Tuesday, October 11, 2022

7:48 PM

Hello! Thank you for joining us today!

  When I arrived, Larry was disappointed to tell me that he got sick, without any of the usual triggers, when visitors came, before noon. He's had so many horrible issues be resolved; this one isn't quite yet! 

  The physio assist had Larry do arm & leg strengthening. When he was asked to do 10 reps, he'd do 11. Afterward, on his own, he worked with his arms, holding the 3 lb. weights in each hand. We also did the swallowing & yellow ball resistance exercises. His mouth was horrible. A really yucky film builds up & today, it took a lot of work to freshen up his mouth. His speech is so much clearer & louder, when his tongue is free to move as it should. He has a hard time getting out of the habit of the tight 'Ventriloquist mouth'!   He worked on: B, F, P, Q, V & Z, by reciting the vowels, with each of these consonants preceding them. There's a noticeable improvement, from the beginning of the exercises to the end. 

  I asked Larry if he'd like to sing along with a song. I named a few & he said, "I really like that one!" to "The Heart of Worship" by Matt Redman.  As the lyrics are especially significant to a musician, Larry had quite an encounter with himself in realizing a clearer perspective of the importance he placed on singing & playing his worship music. The meaning of the lyrics of this song today are very profound. (Have a listen, you'll know what I mean!) As it was playing, Larry was reading the words. I asked him to sing & he occasionally mouthed the words. I stopped it & asked "1 - 10, what was your effort?" He said, "Two!" He may have been afraid to try, but he did open his voice when it played again. He was in tune, sounding growly. I witnessed something so special… a new beginning again for Larry. Of all the things that this stroke has taken away, that meant so much to him, and he' loved to do, it was so wonderful to hear him get stronger in singing as he went along. I was so overwhelmed with joy; I placed my head on his chest & cried. He stroked my back & continued to hum. This for sure is one of the very special moments to treasure throughout this journey. We talked about what we felt in our throats as we hum & he liked that it was another exercise to help with his swallowing, or so we think!

 I have to remember to call Costco to see if Larry had insurance coverage for his hearing aids. If he does, that's an easy fix, as we can have a new set made. In the meantime, I'm still hoping someone has a pair that a loved one no longer has need for. When my Mom died, I don't remember at all what we did (if anything) with hers.

 Larry's day was sandwiched by brothers-in-love! We are so blessed all around. I think 'cards' were on the table for tonight's visit. Fishing was the topic of conversation when I left. I told Larry that when he's sitting in a chair for longer periods, that perhaps he can get back to tying flies. We'll see!

  Turkey for lunch, & turkey for dinner! That's been my daily menu since Saturday, & I love it. I'm going to forget how to cook.

  So, since I got home, I've been struggling to download a video with 'you know who', to post on the home page. We did three takes. The first one, Larry's voice was too quiet. The second, he didn't like because he looked to sleepy. They were both lovely! If I can't post one of them, I'll write the script for you tomorrow. The third, was a gem! Larry wanted to be sure that he looked awake, with a smile! Well, it's a bit scary & his words were quite different from the 1st two. When I played it back, he laughed & really liked it, so that's what I want to post. The computer decided to upgrade, or something, which means it messed around with what was so familiar to me. Some of you know exactly what I'm going through, I know!

 We didn't get to speak with the head physio today, but Larry wants to let her know that he'll do whatever it takes and does not want to miss one day of physio, especially standing up.

  God bless you for being such an important part of how very loved & carried we are, by you support & prayers. We hold you very dearly in our hearts & prayers, every day! xoxo