Tom greeted Bryan by singing "Happy Birthday" to him when we walked into his room today. (It is in fact Bryan's birthday today). From the last time I saw him, he looks great. It was just amazing.
We had a good visit. Zach played WAR with him. Max made paper airplanes with some of the "paper-airplane-a-day" calendar pages that Tom had been given a few years ago. Grandpa did not skip a beat. He got tired after a little while, but he kept up with the WAR game, and even gave the boys tips on how to make the airplanes better. If you had walked in the room at that moment, you would have had no idea what he had been through in the past two months. It would have been a typical day playing with Grandpa.
Max was a little hesitant to come visit today. As we were leaving he said it was good and Grandpa looked normal. Max had started putting together what was going on last month. He straight out asked me if Grandpa had a stroke a few weeks ago. I was shocked by the question, because we were being vague about Grandpa being sick. He must have overheard some conversation. It turns out that Max had read a book called Now One Foot, Now the Other by Tomie dePaola in his 2nd grade class last year. It tells the story of a little boy who deals with his grandpa who had a stroke. I had no idea he read this book in class. I was shocked, and then so grateful that God had put that little detail into place last year, so that we would be able to explain a little better what was going on now.
We got the book from the library a few weeks ago. It is a wonderful story. It helped Zach understand a little what was going on before we visited today. Grandpa is improving much quicker than in the grandpa in the story, which was good for them to see. The story also shows how the grandson helps the grandpa do things again. I am hoping the boys were able to grasp a little of how good it was for them to visit him today.
I did not know what to ask Tom. My questions were too confusing. Bryan has spent a lot of time with him and knows how to ask things without confusing or frustrating him. I have a lot to learn. He did talk to me about how his right arm is a little shaky, and his right leg a little shaky as well. He told me himself that he does not understand it, because usually people with "this" can't move one whole side of their body. He has much more moments of awareness of what happened, which I think is a hard thing for him.
Tom has intense therapy starting at 8:30 A.M. tomorrow. Speech, physical, and occupational therapy are scheduled throughout the morning and afternoon, with a break for lunch. Bryan said when they explained the program to him and his mom and brothers, they mentioned that they don't encourage much visiting of the patient. They need to keep him focused on his therapy, and then give him time to just rest. Though having people visit can be encouraging to him, I think that it may also be overwhelming for him at times, and confusing for people who are not used to him right now. I experienced that firsthand today. I wanted to lift his spirits in some way, but I had no idea what to say, or what he would really understand. Though I saw him be normal Grandpa Tom, and play with the boys, joke about the food, and even talk business with Bryan, he had moments when he was tired and not himself. Obviously the common behavior of someone who is recovering from a traumatic brain aneurysm just seven weeks ago. I think with more awareness comes more anxiety and frustration, along the way to recovery.
The doctor at the previous hospital said that the more he makes physical progress, the better his spirits will be, which is why he recommended a hospital that does intensive therapy like this one. Please pray for his therapy tomorrow, for the strength and the will to do it, and for the rest he needs when it is done. Please pray for wisdom for the therapists, because my understanding was that his particular speech issues are different than anyone they have seen. Help them make a good plan for him.
Please also pray for the family as they visit, that it would be an encouraging, restful time with his wife and sons this week. Help us know how to balance our visits with him with what he needs to recover. Help us to trust God as he continues to do miracles in Tom's life, even if we cannot be with him as much right now.
And lastly, please pray for joy,peace, and hope for Tom, as he recovers. I definitely felt sadness in him today, and understandably so.
Thanks again for praying, even if you could not read through this long blog post!
Brenna
Continuing to pray. These updates are so helpful.
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