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.
