Saturday was a beautiful day!

Ollie, Austin and I met Mollie, Glenda's daughter, at Mom and Dad's for about 3 hours on Saturday. We picked up pizza in Marble Falls and took it out there for lunch. Mom and Dad seem so much less stressed with having their house to themselves. Jennifer, the part-time caretaker, is now coming on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. She's helping Mom with housework a lot, which we all really hoped for! Mom really listened to Glenda's coaching and is working very well with Jennifer. She is also observing the therapists who work with Dad so she can work with Dad on the days they don't come. Dad's face lit up when I asked him if he and Mom liked her! Mom gave an adamant "yes" answer and Dad grinned and nodded "yes." YAY!

Dad has two lift-chairs...one in the living room and one in the bedroom. He showed us how he can get from the wheelchair to the chair on his own, and vice versa. Those chairs are fantastic for someone in Dad's situation! Dad also can scoot himself around in the wheelchair using his left foot to pull him along. He rests his right foot on the left one and away he goes! He's not fast, but so what!

The weather was beautiful, so we enticed Mom and Dad outside to get some good ol' vitamin D!! It doesn't take any enticing to get Austin outside! We had a great time laughing at his antics and the funny things he said! Mom and Dad's neighbor and dear friend, Kim, rode her horse over so we got to visit with her for a few minutes and Austin got to experience sitting in the saddle for the first time!

The occupational therapist came about 20 minutes before we left. While I gave Dad a manicure (that's been my job for years), the therapist asked Mom a lot of questions in review of Dad's status. Dad can fully dress himself, if Mom leaves him alone to do it and can be pretty self-sufficient, again, if Mom will let him do it! And, that's a big IF!!! Mom seems to be in a hurry most of the time...she always feels like she has so much to do. I think that most of the time she helps Dad to get 'er done!!! That should be Mom's motto!!! She never has been one to take it slow and easy!

We all left about 2:00 so Dad could finish with the therapist and get a little nap before Mary and Donnie Vollette, one of Dad's favorite cousins and his wife, came to visit! Mom and Dad were really looking forward to that! I don't know how people go through hardships without friends and family.

If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Lovin' It!

I spoke to Mom yesterday. She was in the utility room talking to me and Dad came rolling in! He was on his way to the restroom and stopped by to say hi to her! He won't allow her to help him any more! It's amazing the independence he has gained in the short time since their full-time help left! Like I said earlier, it's like he was waiting to do things on his own and not because someone wanted him to!

They are SO HAPPY having their home to themselves! Mom says she wishes they would have made the change to part-time help a long time ago, but I assured her that she made the right decisions at the time and to not second guess her decisions!

Their part-time helper, Jennifer, is there on pretty much an as-needed basis. Mom said Jennifer is helping her more than she is Dad. They've been cleaning and catching up on things that Mom had to put aside for the last few months. We are all thrilled that Mom is allowing Jennifer to help her! Seems like Mom really listened to Glenda's coaching and is doing better at showing Jennifer how she likes things done rather than just doing them herself! YAY!

Jean and Jennifer had taken lunch to Mom and Dad today and were staying for a short visit. Short visits work well for Mom and Dad!

Dad is still receiving therapy and we pray for continued progress! I read, "All human wisdom is summed up in two words - wait and hope." I think it should say faith and prayer!!! Amen!

Great News!

It feels so good to write you with happy news! Mom and Dad have been staying at their house without full-time care since Sunday. When I called Mom on Sunday, she sounded better than I have heard her in a long time. She sounded much less stressed and much happier! She said they were doing GREAT on their own! Hooray for them! They will have limited part-time help from a woman who lives in their area named Jennifer and a man who will only come on Saturday to help Mom load and unload Dad's wheel chair into the suburban so Dad can accompany Mom to Church! Yes, it's so exciting to tell you that Dad is now able to go back to Church! They are going on Saturday (Catholics can do that) because it's so much easier on them to go in the evening rather than get up and going for early morning Mass on Sunday. That's only part of the good news!!!

Dad can get in and out of the car unassisted, in and out of his chair, the bed, etc! We can only imagine how happy he is to be that independent!

Last night Dad and Leslie went out to Ollie and Danny's deer camp for their monthly steak dinner and poker night. Dad hasn't been out there since the stroke 5 months ago. Danny went right out to the suburban to help Dad get out and he wouldn't let him! He showed off for all the guys and proved he could get out of the car and into his wheel chair on his own! Pretty self-satisfying I'm sure! Dad and Leslie didn't stay for the poker game, but how wonderful that Dad was able to be out there cutting up with the guys! Ollie said they all gave Dad a really hard time about leaving without paying his poker ante! Dad used to tell them that he ought to just give them his $10 and go home!

Today, when I called Mom, Dad was outside with Jennifer, the new caretaker. The thrilling news is that he was outside using his walker and Jennifer was following behind him with the wheel chair!!! WOW!!! Thank you, God for Dad's strength and ability to use the walker and for the beautiful weather so that he could go outside!!!

My theory, for what it's worth, is that Dad has been frustrated for a while with having live-in assistance and now, with this new independence, he is so happy to do things on his own rather than when someone tells him to!!! You don't think there's a little stubbornness there, do you?!!!! Not Harvey!!! Yeah, right!!! There's no stopping Dad now!!!

Psalm 9:10 Those who know Your name will trust in You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hello loved ones! being that this is Valentine's Day, I thought it profound to think about the love of our God, who was the first to love us...I John 4: 19 God’s love is the source of all human love. It is not natural for man to love God. We love Him because He first loved us." Thank all of you for loving and praying for our Mom and Dad!

This week marks the end of Phase II of Dad's care! Mom and Dad have made the decision to cancel 24-hour care and begin part-time care. Dad is now able to get in and out of his bed on his own and has a lift chair to assist him in standing and transferring to his wheel chair! So, this Tuesday they will start a new schedule. A woman named Jennifer will come 4 hours each morning and 4 hours each evening. She will assist Mom in preparing and cleaning up after meals, housekeeping, and therapy for Dad. He still does have 3 therapists who come in 3 times a week, but it is necessary to work his arm and leg and his speech therapy on the off days too. The great part about the assistance company is that they are flexible. If this plan doesn't work out, then they can easily switch back to full-time care with 3 days notice. I think it will feel like a day of emancipation for Mom and Dad when to have that first day "on their own!"

Jean was wonderful to spend a great deal of time this past week on the phone with Medicare about home care and taking Mom and Dad shopping for a lift chair. If you've ever had any dealings with Medicare, you'd know how difficult a task that was. Jean said she'd get a different answer from each person to whom she spoke...so frustrating. Thank you, Jean, for taking the time to help Mom and Dad with those things!

Glenda and Mollie visited with Mom and Dad for a while Saturday. While the therapist was working with Dad, Glenda coached Mom on working with the next caretaker. She created a list of affirmations for Mom and then had Mom read them out loud to her! Glenda said that she wished we could all have been there to hear Mom read them! She read each affirmation with enthusiasm and strength! The list absolutely empowered her!!! Here are some of them...
I am the boss! (She really said this one adamantly!!!)
I am the owner/resident and it's my way or the highway!
It is fine to be as picky as I want to be!
The housekeeper/caretaker can do it to my satisfaction if I will just show her how I like it done.
I am strong and healthy!
The more she repeated them, the more adamant she became!!! Look out for Super-Mom!!!
Glenda stressed to Mom how important it is to relay the things that she is picky about...not letting the water at the sink run while washing hands or dishes, don't bump the furniture with the vacuum cleaner, how she likes her clothes hung on the clothes line or a hanger, etc. She made Mom practice saying to her what she is picky about and the more Mom practiced, the more confident she became! Yay for Glenda!!!

The assistance company is setting Mom and Dad up with those personal alarms that they wear around their necks. We all feel better about that! There is always someone with Dad, either Mom or a caretaker. However, if Mom needed help, Dad would not be able to call for help. The alarms will give all of us more peace of mind!

"What God is to the world, parents are to their children." Amen

Tuesday with Harvey (and Mildred!)

When I arrived yesterday, Dad and the Speech Therapist were working together. I say that tongue-in-cheek because she was working and Dad was doing his best to aggravate her!!! In fact, I watched until she said that he was showing off for his audience! I took the hint and said I was going to check on Mom and didn't go back in the room until she was done! She had a lot of things laid out on Dad's lap, screwdriver, book, thread, etc., and had him find the item that she would name. Her book was one of those tiny gift books and she and Dad went round and round about that one...he would not agree that it was a book!!! Next, she had him practice vowel sounds and "m." Lastly, at least before I left the room, they were working on saying numbers. Dad does well with one, two and three, then she kind of loses him after that. Not a lot of progress in speaking, but he's only been home for 2 months! It seems so much longer, but that's not a lot of time in the scheme of things.

We have ordered a special pole that should be delivered today. It will be installed in the bathroom to assist Dad getting on and off the pot by himself (hopefully). Mom said that he is getting out of bed on his own and that the last time she and Dad went out in the car that he got himself out of the front seat and into his wheel chair all by himself. That's a little scary to me, but I'm sure it gave him a strong sense of independence to be able to do that. Mom and Dad's intent is to be able to have only part-time help during the day. We are "monitoring" that so that we are sure that she won't be lifting Dad or doing anything that risks hurting her or allowing something to happen to him, like falling, God forbid!!! If they had their way, they'd make a change today, but we keep encouraging them to take their time and let Dad make more improvements before they try to limit their assistance.

I have asked the company that is providing the home care to order Mom one of those alarm buttons to wear around her neck. Mom I mentioned it to Mom a long time ago and she has finally agreed to it! Someone is always there to check on Dad, but, if Mom needed help in the middle of the night or when she is outside, the caretaker might not hear her. Mom concerns us because this all rests on her shoulders. She still won't allow the caretakers to do much in the area of housekeeping or meal planning or prep, and she pays the bills, manages the house, etc. We gently work on getting her to let go of more, but it's a slow, on-going process! I adore and admire her...I don't think I know a "stronger" (that's my nice way of saying hard-headed/stubborn) person!!! God love her!!!

A bunch of us will be at Mom and Dad's Saturday...Glenda is hosting burgers for Clint's birthday. It'll be good for all of us to be together at their house because that's where Dad is the happiest! He loves having his kids, grandkids and great-grandkids around him! That's when I see him smile the most! He and Mom do love their family!!! We are so, so blessed!!!