Josh Gray

Ok, it’s another day and it has been a week and two days since Josh’s life has changed because of a massive stroke.  If you looked at Josh today you would know that something was a little off but you would never guess to what extreme.  The Gray family were told a week ago to never expect to see the son they once knew.  The chance of recovery was not realistic.  It would appear now that Josh has begun to prove them wrong.  He is moving forward to show that the medical profession needs to be challenged and proven wrong.  He wants to give the doctors an example of someone they can use as motivation and hope for another family that unfortunately may have to face the same challenges.  Here is a quick medical update on Josh’s condition.  Josh started out on aspirin everyday but when it was discovered that there was still some bleeding it was reduced substantially.  A hole was discovered in is heart that doctors feel may have contributed to the stroke but are not 100% sure.  This hole will most likely be repaired a week from today.  Blood work results are still not back.  He has had two MRI’s.  The technician doing the procedures has talked to Gary about what he sees as he doing the procedure.  He has been honest to say that this is a massive stroke and has affected a large part of the brain about one fifth.  To give you a comparison the technician said he usually sees strokes affecting about one eighth. Josh no longer has a catheter.  He has been fitted with a boot brace for his left foot so that it keeps the foot straight.  I believe he has also been measured for a hand brace for the left hand to prevent it from twisting, I can’t confirm that 100% right now. He has impressed, amazed and inspired everyone. 

Now for how far he has come in just a week.  Josh is now awake most of the day, mostly because he has to with all the therapy sessions he is constantly in and because he now has the energy to be awake.  He is able to drink and eat on his own but requires to be monitored for now.  He can stand on his own and walk with a walker with assistance. He can communicate with speech but at times is not always clear with what he is trying to express because of memory issues and confusion with the proper words.  He has a sense of humor and uses it every opportunity he can.  He enjoys watching his favorite movie, Nightmare Before Christmas. 

It is now Friday 6/19 and yes it was again assumed that it was going to be a less busy day then the day before.  Well, it couldn’t be more opposite.  First thing in the morning the family started to hear rumors from the nursing staff that Josh may be getting out of the hospital today.  The family knew that the day would come that Josh would be moved to a 24 hr. rehabilitation home but this wasn’t expected for a week or two maybe even longer.  They were able to get through some of the therapy for the day when it became official, they were told that Josh was being released and transported to his new home.  It was immediate, no notice, no time to prepare.  They had a facility in mind that they were told was fabulous and have seen incredible results.  Gary and Melody intended on visiting the facility in the near future but now their first visit was going to be with Josh.  All of the sudden they were told that they would be leaving in fifteen minutes this was around 2:00pm.  No time to go to the Ronald McDonald house and pack.  So Gary traveled with Josh while Melody went to the house and packed up things and met them at the new place.  It is called Casa Colina Rehabilitation Center in Pomona, you can look it up and visit the website.  They were told that it was a good time to check in because it was slower on the weekend and they would have two days to get adapted and familiar without the rush that goes on during the week.  Their arrival was definitely a shock from the hospital but they are optimistic and looking forward to the next journey.

Upon arrival it was a little culture shock.  There was no one really to give them a complete thorough orientation because it was the weekend.  They were surprised to find that the facility locks all doors at 8pm.  No one leaves or enters after that time.  It was harder for Gary because he had not eaten most of the day because of the hustle and bustle. He didn’t have a car to pop out to grab something because by the time they got settled it was close to 7:30pm and he had no means of transportation.  The facility doesn’t have accommodations for parents.  Only Gary was able to stay because Josh’s area is males only.  Josh was exhausted from the trip and slept from 7pm until he was awoken this morning for therapy.  He had all his therapy evaluations and did well as he has everyday.  He had another accomplishment in his new home he got out of bed and stood up on his own.  The therapists asked if he had ever done this before, Gary replied, “no”. It is obvious that Josh is showing off and is anxious to recover quickly so he can go home. Speech therapy is a little more challenging because of memory issues and confusion with word association but he is working hard. The family is sure Josh is looking forward to this new journey and the steps of becoming that much closer to a recovery that gets him home.  As I hear more I will definitely keep you posted about visiting hours, etc.  I hope that everyone will continue to visit Josh as it will definitely help with his recovery. I am just amazed because this time a week ago they didn’t expect Josh to be out of I.C.U yet.  Way to go Josh I think you are on your way to the Championships.  Love ya.

Thursday 6/18 started like most other days, the scheduling of speech, occupational and physical therapy.  The day is approached that maybe it won’t be as busy as the day before but as the sun comes up and Josh’s eyes open and it seems the day goes from zero to sixty in a matter of seconds.  Everyday requires the family to adapt to day to day changes or alterations from the day before.  It starts with attempting to meet the nurse and nurses aid for the first shift of the day.  They have found that each day and each shift is different from the day before.  It is never the same nurse or the same aid.  It is the family’s responsibility to educate each shift on Josh’s condition, care and needs.  This can sometimes appear challenging because every nurse or aid is different. Just like employees or children, some care to listen and some don’t care at all.  The family has been fortunate enough to have nurses and aids that care to listen and pay attention to Josh’s needs.

Josh started his occupational therapy by learning to get out of bed and using the walker to go from the bed to the hallway.  This can prove to be very exhausting and once he reaches the hallway it is time to take a momentary break and reenergize.  He sits in the wheelchair and takes a tour around the floor.   The hospital hallway wasn’t the only trip the wheelchair took Josh today.  Gary rolled Josh outside to experience the energy of life and harness that energy so he can use that to fight.  Josh went through his therapy sessions impressing everyone. It was my intention to make the visit this day because I wanted to see for myself Josh’s condition. Daily I was getting Josh reports from his dad Gary and as all of you have read they are pretty remarkable. As a parent I know that when are kids are hurt, we want them to get better and be better.  Anything we see can be encouraging to us as parents. But as parents we tend to see things through different glasses, some would say rose colored. I didn’t think it was fair to everyone if I wasn’t writing the truth about Josh’s condition and recovery; being honest realistic.  It was important for me to make another visit and make sure there was accuracy to what was being told. 

When I arrived at around 6:30pm it was nothing I expected and if anything I felt I was a little lied to but not in the sense of exaggeration but it was understated. I showed up just in time to see Josh eat some Chinese food.  It was embarrassing —– for me because I was so amazed by Josh that my mouth was open most of the time in amazement and I couldn’t stop staring at all the changes and improvements he had made.  I probably looked like I was trying to catch flies with my mouth open.  The difference from when I saw him last was remarkable.  He was wide awake, feeding himself, moving around watching a movie and communicating. I saw a teenage boy being a teenage boy looking as if he was in the hospital for something minor. He had his sense of humor and at every opportunity enjoyed using it on his mom and dad. I could see Josh again and it was glorifying.  Now were there changes from how Josh did all these things over a week ago to how he was doing them now, of course.  Eating was no longer a process that was just done, it requires thought, concentration and coordination.  He has to remember not to take big bites because the right side of his face is still paralyzed so opening his mouth big enough could be a problem.  Small bites are also necessary so he doesn’t choke because it is still not known how well his swallowing is.  Josh knows this but he has to be reminded. Can Josh speak, yes he can form some words and sounds.  This also isn’t as clear as you would think if you were to read something that said “Josh spoke”.  If you didn’t know Josh it may be difficult for you to know what Josh is saying but he is speaking it only requires you to give him your full attention and patience to know what it is that he is trying to tell you.  Because of the stroke words and expressing feelings can be confusing and twisted up in his mind.  So when he tries to tell you something it doesn’t necessarily come out the way he wanted it to or with the correct words. As for his movement he is moving his head as normal, moving his body up on the bed, his left side is moving around.  The right side doesn’t show any movement other then what is given to it by mom and dad when being massaged or moved for new placement.  However, I did witness a first on my visit.  Josh was sleeping and he completely rolled over to his left side for the first time.  One thing that was so incredible about this roll was that his left leg made it all the way over his right like you would expect.  But his right are was still twisted and hanging on his back side and had to be brought over by mom. But even with that it was an incredible thing to see. I left that night so proud of Josh, the family and the community for the prayers, love and strength that was spread and shared amongst everyone.  I also had the opportunity to see the Ronald McDonald house that Melody and Gary were staying at during Josh’s recovery.  It was breathtaking. I would never hesitate to donate to this charity.  It was definitely designed to make the families feel like they are at home and they supply so much.  There is a huge kitchen with all the amenities.  There is even community food that everyone can eat as well as baskets that you label and can store your own food in not only in cupboards but also in the refrigerator or freezer.  They offer washer and dryers and free soap.  There is a TV room, computer/study room, dining room, sitting area, sanctuary and many individual bedrooms that include a bathroom.  The only thing that you pay for in the facility coke from the coke machine but it is only twenty-five cents.  It was nice to see that they had a place to go and attempt to be comfortable and relaxed during such a stressful and demanding time.