Saturday, October 22, 2022 7:36 PM

Hello! Hope your day was blessed!  (These 2 sparrows brought cheer to a challenging day!)

  Sadly, today was a lot of hard work, from trying to get Larry comfortable after being sick, to trying to engage him after a 2 hour nap. The hardest thing for me is to see Larry dis-engaging!

  Shane arrived shortly after I did & Larry was soon transferred to his wheelchair. I got out the sketch pad, for Larry & Shane to draw a joint picture. They were using the park across the street as their model. It wasn't very long before Larry violently threw up! Of course, that was followed by going to bed to rest after being so shaken up. He apologized to Shane that he got sick. Actually its quite a bonding experience to assist anyone when they are in such a desperate state. Shane was awesome & didn't shy away from helping his dad. "I love you!" & "I love you too!" Warms my heart to hear that exchange between father & son (both of our boys).

  Larry slept soundly for 2 hours. He took a while to rouse & I asked him to do some simple mouth exercises so he could speak more clearly. A few minutes in, he said that he never gets a break from all these exercises. Well, that opened up a serious discussion, as in the same breath, he says he wants to get out of here.  I'm sure coming out of a deep sleep, distorts time & the goings on of the day. I told him that I can't witness him not trying & being negative & how that is not going to 'get him out of here'! I asked how long I should stay when I visit. He said "Every day, for at least one hour!" Well, that tells us how distorted time is for him. After some 'contemplation', he said he would do everything he needed to, to get out of the hospital. He agreed that he could take the initiative & do simple exercises on his own or with me, beyond the rehab. I asked him to make a list of what he was willing to do. I encouraged him to choose a practical challenge for each, like: 1/2 a game of cards at a time; 15 minutes of guitar; slow down on arm/hand exercises, doing fewer, but well. He asked if the rehab tools he needs could be kept close by.

  Hearing aids are on the way, & I know that will make a huge difference. It's hard to whisper sweet-nothings, let alone the serious stuff in his ear, without the 3 other patients & their visitors feeling part of it. The nurse came in & repeated something I'd said to encourage Larry earlier, without me knowing that he'd heard us talking.

 Larry made a comment about people not believing in him. I told him that everyone believes in him & most importantly, he needs to believe in himself.  Messages of encouragement have dwindled considerably, so if you are inclined to fwd. good wishes, please do! Each time a message comes in, I read it to Larry & it always makes him smile. We both appreciate them so much. He did receive a beautiful prayer today from a lovely friend Larry made through his driver rehab association. God bless you! xoxo