Jim

Friday November 4, 2011

Sorry to leave everyone with such a depressing post last night.  I apologize for the openess and detailed nature of my posts but it has been theraputic to me to be able to recount exactly as things happen.  I hope it will be a good way for us to learn and remember the trials in the good times and be grateful for the blessings we have.
Today has been a much better day and has lifted our spirits.  Jim slept better last night with the c-pap and seemed more rested this morning.  He was very weak from not being able to eat again but was in much better spirits.  His brother, Nate and his wife Jenny, his brother Spencer, and Dan, Shelby, his mom and dad all came this morning to see him. Russ and his wife Tamara came a little later today to visit too. He was happy to see Nate and began joking and laughing with him immediatley.  They took him for a swallow test mid-morning to determine if he could eat or not again and he passed!  He was so happy when they brought him back to the room that he would be able to eat again.  I gave him a shower and shaved him and he felt much better after, though I could tell he was very weak from not eating again.  His Physical Therapist came this afternoon and made him work hard.  He walked to the elevators at which point she put him in the wheelchair to go to the therapy room.  There he had to do a leg rowing machine and though you could tell he was fatigued he did very well.  We then played basketball and balloon volleyball.  She had him push a shopping cart down the hall and the hardest thing of all, walk backwards with the shopping cart.  He did really well on all the activities.  Before we got on the elevator to go back up to his room the therapist had him look out the window and pick out moving objects, focusing on things to his left.  He has such an amazing mind for detail-he could find the things she asked for faster than I could.  He walked part of the way back to the room and I could tell he was getting very fatigued as he had less control on his left foot.  He visited with his family and friends for a while and really enjoyed himself.  He was flirting with the nurse again this afternoon.  tori came in to check his eyes and grip.  He turned to us and said "she just wants to hold my hand".  It is amazing to see the improvement from yeaterday. 
The plan at this point is that we will be here until Monday.  At that point he will either transfer to the acute rehab here in the hospital or go to a skilled nursing facility in SLC for 7-10 days.  Then we will head home to Cedar and either spend a few more days a t Kolob or be able to do outpatient therapy and go directly to our home.  Thank you again for the love and prayers.  I know the Lord is hearing and answering our petitions and I am so grateful to Him for his love.  I will not post any more tonight as I will not have a computer but will post again tomorrow.