"Two Weeks"

I saw Pops on Wednesday and he looked really good. When I walked in the room he was staring intently at the cell phone in his hand. I asked what he was doing and he said, "Well, I've been trying to call you." I looked at the phone. "Pops, your phone's not on." "Well, yeah, that's sort of the problem..."

I know it's hard for him to struggle with things like using his cell phone, but it's very encouraging to see him trying. I notice tiny improvements in how he uses his fingers, he doesn't have actual grip but he can pinch them around things. In time he can only get better at it. Who knows what he'll learn to do with those fingers....but we definitely need to get him a phone with bigger buttons...

Well, he had a fourth swallow test...but this time, instead of getting an F, he got a C+. It turns out the only time his swallow works correctly is when he's looking down and to the right. Bizarre. They took a more serious scope of his throat this time, and basically, it's just all messed up in there. His failed swallow has less to do with his spinal cord injury and more to do with his accident and the subsequent surgeries. Basically, everything in his throat was twisted in the accident, and then when he had spinal surgeries, they shifted things around even more. Now the parts that need to match up for a clean swallow don't, if that makes any sense. So the doctors may go in to do surgery to try and repair his swallow. Either way, they say he will eat again, either after surgery....or always looking down and to the right.

Because of all the potential surgeries, they're not sure when he'll be coming home...probably at least 2 more weeks. Ever seen "The Money Pit"? It was a family favorite and every time we're told "two weeks!" we have to laugh. It seems we've been told 'two weeks' for about a month and a half. All in God's perfect timing...

Still waiting to hear about the other possible surgeries. Still waiting for that trach hole to close. Still waiting to be eligible for a service monkey that we can teach to open doors, turn pages, and do the macarena. All in good time.

Blessings abound. To God be the glory.