without saying the seriousness of this development.

I ask that you keep your calls to my Mom to a minimum, and visits only upon request. He is in great care, in one of the nicest facilities that I think I have ever been in, with extemely cooperative nurses and staff.

Christmas Day

2008-12-25T15:12:00.000-08:00

For those still keeping count, Christmas Day marks 151 days since the surgery. I honestly stopped keeping count, but I added it up today being a landmark holiday.

First of all, Merry Christmas to all of you from my family to yours. We spent the last 24 hours much like we do every year, obviously with some exception. The winter blast that the NW has seen the last week, has put our street virtually impossible to get up and down. I discovered this personally, when arriving with presents yesterday after work. I found my Mom, and my Dad's nurse (Fred) out shoveling a path in the street for our cars to get in. This was a valiant effort, but nothing in comparison to all the neighbors pulling together to shovel tracks for cars to get through. I was out there as well, digging in the cold, thinking the whole time we were trying to get all the neighbors up the hill to their families. After about an hour, I learned that this was not the case. We were digging a path for my Mom to get in and out, should my Dad need to leave in a hurry. I was floored by the generosity of the neighbors....young and old, out digging...for my Dad.

Earlier in the week, he had a "brief" hiccup in which the nurse thought it best to take him to the ER. Turns out, it may just be a mild case of bronchitis...but it cost an entire afternoon sitting and waiting for my Mom, and my bro. But, once again, when they needed a path, the neighbors came to his aide...digging, so that he could get to the hospital. The sand trucks made special trips up his street, that normally does not get touched, because my Mom called and requested service, explaining the situation. We were put "on a waiting list", but received almost immediate attention. Even the neighbors were surprised, until I explained why, that their street was sanded.

The last week has seen the Christmas spirit alive and well. The strength in numbers coming together for one small cause, is astounding. This has been relavent the last 151 days to me. Family, friends, strangers, coming together to follow their hearts and do what is right.

My digging was interrupted yesterday by my fathers request for me to come inside. He wanted to give me his present while Fred was still there. This present, could not have been better timed. All the struggles, all the negative feedback from the doctors, all the shutting down of "keeping false hope", all leading to this moment...on Christmas eve. My Dad's present to his family was taking steps. Both feet, limited assistance, the length of the kitchen.

I hope his doctors may somehow be reading this. You can try to scientifically predict how my father will end up, but he will prove you wrong. You can tell us we have to make a decision after three months, he will prove you wrong. You can tell us that his most significant signs of improvement will be within those first three months, and well....he DID prove you wrong. You can tell us all these things till your faces turn blue, but what you cannot do is account for a man's love and devotion for what matters most in his world, his family.

Merry Christmas to all of you and our sincere love and appreciation.

~The Petrovich family.

Week 5 at home

2008-12-17T11:55:00.000-08:00

Very exciting week so far! It's amazing when I take a few days off, and come back to him. It really helps to see the little differences. Well this week, those little differences are huge improvements.

My mom told me he was taking steps, and I have observed these little steps assisting him around the house, but yesterday was different. These were considerable steps, as well as considerable movement in the "bad leg". All of this is still assisted by one of us, or his Physical therapist....but I still was in shock at the difference a week made. His pull ups in bed are not even a struggle anymore. It's as if he's bored with them now, and wants a new challenge. His brother sent some work out bands for him to use, and I am consistently finding new ways for him to work with these to add more of a challenge. His speech is also improving, last night he was able to say "My name is John, my kids are Brad, Matt, and Chris. My wife is Claudia, and she is the best wife in the world". For the most part, this was much more clear than what we are used to.

In my opinion, he is seeing these improvements and getting more and more excited about them. I think we were in a lull there for a bit, where he did not see the improvements, as they were spread out over time.

I installed the new hinges on his bathroom door. "Offset hinges", in case any of you are wondering, will add an incredible amount of space to your existing door ways. They completely take the door out of the opening, and around the casing.

I also ordered some of those "Get a Grip" things off a tv promo I saw late one night. This was my first time ordering anything off the television's "Paid Programming", but they were super cheap, so I got a pair of them...and because I "acted so fast", they threw in a third one. haha.

So, I tested these bad boys out last night, and couldn't believe the strength of each one. The idea is two suction cup ends with a handle between them. I mounted it to the wall in my bedroom, locked it down, and I am pretty sure I could have ripped the wall right off the studs if I wanted to. Incredible little suckers!! So, we will have these in various spots around the house where he can access them to move about.

Overall, a very optimisitic week of what is coming. I can't wait to get back down there tonight.

Week 4 (extended)

2008-12-12T11:08:00.000-08:00

A little more info,

He has developed quite the cough in the mornings mostly....but it seems to have progressively gotten worse. We can't quite figure it out, since his temps are good, and there is nothing that shouldn't be in his lungs.

I think it might be a cold cough, but he doesn't agree.

He has gone from a patient that would love for anything to be in his mouth, to one that is getting a little picky of WHAT we put in there. Comical. Last night he asked me for clam chowder WITH pasta. hahaha.

He has been taking little baby steps when he has the support of one of his boys, is pivoting his feet when we need him to, in general...we are seeing much improvement in the legs...which is very exciting. I may have to build him some parallel bars to play on.

Last night he laughed soooo hard about something, that on more than one occasion, I heard his old laugh. His laugh since the surgery has been hard to distinct between his cries and his laughs...so it was nice to hear a familiar sound. We never did get what was so damn funny, but if it makes him laugh, who really cares. Him laughing histerically is enough to make us all laugh.

Laughs are a good switch.

Week 4

2008-12-11T20:58:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I know my last post was rushed....and this one is late in getting out, but it's 10 minutes past his beadtime, so I need to cut this short again. I will try to post more tomorrow at work.

All is well...his speech is improving, he is loving his new diet. All the sisters came up and took my Mom out on the town for the day. Just what the doctor ordered. Love you guys....err...girls.

He does pull ups each night and each morning with his one good arm, and I must say...he is doing very well with one arm. You try lifting your body up off the bed with one arm, and let me know how well you do!! lol.

I will try to post more in the morning.

Week 3 at home

2008-12-04T11:57:00.000-08:00

So yesterday brought some exciting news. My Dad's number one request since coming home has been food. Four months without any solid food, or liquid other than formula...anyone could relate. But our concerns of his swallowing these substances properly has been our reasoning. Well, the speech therapist gave the thumbs up for "blendarized" foods. I'm not even sure that is a word, but they used it....and it sounds funny, so I'll go ahead and use it. :)

We're starting slow, and most of the food that was on this list, he is not interested in anyway...haha....but his all time favorite, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy WAS on the list, so you can imagine his delight when I walked in yesterday. I almost wonder if he stalls on swallowing just to savour the taste in his mouth for as long as possible.

He has been taking small steps with Brad, which is exciting. These are very slow movements and only when his weight is supported by other means. Speaking of which, the aquatic therapy has been put on hold, since he still has the tube in his stomach.

We spent Thanksgiving putting up Christmas lights and decorating the house...everyone chipped in, and Dad asked for the first of the Christmas music to be played. My brother is putting on a fundraiser X-mas party this weekend, if any of you readers are local and would like to attend. For more info, contact Brad @ b2kbiz@hotmail.com

The event is this Sunday (Dec 7th) starting at 11am and is an all day event. There is an evite posted and he can send you the information upon request.

More later, had to rush this post...sorry.

Week 2 at home

2008-11-25T12:07:00.000-08:00

Week One, as I said before, was a transition.

Week Two sees the family transitioning better. The struggles we saw in Week One, are becoming less of a struggle, and more of a fluent series of motions. Thanksgiving will be a little weird this year, since we do not want to tease him on his favorite holiday with all the lovely smells of all the things he loves, but cannot have. So, we will likely just decorate the house in preparation for Christmas, maybe take a drive somewhere with him...anything to keep his mind of mashed potatoes, gravy, turkey, etc etc. Personally, I hate eating in front of him. But, a little twist to the holidays never hurt anyone! At least my caloric intake won't be so high this year! :)

I worked with his left leg recently, and to my surprise, it is getting stronger...and with his foot on my chest, I prompted him to "push me away" with his foot....and felt him pushing. This was very pleasing. The arm has movement, but not particularly in the way we would like it too. But, some movement is better than none.

I'd like to spend the rest of this post on my Mom. I've spoken of my worries for her and her piece of mind often throughout this ordeal. She seems so fragile to me, as she is my Mom, but upon reflection of this entire event...she has been the glue for all of us. Now that he is home, she is committed to his care. It is extremely hard work, yet she exudes an inner strength that I can only imagine she got from her own mother...a very VERY strong woman. She redefines "Stand by your man", a characteristic that is extremely rare in this day and age. Her care for my Dad comes like second nature, involving some things that nobody would ever want of their mate. Perhaps that is why her sons are all still single, because none of us can find one like her. Personally, I have known only two women in my long history of dating that I could honestly say would stand by me through thick and thin...and of course I foolishly let them slip away.

My Dad hit gold when he met my Mom. Through all the stress and heartache of everything that has happened since July 28th, she stands her ground. This woman I thought to be so fragile, has more strength than each of her sons combined. I am constantly writing about my Dad and his ambition to get stronger, and recouperate....but I have never really stopped to give props to whom he is fighting to get back to, for without her....I honestly think he would have given up a long time ago. I love you Mom!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Be sure to show your thanks, love, and appreciation to the "glues" in your lives. Enjoy your time with your families. If you cannot be with them, reach out and call someone you may have not talked to in a long time. Bury your grievances, bury the past. Reach out and be the bigger person. Not only does it feel good to be hugged, but it feels really good to do the hugging.

Day 115

2008-11-19T17:23:00.000-08:00

Chapter Two "Back Home"

Well, I have a new found respect for RN's and Aide's. In home care is no walk in the park. My Mom is taking the brunt of the RN care, meds and such...while my brothers and I tend to his physical needs. It take an entire new kind of patience than was needed at the SNF, or the hospital.

I have the "luxury" of going home occasionally, wheras Brad and my Mom are with him day and night. I quote "luxury", as I miss him when I don't get to see him...it is no luxury to not be there, more of a resting and refreshing of the mind.

We set him up in our dining room, and the first weekend was quite the adjustment. Last night worked pretty well, and I could see us really starting to come together and work as a team...making everything smoother for everyone. Stress is running high, though, on everyone and I worry about my Mom. We do have a regular nurse and aide that stop by to check up on him, but the majority of the watch is our own.

To answer your questions, yes, he does seem happier to be home. I have been teaching him how to get around on his own in the chair, and he is doing very well at that...to the point where I had to make him promise me he would not get in the fridge until cleared by the nurses to do so. He still has to pass his swallow test.

We found an Aquatic Center that has "Wave Therapy", which we hope will help in taking those first steps.

All the nurses from the SNF miss my Dad, and have even commented that work is not the same without "Superman" around.

Donations and gifts continue to come in, in one form or another...and although it may be a little redundant at this point...I just cannot thank you enough. Those of you that are close to the family, I encourage you to mail, email, or call my Mom and continue to give her strength and perhaps a laugh or two....though the comedian in my Dad has not been hindered. He is alive and well, and despite what is going on...he continues to entertain his family and protect us from any pain.

We are officially at 4000 hits to the site. I never thought this would reach so many. Continue to read, as I will continue to write.

Much Love,
The Petrovich family.

Friday November 14th. "Home at last"

2008-11-14T11:44:00.001-08:00

110 days and a few hours ago my Dad started this journey. This decision that would change his life and that of his family forever. 110 days ago he woke up much like he always would, perhaps a little more nervous than most mornings, but you wouldn't know if you saw him. He was more excited about hearing the positive results after the surgery. I was not there, but I can imagine he patted Jack on the head, and said "Be a good boy, Jack". The trip to the hospital was rather calm, according to my Mom. I would love to have known what was going through his head at that moment. Did he pay extra attention to the summer leaves on the trees? The sound of the birds chirping? The gorgeous blue summer sky? The smell of the fresh flowers cascading through their front yard? I am sure he took for granted the simple things, as we all do, that he now struggles with each day.

111 days ago was the last time I heard his voice, that voice I had grown accustomed to for the last 36 years (aside from the night I called my Mom at home and heard his voice on the answering machine.). I recall times sitting at work when my father would call me just to talk, and I would "scold" him from doing this, as it was distracting me from work. I would do anything for my phone to ring and hear his voice again.

I just called my Mom, and he is finally settled (back in his leather chair) at home. The ramp worked wonderfully, I was told. Jack is running around like a mad man dog....refusing to settle down. We have been training my Dad the last few weeks to say the words "Bad Dog!", as I am sure Jack has developed some bad habits since my Dad has been gone.

Before I leave, I wanted to make a small note of something completely bizarre that happened a few days ago while at his nursing facility. We gave him a dry erase board and a marker to write stuff down when he was either too tired to talk, or we could not understand him. I came into his room the other night, and he began writing sideways. As in, the letters. So imagine a map...you have North & South, and East & West. While all of us typically write "West to East", he decided to write out an entire sentence "South to North"....and quite effieciently and legible, I might add.

I asked him why he did this, and again "South to North" he wrote, "I don't know". Then he asked me to write something. I said what do you want? He told me, "anything"....so being a smart ass, I wrote "Anything". I was standing in front of him with the board between us, so that everything he normally writes would be upside down for me....so he grabs the marker and writes the word "anything" upside down to him, and right side up for me....again quite efficiently AND legible. I was dumbfounded. I told him to do it again, so he writes all his letters backwards going East to West. I asked him who taught him to do this, he said no one....and no one has seen him do this before. Finally he started writing West to East (left to right) again, and things went on as normal. Human behavior is just so bizarre sometimes.

Anyway....

My Dad is home.

Thursday (Day 101)

2008-11-06T12:02:00.000-08:00

NOVEMBER 14TH!!!!!

Big day! Pops comes home!!!!

He has been very alert these days, and constantly asking to go to the casino, or for something to eat, or for some chocolate...it's hard to say no. He insists that he is ready, but we are hesitant.

Home life will be interesting now. Brad and my Mom will be there full time with him, with assisted help that my Mom is currently looking into. Matt and I will be splitting the week staying down at their place to help out however we can.

Halloween was fun....if you have been reading, you will know that my Dad refers to himself as Superman from time to time, so I rented him a red cape and my Mom had a necklace made with a metallic Superman logo. He had a bag of candy that he distributed to all his nurses, and their children.

They FINALLY put a DVD player in his room, after months of waiting. So, now a typical schedule is PT in the morning with Matt and/or Brad. (typically followed by a nap). Afternoons with my Mom. Evening 'workouts' with Brad and I, then a movie to cap the day. His writing and speech are getting noticably better...though we have noticed brief occurances of what seems to be a bit of confusion. I have not personally seen this, but it has been seen and we are keeping an eye on it.

I can't believe this weather. We just happen to have had the last bit of summer when throwing this ramp together for my Dad. It has been nothing but rain and frigid temps since then....but the sun shined wonderfully on that weekend. I find this strangely coincidental.

Brad and I will be preparing his new room this weekend. I can't wait till we don't have to go to that place he is at anymore. His nurses will miss him, and we will miss some of them, but the area is just not pleasant, and I worry about my Mom leaving there at night. One more week!!!

One more thing....thank you all for these wonderful comments!!!!! I will read them to him the first chance I get!

Wednesday (Day 94)

2008-10-29T13:56:00.000-07:00

"I didn't have a choice"

These were the words my father spoke, as tears ran down his face when I read my last blog entry to him.

This last weekend was especially emotional for him. We had several family members come up for our little deck project. 24 hours saw a grassy backyard turn into a creative ramp in preparation for my father's return home. So, unable to help out with home improvements, knowing everyone is helping out for him, not being able to join in the fun, and hearing old memories over dinner....all of which led to a very sad poppa. Sooo, Monday night he asked me to read him some posts from here, and wanted to leave another post in his words. He started from the beginning, back at the Hospital. "I've got good news and bad news", he said....and as he continued to spell out his words, I realized where he was going. I stopped him soon after, and told him everyone already knows what happened, and that they need an update.

He then went into "thank you all for your support...." then stopped and asked me to read. I got two sentences in, when he lost it. I told him he has much to be proud of, and his courage is astounding. He told me "I had no choice". To which I replied,
"Of course you had a choice....everyone has choices!" "You could have done nothing."

He had an interesting visitor earlier this week....which couldn't have been better timed, given this funk he was in over the weekend. I took him on our regular stroll through the parking lot to the end of the street so he can get a glimpse of the sunset and Puget Sound. On the way there, I noticed three young ladies walking down the hill past the driveway we were on. Keep in mind, this is NOT the best neighborhood he is in, and 90% of the ladies walking the streets around here are "working". I steered clear of them, and parked his wheelchair on the upward half of the driveway, giving him the best view...when I hear "Sir??" I turned around to see one of these ladies walking back up the hill towards us. I turned to my Dad thinking "Great!! Here we go!"...thinking she is going to ask for money. Of course, my next thought was how disrespectful people can be. CLEARLY this is a special moment between a father and his son. For the record, I hate that these were my initial thoughts.

After walking all the way back up the hill to us, she introduced herself, then walked very tenderly towards my Dad and reached for his hand. She worked across the street at the church, and asked if I would be willing to bring him in on a Sunday for some healing. She held his hand and proceeded with an amazing prayer, at one point screaming to the heavens with tears in her eyes. I looked at my Dad, and he was alllllllll ears. He said "thank you" about a million times to her. She insisted that he stay strong, and NOT lose faith....that he WILL walk again. I was just waiting for my Dad to break down in tears again, but he didn't. It was a very surreal moment, I must say. I thanked her for her time, and her thoughtfulness. It was getting cold, so we said goodbye, and I proceeded to get him indoors. I asked him what he thought about that, and he said "Pretty cool".

Pretty cool indeed. He has had a new found strength this week, I have noticed....and is admittantly trying to rush the healing. Brad said he had a great workout with the Parallel bars, and the speech therapist gave my Mom some exercises to work with him in efforts to work on the swallowing. Everyone has been working so hard in their own ways. My father will be proud to read of all of your efforts! Thank you everyone. I will post some more pics right away! :)

Wednesday (Day 87)

2008-10-22T08:06:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I missed a couple posts last week. It's been a little chaotic between work, SNF visits, and coordinating the work on the house this weekend. We are planning on bringing him home at the month, thus making some modifications to the house. I will post some pics when this is complete.

Well, I think it's safe to say that three days from now, we will not have to make "the decision" the doctors originally thought we would have to make. Though I can't even begin to imagine what is going through my fathers head right now, I know that he does not want to leave us. We can hardly keep up with him these days. I get up, get to work, then go see him and all he wants to do is go to the gym!! HA! I just want to relax!!! haha. But I love this enthusiasm in him...I just wish I knew more about rehabilitating a person. He even gave Brad and I a two month goal to be walking!! I told him that is A LOT of work, but I am game.

I recently was in transit from visiting him, to my house...and I went into deep thought, as I tend to do. I thought to myself, having a tremor as well, if I would have the same courage as he did if it came down to it. Knowing what I know now....if I had to get this same surgery as he did, would I have the courage to do so....knowing what could possibly happen? Would I have the same loving family that would look after me, as we do for him? That man has a wealth in family love, that no other resident in that facility has. There is one woman in there, that has more money than she knows what to do with....so she pays upwards to $100K a year to stay there, and has been there for two years they say. But, I have only seen one visitor for her since we started coming there. My Dad has a minimum of four visitors a DAY. Asking for donations, and raising money for him is a very humbling act, and it is even more humbling for him to accept them...but one thing he will never have to do is "ask" for love. So who is better off? The woman who doesn't have to worry about money, who's remaining family members fight over inheritance, and hardly visit her? Or the Man at the other end of the hall that is "getting by", but has unlimited support and compassion? Makes one think what is REALLY important in the whole scheme of things. Ideally, we all want the best of both worlds, but if you had to pick....?

That concludes my deep thought of the day. :)

We have several people coming forward to help out however they can. We have a variety of events in the works for the New Year in my Dad's name. Hopefully, we can have him attend one or more so that everyone can see what their thoughtfulness and prayers have accomplished. He is quite the entertainer these days, though limited. God help us when he gets his speech back. haha.

Tuesday (Day 79)

2008-10-15T15:24:00.000-07:00

Tuesday was a big day for my Dad. It was arranged to take him out to Bellevue to get a test done that would show the doctors how his swallowing has progressed. He has been better at the frequency of his swallows, but there was concern as to where he is swallowing to. The test feeds him a variety of substances that all show up on x-ray. Sadly, he did not fair well, but the doctor gave us a series of tests to work with him on, that will strengthen his throat for next time. When my Mom got him back to his room, he apologized to her, for not passing his test. Too sweet this guy!!!

So, we have a pretty good arrangement with taking care of him. Matt & Brad take time in the morning, my Mom in the early evening, then Brad and I in the evening...then everyone splits time on the weekend. I can't think of a single staff member that has not taken to my Dad. He blows kisses to all the ladies, and hi-fives all the guys. Still, we cannot wait to get him home.

Brad and I have been catering to his desires to workout in the evenings, and he is getting better and better everytime. For the most part, we just practice standing and sitting, and loosening up stiff joints. We assist him from his chair, and sit next to him as back up in case he starts to lean. Last night he sat almost entirely by himself. If he started to lean, he corrected himself.

Then we left the gym, and went out to the lobby where they were playing an old Clint Eastwood western. He stayed awake for the entire film, and the three of us just chilled and watched some good ol fashioned boob tube....like the old days. The film itself was quite nostalgic to our youths, as it was filmed not far from where he raised us.

Friday (Day 76)

2008-10-10T14:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's post was while I was on my way up to the Pass, and I was having technical difficulties. A close friend who has been a huge supporter since this all began came up from California to visit this weekend, and wanted to meet 'the man'. We started Friday morning off with a early visit to the SNF. My Dad was already up, dressed, and in his wheelchair. After introductions, he asked for the pic of the entire family so he could educate her on who is who. When he got to me, he said "birthday boy". Not only did he remember my birthday, but he sang Happy Birthday for me. This was no where near clear, but you could tell he was singing. I went in for a hug, and that was the last straw. Both of us broke down in tears. It was pretty amazing really, and I will never forget this birthday.

We cleaned ourselves up and he apologized to Jen for crying!! Then he thanked her for the donations she collected for us in California, and proceeded with the inquiry that a father would ask a girl that his son brings before him....with a little twist. His questions were a bit on the personal side, but hey....if anyone can get away with asking odd questions right now, it would be him.

We took him for a lap around the parking lot, then watched a little football, and back to his room. She and I had to get going, so as I began saying goodbye...I told him that this was the best birthday ever. He replied with something I couldn't quite make out....but eventually got it. I was his Rock, he said. Guess what happened next? Yup....more waterworks. I went in for a hug, and he was pounding on my back....showing his strength, as we cried in each others arms.

I can honestly say there is nothing that can humble a man more, than seeing his own father cry. It was a good cry, and a moment I will never forget. He told Jen 'it was wonderful to meet you', she gave him a kiss, and we were on our way.

After we left, I asked her if my portrayal of this situation via our conversations and this blog is accurate to his condition in person. She said you just have to see it for yourself to realize the impact, and how special every little thing that he does, truly is.

Tuesday (Day 72)

2008-10-06T19:17:00.001-07:00

If you happen to have caught our last attempt at a posting labeled "Mp"...this was the first attempt at my Dad responding to all of you. I was attempting to decipher his thoughts, and enter a post from my phone, but it didn't fair as well as I had hoped. I love his spirit right now, always trying to outdo himself. Every night now is no longer spent by his bedside making sure he is comfortable, practicing his writing, watching tv, etc. We still do that stuff, but his latest thing is late night visits to the gym with Brad and I. We get him out of his chair, practice sitting and standing, work on motor skills, etc. Despite his yawning and tired eyes, he will refuse to go to bed at times, insisting we try again at whatever we are working on. He is pushing himself and I admire the hell out of him for it.

So, when asked to tell me a few words he wants me to type up for him, in true form, he goes into story mode. His first sentence started off with "A funny thing happened on the way here...."

Always a comedian.

Deciphering these words takes time, and we were losing gym time by doing this, so I asked him to keep it simple till he can write a more thorough entry for himself. His next words were....

"Thank you for all your support and prayers"

We are officially on our own finances now. To my understanding, disability is giving us the run around with this being a pre-existing condition. Yeah, because all Parkinson's patients go through this apparently. Paralysis, coma, loss of speech, loss of mobility....all signs of a Parkinson's patient. (Insert my 'pre-existing' sarcasm). The donations we have received from many of you will help out huge now, and we cannot thank you enough.

Thursday (Day 67)

2008-10-02T08:38:00.000-07:00

Since my last post almost a week ago, it seems a lot has happened. In talking with my Mom, I am going to limit my posts to twice a week....which is about what they are now...but make official posting days so that everyone knows when to check in. So, starting next week, I will be posting on Tuesday's and Friday's. Regarding my comment on my last entry about shutting down this site, until I hear otherwise...it will continue, but only on those two days.

My Dad is asking about this blog almost everyday, and is eager to 'write back' to all of you. I may try to post an entry based purely on what he tells me. Knowing that this would take some time, it may be something I would complete in phases. Then again, maybe not. Lately he has been quite the chatter box, though much of it is still hard to understand.

More and more movement out of the left side. Initially, it was just what I had witnessed, but without other's able to see it...I began to look like the boy that cried wolf. Now, my Mom has seen it on several occasions, as well as some of the doctors and PT's.

Last night Brad and I took him into the gym, per his request. This is the first time in a week that we have done this, and I must say...his motor skills and awareness have doubled since then. Brad and I still have lots of practice when it comes to moving him from his chair, but it's getting better. The aids at the facility have been working with us on techniques. It's wild to think that just two months ago he was unable to open his eyes or even grunt. Now we are lucky if we can get him to keep quiet! Ha!

I have said over and over what an amazing husband and father this man is. I have seen several instances of this in the last 67 days. I could write a whole other blog on all these instances, but alas....some things are none of your business!!! haha. Earlier this week, I stayed much later than normal with him, as he was just going on and on and on about several topics. While we watched "Dances with the Stars", Jessica Simpson was singing...and I commented on how beautiful she is. Without hesitation, he goes into how much he loves my Mom, and how she has no idea how much he loves her. I won't comment on all that was said, as it was extremely touching....but I am completely revered by his attention to her, even in his weakened condition. He is constantly making sure she is "covered". We told him about our night with Neil, and then again I took her out this last weekend...and he told me to continue doing this. I know he worries for her as much, if not more, than she worries for him....which, if you know my Mom, you would know that is a whole lot of worrying. :)

Tonight he gets some special visitors who could not make it for his birthday weekend. We will watch the VP debates no doubt. Thank you to all that spent time with my Dad this weekend...you know who you are. It meant a lot to all of us, especially him. I've felt a new found strength in him this week.

Friday (Day 61)

2008-09-26T11:33:00.000-07:00

So, for Wednesday night...I decided to take my Mom out with some friends to see Neil Diamond at the Key Arena. She tried to bag out of the idea, but I insisted that she needed a night off. So, I had a limo pick her up and told her to dress in an outfit that would have Neil reaching out into the crowd! The limo showed up at my doorstep, where the rest of the group was waiting. The smile on her face when the driver opened the door was priceless. We continued on to a few destinations, cocktails, eats, then to the show. She rallied with us as if nothing was wrong in her world. I was very impressed with her poise. Our seats were better than I expected, but seperate from the group. I had to extra seats that I was forced to sell last minute due to cancellations...but it worked out for the best.

I have not cried for my Dad in awhile....I mean really cried. I have maintained my strength and composure for the most part, for him. As I have said before, there will be plenty of time for tears later. But, as I sat there with my Mom, I could feel her sadness that he was not beside her sharing this moment. She had a tissue on hand, and I noticed her using it several times. Neil had a few new songs, that were very powerful. On a few occasions, I couldn't even hear the music. He could have been playing the theme song to Gilligan's Island for all I knew. My thoughts were of who SHOULD be sitting with us. I began reflecting on his sacrifice again.

I thought of living 66 full years, only to be borderline paralyzed when you retire....when you are now able to enjoy all those years of hard work. Now he faces his hardest work yet. When does this man get a break??!! Then on top of all HIS hard work, his country is turning its back on him. So yeah, I cried...a lot. The night was a success, though it didn't run as smoothly as I thought it would. Post concert was a fiasco trying to get home. Anyway, she had fun...and that made everything else miniscule.

So Thursday came. His birthday!! I took the day off of work, and as soon as I was up and able, I cruised over to the SNF, and spent the next seven hours by his side. My Mom, Brad, and I took him in our car and for a drive down to the water. He held up wonderfully, and enjoyed it thoroughly. His "party" is going to extend throughout the weekend with a bevy of misc guests all weekend.

More talks of taking him home. I have to try to figure out how to make that place wheelchair friendly....economically speaking of course. Several thoughts have come forth. May be looking for help remodeling, if anyone out there is skilled. I am also being told that I may be forced to discontinue this blog. Stay tuned and keep my email handy in the event this suddenly stops. I posted it a few days ago....

Tuesday (Day 58)

2008-09-23T10:17:00.000-07:00

**After review of John's record I find he has been receiving daily skilled rehabilitation and/or daily skilled nursing, however his condition has improved and he no longer requires this level of care.**

This is classic to me. First they tell us that if he does not begin making significant signs of improvement, they will cut him from insurance. NOW, he has made TOO much improvement, apparently. Are you KIDDING ME???!!!!

He is barely getting his words out, lying in bed, left side still about 90% paralyzed. So, you can totally understand how this physician up above can come to this conclusion, right? Try coming down to the room and seeing for yourself, maybe?

Technically speaking, his Medicare runs out after 60 days anyway...so these people can't even give him his last few weeks?? There is a lot more to this that I cannot write about in here, due to the public nature of the site....but trust me, it's ugly.

On a brighter note, Brad & I took him to the gym last night and 'worked out' with him. His motor skills and strength in his right side are impressive. We lifted him off his chair and sat on the end of a bench together. Brad & I need to work on our technique of moving him...it was ugly. :)

Dad always seems to be cracking jokes lately, and laughing more. He and I have had some incredible chats lately, when we are just chillin alone in the room. Last night was one of them. He laid there with his eyes shut, pretending to be sleeping. Now, something about us Petrovich boys....we don't sleep quietly. So when he is lying there with his eyes shut, and no noise coming out...I know that trickster is faking!!!

So, I got down on my knees beside his bed and whispered into his ears:

"Are you awake?" His thumb goes up.

**laughter**

"Are you just laying there with your eyes shut listening to people talk about you?"

Thumbs up.

"I want you to know that I am very proud of you, and how hard you are working. I know this is not what you wanted, but I am proud to be your son. I love you very much, and am looking forward to getting past all this. You are strong, and still have a lot of good times ahead of you."

His eyes open up, as he beats his chest and says "Superman"

*smiles*

We have talks like this often.

Wednesday (Day 52)

2008-09-17T17:26:00.001-07:00

I apologize for those of you keeping tabs in here, that I am unable to update as often. I have been so busy at work, that it's hard to pull away even for ten minutes to write in here. I will do my best to be more frequent with posts.

Ok, so...let's see...updates.

His speech is coming...just slowly. There are times when he is as clear as a bell, and then there are times that just boggle you as to what he is saying. So, I have been focusing on asking him odd questions to expand his vocab. Instead of "How are you feeling", I'll ask him what he watched on TV today for instance.

His swallowing is improving, and we hope to give him "treats" soon. ALL the nurses adore him. He learned how to "Blow kisses", and now everyone wants one when they see him. It's pretty damn funny.

If the insurance situation doesn't improve we may be caring for him ourselves at home, rather than pay the $7k + to keep him there. Speaking of home, my Mom has asked me to use this medium to see if anyone out there in our "fan base" is possibly home shopping. She is looking to sell their place and find something that is a little more handicap friendly, in the event we would take him home. If you would like to know more, please contact me @ petrofied@gmail.com.

**PLEASE do not solicit this email. Let's all give a big thank you to the gem of a man that solicited my gmail through this blog, as a representative of a donation agency. How do these people sleep?? Sigh...**

My Dad is getting more and more curious about what is going on, and being said in this blog. He wants to write in here, and just as soon as his speech is a little more legible, I will relay his messages to all of you.

All his trainers are pleased with his improvements of late...though slow, he continues to strive to improve and impress. More to come....on my way to go see him!

Friday (Day 47)

2008-09-12T13:54:00.000-07:00

Apparently, even when partially paralyzed, barely able to speak, and stuck in a bed all day and night, my father still is capable of playing matchmaker. His newest nurse, who will remain anonymous, was caring for him the other day when he blurts out that his sons are all available. Mind you, when he says ANYTHING, it is blurry at best...but apparently this was as clear as day, according to her. I confirmed this the other night, beside his bed, by asking him if what I heard was true. He gave a huge smile, and confirmed his sneaky moves.

Brad and I stayed late with him last night, and he asked me to show him this site. He asked me how many people have viewed it, and I told him a little over 2000. He asked me about the donations, and we talked about where we were at with that, and he told me to give them back. I asked him how he would feel if someone gave back the money he had donated to a cause. He admitted that this would not be cool. I told him to be thankful, and when he is ready, he can show his appreciation to everyone in here. He agreed.

I then asked him what he wanted for his birthday coming up in a couple weeks, and after about 10 minutes of trying to decipher what he was trying to tell me, I figured it out!!! "I want you all to understand me", no doubt referring to his speech.

His writing and his speech get better day after day. He hasn't cried in a long time, at least, not for me....so his spirits are up it would seem.

Most of the help at this facility have somewhat taken to him, and get excited when he is up in his wheelchair on his way to PT. His speech therapist is wonderful, and has taught him a great deal.
It will be a shame when we have to pull him out of there.

Monday (Day 43)

2008-09-08T13:52:00.000-07:00

43 Days. *shakes head* WOW.

Let me start by apologizing for my lack of posts this last week. I've been crazy busy dividing my time up with work, visits to Dad, and trying to manage any personal time I have left. Regardless, this weekend saw it's highs and lows. His neurologist was in on Friday and turned on the Neurostimulator for the first time. I wasn't there, but my brothers tell me that his eyes lit up, and he wrote the word "dizzy" on his dry erase board. Keep in mind, we just gave him this board a few days prior, and he couldn't write anything that we could understand. We also bought him some flash cards a while back, but he never took to them. I decided to try them again this weekend, and we played a game. I would show him the card with my Mom sitting behind me, he would say the word and she would try to guess the word based on what he is saying. He was able to say almost 75% of the cards (I didn't show him all of them), and a great deal of them were very recognizable. We brought in Jack again on Sunday, and my Dad was in his wheelchair. We put Jack on his lap, and took a stroll outside. He seemed to enjoy this, but it wore him out pretty good.

My Mom bought him one of those stress balls to help strengthen his hands, and without warning he suddenly threw it across the room to play "ball" with Jack. This was the first time that Jack really interacted with my Dad. My Dad even tried to fake him out with the ol dummy toss trick. Jack goes nuts over the ball...but I don't think he quite understands what is going on with my Dad. He reached up while on his lap at one point and licked his nose. ALL the nurses love Jack, and were quite fond of the site of my Dad up in his chair with Jack on his lap. We watched the Seahawks after Jack left, and then he wanted to hit the sack. I managed to get a "GO SEAHAWKS" out of him, which was awesome. Sounds like his insurance is going to end soon, though. Amazing to me, since we ARE seeing progress. They are going to monitor how he reacts while having the nuerostimulator on for about a week, then assess the situation. I try to block out the financial side of this...our Healthcare system is just disgusting to me. Our country spends so much money on medical techonology and finding cures for life threatening illnesses such as Parkinsons and Cancer....but once we find these cures, who will be able to afford it??!!

My Dad tried this "breakthrough" treatment....and it forever changed him, so I guess they got that part right.

Thursday (Day 38)

2008-09-04T16:02:00.000-07:00

A double entry today since Tuesday night was pretty uneventful.

Last night I arrived to find him in his "Mariner Dad" t-shirt, that I gave him earlier this summer.
We new his former roommate was nearing the end of his stay, so we pushed to get Dad over on the other side of the room by the window. He now has his room to himself, though I am sure this is very temporary. He likes looking out the window for sure, and it brings some fresh air in on him. Brad brought in a Dry Erase board for him to draw on, and he is elated by this new concept. He is trying to communicate just about as hard as we are to hear him. I spoke with his Speech Therapist and she gave me some tips on how to work with him in the off hours, so I have been writing letters, then having him follow me. He was able to write his name, then when I wrote the word MOM, for him to write...he stopped suddenly and looked at me asking where Mom is. I said she was here all day, but you were sleeping...to which he replied, "Liar". Ha!

So, I called my Mom upon his request, and asked her to come back down. Luckily she was nearby. Now, let's be clear...I can get him to do a lot of stuff, as can Brad and Matt. But when she walks in that room, you would think he was a little boy that just met Santa. He motioned with his finger for her to come closer, to which he gave her a big smackaroo on the cheek.

We showed her his writing, some more motions, etc...before he started to get tuckered out again.
Prior to crashing, he held my Mom's hand and asked "What Happened?" He continued to ask this, despite her assuring him that nothing happened. We both agreed that he may be asking why he is still not well. We explained what happened, and that he needs to let his body heal. He has been quite impatient lately, and this may be why. He seemed very peaceful after this, so we asked him if he wants us to leave so he can sleep, to which he replied "Yeah". We shut the lights down and left him to his z's.

Tuesday (Day 36)

2008-09-02T12:14:00.000-07:00

Ok, so...where was I?

Last night was the first I had seen him since Friday morning. Despite the news of the weekend, he looks great. Friday morning my mom and I found him in a sweat, robe pulled almost all the way off, sheets gone, and contorted in such a way that he could not be comfortable. I was shocked that the nurses could walk by this and not do anything about it. My Mom got a cold towel and wiped his head down to cool him off, as I sought out his nurse to ask what was going on. She said they took his temp and he was just fine, and had been moving him every two hours as scheduled, but he is getting more and more mobile in his bed, and hard to keep still. I am hardly complaining about this, but I worry he may try to get out of bed and hurt himself.

The nurses came in and gave him a fresh robe, and turned him once more. My mom then took me to the airport. I called on Sunday to check in and apparently this sweating was a sign of infection. They took a chest x-ray and found no sign of liquid in his lungs, so that is good. His urine and blood test are yet to come back.

I found him last night sitting up right, practicing what he has learned through PT. Unfortunately, the PT's give him such a workout, that by the time the Speech Therapist comes...he is dead tired and out cold. Great timing, right? One would think a Speech Therapist would come before a Physical Therapist, but what do I know?

Still very little movement on the left side, but very agile on the right. His hair is now thicker than my own. He loves it when I scratch his head for him. He hasn't improved very much on speech, though when I asked him if he remembers where I was all weekend, he whispered,
"California". Not the clearest, mind you, but enough to understand him.

My mom says he was able to sit upright in his wheelchair w/out assistance, and Brad tells me it only took 3 nurses to assist him standing, compared to the 4 it took the first attempt.

Thank you to all of you that continue to send us your stories of encouragement and support. I got home last night to see almost 1800 hits on the website. Amazing.

Thursday (Day 31)

2008-08-28T22:13:00.000-07:00

My mom's sisters answered the call, and surprised her with a visit and some dinner...so we all went out and got her mind off things for a spell.
It was awesome to see her laughing again. Some friends of my Dad also joined us and the little sneaker picked up the tab when none of us were looking! (Thanks from everyone for that, GO)

Everyone at the table was telling stories of my Dad. Things he used to do or say, things he has said recently in recovery, updates, etc. It was a great evening.

He and I watched the Obama speech tonight. He kept saying O-bah-ma....haha. I told him I loved him as I left, and he whispered "I know".

This will be my only post until Monday evening. Have a great weekend everyone!

Wednesday (Day 30)

2008-08-27T17:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was pretty uneventful. He was a bit of a sour puss to my Mom & I. Brad says he perked up later in the evening. He learned that pressing the red button gets the nurses to come, and his favorite nurse he can call by name. It was one of those evenings where he is pointing at something and trying to tell me something...and I just cannot pick up what it is. It's like playing Charades with no timer....you just keep guessing and guessing. I ask him to be patient, as I am trying to "hear" him. I know I would be going nuts if I were him, trying to express myself.

I am going to Cali this weekend and will have limited posts, FYI. I will likely post Friday, since I am sneaking in there to see him before my flight...but then not again till Monday evening.

Also, some friends and I are planning a Silent Auction to raise funds for my father's care. If you want any information on donating items and/or attending the event, you can email me at petrofied@gmail.com. Several items are available already and more are on the way. The event will likely take place in the Seattle Metro area sometime in October.

Tuesday (Day 29)

2008-08-26T12:00:00.000-07:00

Last night was fun. My Mom told me that he played a little "Matchmaker" with one of his nurses, as she reminds all of us of one of Brad's ex-girlfriends. She came into the room, and my Dad pointed at her and said Brad's name. She blushed as she exited the room apparently. He briefly cried at the old memories.

By the time I got there, he was pretty tuckered out. Earlier he had been in a wheelchair and the PT took him into the "gym" that is provided in the facility. When I asked him if he was pumpin some iron, he responded by throwing his hand up to arm wrestle again...what a show off. Haha. His speech is getting better, and when my Mom turned on Oprah...he mustered out "Oprahhh". She went home to take care of Jack, and I stayed for a while. Shortly after she left though, he was out like a light. All in all, a pleasant evening.

Monday (Day 28)

2008-08-25T09:31:00.000-07:00

It is one thing to see my Dad in this weakened state, or to watch him struggle over the last several years as the tremors get worse. But, as I found out this weekend, it is entirely something else to helplessly watch my father cry. My Mom had told me about these brief moments of him crying....but up until now, I have been unaware of them. I am pretty sure I have never seen anything more painful, and the mental image remains in my head. I am sure there are several reasons for his tears. Fear, love, embarassment, whatever the reason...it breaks my heart more than anything I have ever experienced. We doubt that it is due to pain, or suffering, as he has been pretty good at telling us when something is bothering him. I believe it is the struggle and possibly a little impatience to get out of that place, and back home. None of us can begin to imagine what a person goes through when in my father's position. I know when I get fatigued at the gym, I can just stop when I want to. Without the ability to speak clearly, he is being pushed and pushed and pushed, and has no way other than those tears to tell us anything.

If we were self made millionaires, we would take him home and hire a private nurse, and let him heal on his time....but we have to push, and I foresee a lot more of these tears in the future. I can tell you that it took every ounce of my strength not to break down and cry with him. But now is not the time for tears.

It has come to my attention that my blogs may be painting a picture to its readers that he is coming back around, and that it is just a matter of time before he is walking on his own two feet and taking on the world. Let me just say that this is my personal observation. I believe this can happen, yes. He has done things for me that, in my mind, show signs of strength and determination. If he wanted to give up, he would not do the little things that he does. I get excited over the little things, but they are just little things. He has a long, hard road ahead, as we got a glimpse of this weekend. I just don't want any friends and family that are reading this to necessarily think that everything is ok based on my views and updates. Unfortunately, I cannot write about everything I observe due to the public nature of this site. This site is FOR my father, it is not my personal journal. I apologize for any confusion.

His insurance is going to end very soon we are being told and he will be unable to stay in the current facility. We will either be required to bring him home and care for him ourselves, or place him in an assisted living type home.

Remember when I said we take the good with the bad? Well....

Unfortunately, my Mom is carrying a lot of the weight of all of this on her shoulders. She is not going to like this....but I am going to have to insist on a ladies night to get her mind off of everything. (I told you I was going to set it up!)
Soooo, sisters, friends.....email me at petrofied@gmail.com if you want to help out with "Operation Make Mom Smile".

Friday (Day 25)

2008-08-22T09:45:00.000-07:00

Not much to report today. We had a quiet evening last night. His new thing is the snapping of the fingers. I asked him just to do it, and he did it repeatedly with little to no pause in between snaps.

According to my Mom, he had a busy day, so it is no surprise that he was tired for me. He had quite a few visitors during the afternoon, which may have exhausted him a little. I think the visitors are good, but I do ask that you coordinate with my Mom or one of us prior to popping in, so that we don't overwhelm him. The Speech Therapist made some ground with him, which is nice. Brad tells me he is starting to accomplish two tasks at once, rather than just one thing at a time. His good friend Gary taught him some sign language earlier this week, and he was able to tell me "I love you" in sign last night without me prompting.

Last night was a slow day, like many more to come. We take the good with the bad though, it was actually nice to see him resting for a change. I know he is eager to get out of that bed and get home, and is anxious to "figure out" what is wrong and fix it...but the body heals while it rests too. As much as I wanted to "play", I could see he needed his rest. Hopefully we'll have a big day today. :)

Thursday (Day 24)

2008-08-21T10:37:00.000-07:00

Wow...what a day. As I have stated before, it is the littlest of improvements that can make a world of difference. Last night was awesome. I can't honestly remember seeing my Mom laugh that hard.

I walked into his room, and he appeared to be sleeping, but there was something different. He just looked different, better, but different. I asked my Mom how he was doing today, and saw his eyes pop open. I approached the opposite side of the bed that my Mom was on, and he held up his hand for me, and just had a genuinely happy face. There were no available chairs, so I knelt down beside him, and upon my Mom's request, he reached out to touch my nose. She started snappin pictures on her cell phone. I told him, "Hey Dad, Mom is taking pictures of us!". He threw up his hand and gave a wave, then threw up a "peace" symbol. When my Mom and I were done laughing, I looked down and he had a huge smart alec smile on his face. She managed to get this shot...

She then leaned in to kiss him goodbye, and told him she is going home to take care of Jack. He SNAPPED his fingers, and patted the bed as if Jack was in the room. I was blown away. Brad tells me he was snapping his fingers the night before too. We'll have to get Jack back in there soon. As I was trying to leave, he got ahold of his electric bed adjuster thing, and was going to town inclining, declining, toes up, toes down...cracked me up. I love days like this.

Wednesday (Day 23)

2008-08-20T09:06:00.000-07:00

Another major hurdle last night checked off the list. He swallowed on his own. This was a big concern after week one. His nurse gave him some ice chips, and according to my mom, he swallowed them right up. They also removed his IV that was still in his wrist as a precaution. It wasn't connected, but just in case they have left it on until last night. Hopefully soon we can get both his food tube and his catheter removed, as I am getting the impression that both of these are beginning to bother him. The more he becomes aware of everything around him and what is going on, the more he realizes something is going where it shouldn't be going. :)

He is trying to tell me something, and it is frustrating that I cannot "hear" him, or understand him. He is trying so hard to tell me, and I just feel helpless.

My Mom tells me he cried again yesterday. I can't begin to imagine the struggle he is enduring. Laying in that bed for hours on end, having everyone care for your personal affairs, wondering why your left side won't work. I am sure he feels scared, and alone. We assure him every night that he is not alone, and not to be frightened. That everything will come in time, that he needs to be strong, that he needs to believe. He gave me strength for so many years, and continues to do so...I consider this payback time.

Even in a bed restricted from speech, he teaches me. He teaches me love, humility, generosity, and to be a better man. 800 hits on this website?? He is loved by, and has touched more people than I had ever imagined. We all have said at one point in our lives that we 'will never be like out parents'. I can only wish I can be as good a man as him one day.

Tuesday (Day 22)

2008-08-19T12:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday evening was a pretty impressive showing. Matt, myself, and my Mom were all there to witness my Dad in what I thought was his best form yet. My Mom said his eyes had been wide open since she got there at 1:30pm...and honestly, I was falling asleep before he would last night. I kept dozing off sitting there in the dark with him, finally leaving at around 9pm.

He is becoming very aware of his surroundings now, attempting to talk more (and he is soooo close to telling me something), and even moving that left arm from time to time. His right arm is moving all over the place. He has lost about 15 pounds since this all started which is likely mostly due to loss of muscle mass. I wish I could put him in his own room. 'Harry', who resides just over the divider curtain, is an interesting fellow. He seems like a nice guy, but is hard of hearing, so as I am trying to get my Dad to close his eyes for the night...Harry starts yelling for the nurses, and the nurses then are forced to yell back. It's amusing for the first or second time. Harry is convinced the nurses are trying to kill him by making him "crap his pants every five minutes".

All and all...a very good day. His eyes are focusing again, and working together. He is working with the nurses a little better....though they continue to try to come in the morning...sigh. How many different ways can we say "Don't come in the morning"???

Still not a lot of movement out of that left leg.

He smiled at my mom yesterday as if he was seeing her for the first time in years.

Sunday (Day 20)

2008-08-17T22:27:00.000-07:00

As I lay here in bed, on the eve of the 3rd week since this all began, I read some of the memories that friends have left in the comments pages. I am reminded of so many wonderful times with my Dad, and thus encourage more of these comments. If you have an awesome memory of him, please share it. The comment section of this page was my mothers idea. I am sure it pleases her to see the lives that have been touched by this man. Many of you don't know what to say, or what you can do.   It is sometimes the simplest thought or gesture that can mean a smile on our faces, or a tear in our eyes (happy tears, of course).   The truth is, you know what you can do, but you find it "insignificant", as a friend of mine put it recently. NOTHING IS INSIGNIFICANT. If you can make my mother smile, I would owe you indefinitely...as would my father if he were reading this.

As far as this weekend goes, he is doing wonderfully. He is beginning to move his neck around, checking out his surroundings and taking it all in. My mom and I believe that he is concerned his left side is not functioning, and try to tell him not to worry about all that. A good friend of his swung by today to give good thoughts, and check in. He is a good man, and a good friend.

My Dad's RN today was this little sassy old Filipina that has been trying to lift our spirits while visiting. She clearly does not realize we have been sitting by his side for the last 3 weeks.  She tells us to talk to him, tell him about our days, etc, etc.  She even tried to tell us that when asked
how he feels today he said, "Oh hunny, I am doing just fine thank you." in her broken english.
THIS was the first time I had seen my mother laugh uncontrollably in three weeks. We waited till this woman left, and had our laugh. Next thing ya know he will be doing the Waltz with this woman while we are not looking.   Clearly they need to make another bed available....but her heart was in the right place.

We brought Jack in to see him, and he (Jack) was just a little too excited to see his friend again.
My Dad reached up to pet him, and had a very excited look on his face.   It was quite the treat.
My mom snapped the picure to the right so that you can see his progress. Three weeks in, and almost all scars are healed, and his hair is soon to be thicker than my own.   A long road ahead still, but a good weekend overall.

Friday (Day 19)

2008-08-15T16:09:00.000-07:00

I have added a web counter towards the lower right hand side of the page. I have been watching it today, and have seen it's number double today alone. I know this website it reaching people that do not know me, my family, or my father. You have found this website because you are either friends with or related to someone that has touched our lives, and vice versa. Welcome all of you, and thank you for stopping by.

My visit last night showed much of the same as the night before...but he had a little surprise waiting for me. Perhaps my mom, or one of my brothers got him into this, but now when I hold up a poker card, he holds up the corresponding number with his fingers. Being that he is still struggling to utilize his left side, this will only work up to five....but it is yet another new 'thing'.
He still smirks when I bust out those Kings.

I have read all the comments many of you are leaving, and the emails I have been receiving. I loooove how some of you leave your messages FOR John. He will read them someday soon...and he will have a great deal of catching up to do with all of you.

I called my parents house looking for my Mom, when the voicemail picked up. It was him, his voice anyway. I've been so focused on being strong for him and my mother...I hadn't realized how long it's been since the wet works have come out. His voice did it. I could have redialed all night to just hear that 10 second clip over and over again....

We are going to attempt to bring Jack (see pics) in to see him this weekend. I want to videotape his response to his other best friend....stay tuned, and thanks again.

Thursday (Day 18)

2008-08-14T11:36:00.001-07:00

I cannot believe the circulation this website is getting. Thank you all. It is true, my father touched a lot of people. I read all these comments from family and friends, and everything is dead on. He is and always has been one of the kindest men I know....and among the many things I have learned from this experience, is that there are a whole lot of people in this world that could use some of that side of my father, including myself.

As you may have guessed by now, my posts reflect that of the previous day's events with my Dad. Yesterday we had a bit of both good and bad news. The facility that he is in, has in fact, released him as we feared they might. I am at a loss for words here....I really am.

The good news was that the nurses managed to get him out of the bed and into a wheelchair, heavily assisted by them of course, so that he could get a bath and a fresh shave. By the time I got there, he was resting, but soon opened those beautiful blue eyes to entertain me yet again. My father and I share a love of poker, so I thought I might try to bring in a deck of cards to see if he could recognize these cards and maybe call out their name. I wish I had videotaped this.

I started with a pair of Kings (also known as Cowboys), as this is his favorite two cards. He instantly smirked, and raised his hand towards me. I placed the two cards between his thumb and his index finger so that it looked like he was holding them in an actual game. He was glowing!!! I held up the Ace of Hearts, and asked if he knew what that was....he managed to get out the words "Aaaa o Hearrr". I about lost it laughing, and congratulating him, and he tweaked his smile one more time.

Then we put the cards away, and I held his hand firmly as I do from time to time. Kind of my way of 'feeding' him strength, I suppose. Our hands were wrapped as if to arm wrestle, and just out of curiosity, I began bouncing my thumb around his as if we were playing a thumb war....and he did not miss a beat!! His thumb slowly danced around as well, and when I slipped mine under his, he pinched down hard!! I told him, "Nice work DAD, you beat me!!!"

Again, a smile.

We watched some of the Olympics, and he fell back into his deep sleep.

Wednesday Day 17

2008-08-13T12:55:00.000-07:00

My Dad's brother and his wife came to town to see him. He managed to show him all his tricks, and even squeezed out a smile. His hair is coming back in, his scars are almost fully healed, and if you didn't know any better you would say he is just sleeping. Amazing how powerful the mind is. I just want to say "Wake up!" sometimes. I worry that he is only showing his tricks and movements and speech for his family.

I was told to turn on the second showing of the Oprah show last night when I got home. It was so close to home, I couldn't believe it.

http://www.oprah.com/community/thread/85162

Up to Speed 8-12-08

2008-08-12T09:31:00.000-07:00

Catching up to the present,

My Dad is now in the SNF, where they have begun to rehabilitate. I have been reminded, and have read myself that people with PD (Parkinson's Disease) take a little bit longer to rehab from something like this. His physical therapist has already stepped down, as his body is still in the coma. He/She will resume PT as soon as he begins to be more responsive in body. His eyes open wide now, and daily, for hours on end. He is taking everything in, listening, comprehending, and when it strikes the mood, trying to communicate. We have heard him say many things, names, responses, and of course "I luuuuuuuh", which is his response to my mother saying she loves him. His hand signals come without hesitation now...so fast that I need to come up with more material for him!! I can feel his strength when he squeezes my hand...I know he is fighting this...he just needs time.

He can wave to the nurses (what a charmer), and last night did something that would tear up the toughest sort. My mom went in to kiss him, as she routinely does, and I told her to put her cheek up there to see if he'd kiss back. Pops puckered up w/out hesitation. I am pretty sure it made her week, and I just giggled. She left, and I stayed with him for awhile just talking, listening to his breathing, playing with new hand gestures. Even the quietest of days can prove to be remarkable.

The doctors reminded my Mom that time is not on our side. If he doesn't start impressing them, we will be on our own both medically, and financially. What a system, our Healthcare. Sigh.

Week Two--Day Eight

2008-08-12T09:22:00.000-07:00

The doctors have called for me and my brothers to meet them this afternoon for a meeting. No doubt, for some bad news. My mom knows, but she wanted us to hear it from them. Last night, I walked her to her car, and we talked for what seemed like forever. She hinted to what the doctors were going to tell me, as she knows I am very upset right now. Not that most of the medical staff has not been very compassionate. In fact, all the nurses hug her, cry with her....the anesthesiologist came into the room on Wednesday, and didn't even have the words. He looked at my mom, and broke down in tears. A grown man, working in a hospital...in tears. You can see why I'm upset.

It was this meeting where the doctors raised concern of the likelihood that my father will ever walk again. The entire meeting was blurry to me, as I was so full of anger and rage. I wanted to put my hand through a wall. I don't want to hear their opinions...because in the end, that is all they are. One of my friends put it best, 'doctors are like the weatherman...they will give you their thoughts on the facts placed before them, but cannot predict the future.' Here, in the NW, the weather changes quite often. All I heard in that meeting was three words,

"Nothing is impossible."

Days Four thru Seven...

2008-08-12T09:20:00.000-07:00

Thursday morning, my mom called to say he had opened his eyes wide for her, moved some toes, fingers, etc....all of which were very good signs. He impressed all the doctors, and gave us all some new found hope.

Friday was not so good, but the doctors told us there would be plenty of ups and downs. They had to put the oxygen back in his nose, as his saturation level was dropping.

This weekend saw a lot of success all across the board. He is back on his own breathing, he is beginning to get some words out. Saturday was the most touching, when my mom went to go home and leaned over to give him a kiss, and said "I love you". He replied back with a very good attempt, that sounded much like and "I love you"...my mom's water works were in full affect.

Sunday morning he was crying. Not like he did with me on Wednesday....this was a full blown cry. His nurse, who has been amazing, totally lost it, as did my mom. They are convinced this was due to his bowel movement...the first all week. I mean, nobody likes to poop the bed...I would cry too....but, it needed to be done...and the rest of the day saw much improvements. His eyes were half opened for most of the day....and they finally moved him out of the ICU to the top floor where he has an amazing view now. Today he is scheduled for another surgery that will insert a tube directly into his stomach, since he was being fed through a tube in his nose...and he did not like it. He has had a nasty case of the hiccups which is no doubt producing some acid reflux...as he moans loudly during these occurances. They believe this surgery will reduce that, and they can completely remove all tubes from his upper body....which will be awesome.

Day Three

2008-08-12T09:19:00.000-07:00

Wednesday night, I stayed by his side as late as I could...waiting for a sign. They had taken him off oxygen and he was breathing...well, snoring actually, all on his own. He could grip my hand when I spoke to him, so I knew he was listening...but no noise, no eyes, nothing. Later that evening, I looked up and caught a glimpse of his eyes...about as much as you could see if someone was squinting at you....but I could see them, and with tears in my own eyes, I said "Hey Sunshine! How ya doin??" A tear rolled out of his left eye, and I lost it.

I told him that I wish I could take this from him, and trade him spots....and his right hand (which had not seen much movement) lifted up off his belly and across his left side to me...as if to touch my face. I met him half way, and whispered "I know Dad, I love you too". It was an amazing night. I found new energy and stayed with him till his eyes shut again and he went back into a deep sleep. I asked him before his went to sleep to try and show my mom some good signs the next morning.

Day One

2008-08-11T11:52:00.000-07:00

It was Monday morning the 28th of July that my father went in for a procedure that he felt would remarkably improve the rest of his living years. He told me not to worry, and that by noon on Monday, the first phase of the procedure would be complete….but I did worry. Then, around 10:30 that morning, my mother called me to tell me all lights were green! The doctors claimed it couldn’t have gone any smoother. I looked to the sky with tears in my eyes, and whispered the words “Thank you”. I was ecstatic, and quickly sent word that the worst is over. Phase two was a walk in the park, and would hardly be anything to worry about. I was overjoyed, and full of anticipation to finish my work and rush to the hospital. Then, at around 2:00pm, my anticipation and excitement was shattered with confusion, fear, and anger as my brother called me…

“Hey man, there has been a complication…you better get up here right away”

I dropped everything and rushed to the hospital where I found my mom, two of her sisters, and my brothers in the surgery waiting area. The look on my mom floored me, and I could see that this is no small complication. Apparently, a blood clot had formed in the left side of his brain, about the size of a baseball. They claim that when inserting one of the electrodes into his brain, they grazed a blood vessel and a slow leak had started. They rushed him back into surgery where they were able to remove 89% of this clot. The rest, they claimed, would be absorbed by the body and be of no threat.

He was placed in ICU where all we could do was wait. He had more tubes and wires coming in and out of him than I would ever want to see again. Initially, his oxygen was being fed to him, as was his food, through various tubes. Day by day, the doctors removed a little bit at a time, until all he was left with was his feeding tube surgically installed directly into his stomach. A CT Scan revealed that some of the blood had leaked into the third and fourth ventricles surrounding his brain stem. This temporarily prohibited him from opening his eyes and/or speaking.

His family was constantly by his side, waiting for a sign. The damage to the left side of his brain had temporarily paralyzed the left side of his body. Though unable to open his eyes or speak, he was able to acknowledge us by squeezing his right hand. Day by day, he began to come out of his coma. We were starting from scratch, and every new triumph, no matter how big or small, were an emotional moment. As he grew stronger, so did our family. His courage to take on such a procedure has brought this family closer than we have been in decades. Everyday sees more and more improvement, yet after a meeting a week after the surgery, the doctors claim that if he has not shown significant signs of improvement in the next three months, we will have to make a decision. (I.e. stop feeding him) They have since moved him out of ICU, into a SNF (Skilled Nurses Facility), where his healing goes into high gear. It is here that he has a speech therapist, a physical therapist, and several other skilled specialists to get him up and running.

My father is strong, and I believe in my heart that he is trying like hell to get back to his wife and family…and I know he can do this in the three months time. But, as if we haven’t had enough bad news, he may not be allowed that time. The conditions of his Medicare plan say that he is only covered for two months at the SNF, AND if he is not making ‘significant improvements’, the SNF has to de-certify him from Medicare. Without Medicare, he would be moved upstairs of this facility to their nursing home, where he would be cared for, but no specialists…and only time will tell. The long term care unit would be out of our own pocket at a cost of around $7000 per month.

I spend my hours with my father talking, showing him hand signals, working on his words…basically starting from scratch. He responds to hand signals and words almost without hesitation. He smiled for me last night, and stuck his tongue out at me when asked to do so. His grip with this right hand is so strong now; I know he is telling me he can do this. My father loves his family so much. He took a risk for the benefit of all of us, and is fighting to come back FOR us. I have never witnessed a love like he and my mom share. He is only 66, and knows he has several more years of loving her to go.