October Visit

I flew to Michigan last weekend to visit my Dad. Saw him Saturday and Sunday and he has made many physical improvements since my last visit at the end of July. He can now stand up with just a little help. Katie also told me he is up and walking every day even with limited use of his right leg - I didn't get to see him walk while I was there but we did go cruising around in his chair. He looks good.

There are definitely some other changes - he couldn't tell me my name but I could tell he knew it. When I said "K" he quickly spelled out K.e.r.i.L.e.e. I also wrote out some words that he was able to read right away - David, Keri, Boat. He was able to name most of the months of the year, all of the days of the week. We struggled this time to have a conversation as he gets the same words stuck in his head that makes it hard to understand what he is trying to tell you - Next door, partying, boat, marina. It's obvious everything is in his head, hopefully he can start getting it out. He doesn't seem to get too frustrated when we can't understand each other which is good.

One other thing I found amazing is that while watching tv he understands everything he is watching and has all the right reactions. When we walked by a baseball game he read off the score "3-nothing." When we were watching Cops he knew that having a beer and crack pipe in your car was not a good thing. He laughs at things that are funny. We watched a little Nascar.

Katie said her and my Dad play cards - blackjack and war - he can't tell you what cards he has but he knows when he has one and knows when to hit or stay. That's pretty cool.

Thanks to the guest book in his room I was able to see most of the visitors that have been to see my dad in the last two months (not everyone signs in): Kathy Benoit, Joe Baker, BJ Franzen, Judy and Sandy, Chris Schroeder and Glen Champagne, Lori, Danny, and Jennifer, Milan & Marilyn and their families, Richard and Dicky, Patsy and Annie, Paul Selvidge, Leslie Downing, Scott, Katie and Maura, me! Thanks to everyone for visiting - it is so helpful and so much appreciated. Keep on coming!!!