In preparation for a long ride home, we knew Mom was going to need a restful evening and good night sleep. As much as we didn’t want to leave her, we decided we needed to let her rest and get some things organized before the trip (laundry, renting the car (we are so thankful Uncle Jons has gone above and beyond to organize our rental van and hotel plotting for the trip home!), and packing. We said goodnight to Mom around 7:30pm and were able to go out to a wonderful dinner (CHEERS to the McKelvie’s for the gift) and get our to-do list done in time to crash at midnight…and man do we crash!
And so the journey begins…
Today we are BLESSED to announce we begin our journey back to Minnesota. We had a few bumps before we were able to get out of the hospital – and believe me – MOM was READY to go. For the last four hours Mom stood up to leave every time someone came in the room.
To start the day Dad was able to help Mom successfully with her morning routine– working on verbal cues over action cues – and Mom continues to make progress each day. He did a great job! We then began to organize and pack up. As we began to take Mom’s toiletries out of the bathroom and pack them on the bed, Mom kept pointing towards the bathroom. Dad came out with her brush and comb, we asked her about everything on the table next to the bed…and NOTHING was what she was pointing at. So Mom gets up with her smirk on and opens the shower door and takes out her shampoo, conditioner, body/face wash…we totally would have forgotten them! Mom – still in her role – always picking up the pieces, remembering what we would forget!
Uncle Gary arrived into the mix of packing up for discharge. We continued to wait to hear about insurance approval for inpatient rehab (which wasn’t looking very possible). We are so thankful Gary made the last minute trip down and is helping us make the drive home. Dad walked into the room after another talk with Sheila and peeked through the curtain and said, “We’re Approved!” As tears rolled down his face – we all looked at one-another in SHOCK – we were preparing for option B, and OPTION A HAPPENED! Another situation where God continues to just take care of us in the middle of this storm! We are SO THANKFUL!
As we were going through the discharge process Beth Crady came into our room to meet Mom. She is a stroke survivor and had a stroke about 3 years ago on the left side of her brain. It seems to have affected her very similarly to Mom. Mom listened intently as Beth shared her story and we were so touched that they were able to connect, another blessing. Beth said it took her about 8 months before she was able to talk again and now she gives presentations and speeches about her recovery process. She gave Mom a card with a message and a poem she wrote. It says:
My name is Beth Crady. I have my Master of Science in Gerontology and have 19 years of experience in aging services. I was working as the director of an aging resources program helping older adults and their families. But on November 7, 2007, I had a stroke. After a four-day hospital stay, I went home and started occupational and speech therapy. I continue to have minimal recovery deficits expect for aphasia. Aphasia is an impairment of language that affects speaking, understanding, reading, and writing. In a therapy group, I had the opportunity to be a part of a creative writing project. The assignment was to write a poem. I hope that this will help you in your recovery. ~Beth.
FRIENDS AFTER MY STROKE
My friend is peace, Peace that God is taking care of me.
My friend is Patience, Patience to slow down.
My friend is Time, Time to allow my brain to heal.
My friend is Courage, Courage to keep on practicing.
My friend is Strength, Strength to overcome barriers.
My friend is Change, Change in the new way I do things.
My friend is Hope, Hope in my recovery.
My friend is Life, Life in a new direction.
And, my friend is making new friends.
~Beth Crady
It was JUST HUGE for Mom to meet Beth today!
HUGS ALL AROUND as Mom was wheeled off of the 7th floor and she was encouraged to work hard through her recovery! We see how much God used Mom to touch the lives of many nurses, therapists, doctors, and patients/families on that hallway. She didn’t want to sit in the wheelchair outside, but they told her that was the only way out – so she sat down and we brought her downstairs. As we waited for Dad and Gary to pull up she could hardly wait to get out! She stood up and jumped into the car…HERE WE GO!!!
As we hit the road today, we made a stop at Starbucks to get Mom her frappuccino – another grin from ear to ear – and she even got to GO IN WITH US THIS TIME! It’s SO fun to have Mom with us now. We are just lovin’, huggin’ and kissin’ on her all the time. You should see the way my Dad looks at her :o)
SO – One Van, One SUV, packed to the max with coffee in hand we hit the road! Uncle Jons called us the “FEARSOME FIVESOME” and we are! We truck along at Mom’s pace and made it to Knoxville, Tennessee tonight! Mom has done excellent with stopping to walk a bit and make a pit stop along the way. As we reflect on leaving Winston-Salem, NC and drive through these beautiful mountain passes, we thank God for his grace. We see it in the beautiful trees, in the waterfalls cascading down the sheer rockfaces that line the freeway, and we see it in Mom’s sparkling blue eyes. He sure didn’t have to give us all of these blessings in our lives – and we are counting them one-by-one!
Where have you seen God’s grace in your life today?