What a family-filled week!

Happy Saturday!

It has been quite an eventful week! I'm going to write two separate posts today to bring everyone up to speed. First, I want to share about the wonderful family visit we had this past week, then I will write separately about the ongoing nursing home saga.

Sonny hardly took his eyes off of his Grandma all day!

Tuesday, my Aunt Tracy arrived with Grandma and Great Aunt Therese. We all enjoyed a dinner of homemade seafood chowder and berry parfaits, then took Grandma and Therese to their hotel for the night. I stayed with them the two nights that they visited, and had some of the most wonderful conversations with these two ladies! There is something just amazing about hearing the perspectives of people who have lived nearly a century. Those early morning chats will always be a treasured memory for me, it was such a privilege to spend that time with them.

On Wednesday we visited Sonny at HRNS, and enjoyed a nice lunch with him in the fresh air out on the patio. He smiled and smiled, obviously happy to see his Grandma and Auntie. After we were through with our visit there, Mom, Grandma, Aunt Therese and I all had Thai food for lunch at a nearby restaurant. It was just lovely.

Thursday was the best! We had a family get-together at the house with Aunt Tracy, Uncle Bill, cousin Drew, Samantha, and Timothy all joining in for an afternoon of good food and fun. Sonny enjoyed coming home for the day, and as usual ate like a feasting king. Though his usual routine includes a mid-day nap, he stayed awake all day long until we took him back at 8pm...it seemed that he just didn't want to miss anything, so he kept those eyes open until the very last minute!

Sonny and Great Aunt Therese

One last really awesome thing about this family gathering was that it gave us the opportunity to get another photo of the four generations of the women in our family: My Grandma, my mom, myself, and Samantha. The first photo of all of us together was when Samantha was just a month or so old, twenty-five years ago! So all in all, it was a very special day for our whole family, Sonny included. Thanks for sharing it with us by reading this update!

“What can you do to promote
  world peace? Go home and
  love your family.” 
                                      ~Mother Teresa

Friends...

Tuffy and Sonny, July 6, 2012

What a beautiful thing to have friends who stay in touch! For Sonny, it has been difficult to stay close to people he cares about because his communication has to come through us...his family and friends who can speak for him. Nonetheless, there have been some who remain close and Sonny always lights up when they stop by!

Buddies gabbing!

Tuffy came by on July 6th and again yesterday in July 17th, and once again Sonny beamed. I have to say, most people would not have gone to the lengths that Tuffy did in order to see his friend! He rides a motorcycle and the clutch cable went out a few blocks from Sonny's place, so he had to push his bike the few remaining blocks. Thenhe had to go get the part to repair the problem, which he did right there in the parking lot. THEN, he came inside and visited with Sonny for quite a while...it was great! We sat on the patio outside and enjoyed the fresh air and a soda pop while the guys gabbed.

The day before, Angela came by and visited with Sonny for a while in the afternoon, so he has had quite a good time seeing old friends! It is such a blessing to have people stop by to see him...he smiles and obviously enjoys connecting with people he is close to!

I am anticipating a trip to Greenlake with Sonny soon, whenever we have a day with minimal risk of rain. If anyone would like to meet us there for a walk, let me know and we can plan when/where to meet.

Sonny has been doing well recently, eating with assistance and very interactive. It is interesting to "read" the signals he gives us. I asked him yesterday if he wanted to grow his mustache out again and he reached up and stroked his upper lip with his fingers...I took that as a "Yes". So, we will give it a try and see how his skin behaves.

Once again, it was a blessing to see Sonny enjoy a visit from a treasured friend. Thanks to Tuffy and Angela for coming by, and to everyone who have been so supportive as we address issues within the facility and try to bring about positive change for ALL the residents there. We are so grateful for every friend...for every encouraging word...and most of all for Sonny's strong spirit that continues to teach us to PRESS ON!

Fourth of July 2012 was a great day for Sonny!

Mom and I scooped him up at HRNS after lunch and brought him back to the house for a while. He had some ice cream and watched "Rango" with us, an absolutely hilarious movie. Sonny always did like Disney/cartoon flics! We hadn't taken him out since his move to HRNS in early April, so we wanted to "pace his day" a little bit and not make him too tired. He seemed pretty energetic, so we decided to go ahead and go...

Sonny at Coldstone Creamery

...to the mall! Alderwood here we come! Sonny is so patient being loaded/unloaded in the van, and he didn't seem to mind the jostling about. We were the rolling brigade with Sonny in his wheelchair and Mom on her scooter as we browsed the mall and learned where a number of the newer stores were located. With Mom's new scooter we were all able to really enjoy running around and seeing lots of things without making anyone too tired. I remembered the first time I took Sonny to the mall shortly before Christmas 2010, and it was a little overwhelming for him. He shied away from some of the bright lights and louder noises, but yesterday he appeared attentive and not intimidated by comparison. Once again, it gave us a measuring stick of sorts in his recovery. He patiently waited while we looked at shoes (or at least put on a good show of patience!), and seemed to enjoy being outdoors while we strolled the newer side of the mall outside. I have to remember his sunglasses next time so he doesn't have to borrow mine!

For those who knew Sonny previously, it is no surprise that his all-time favorite dessert has always been ice cream. Well, no one does it like Coldstone Creamery, so he indulged in a scoop of yummy chocolate frozen wonderfulness and watched the people amble by. Ice cream twice in one day! We can't resist spoiling him a little now and then. He seemed comfortable and even smiled a couple of times, so I think we avoided brain freeze! As we made our way back toward the indoors of the mall, we passed two beautiful fountains with water splashing. He lifted his head toward the sound, so I wheeled him up close enough for him to see them and splashed the cool water on his hand...he smiled. He used to love the water, and it seems he still does!

We all enjoyed a Chinese food dinner (Sonny LOVES orange chicken!) outside in the fresh air before we loaded up to take him back. It was so sweet to see him trying to stay awake during the drive to Seattle...he was obviously tired from the day, but in typical Sonny fashion, didn't want to fall asleep and miss anything!

Mom and Sonny as we enjoyed an outdoor dinner

All in all, it was a lovely day. An interesting point is that I have been reading quite a bit lately about the balance between rest and stimulation for brain-injured patients. Fatigue can set their progress back, but without adequate stimulation there is less forward momentum in their recovery. So, with Sonny it is a tightrope walk between wanting to expose him to things he likes, pressing him just enough to engage in his surroundings without stressing him and causing excessive fatigue. If he sleeps for three days after an outing, it is obviously more detrimental than helpful to him. However, the general consensus seems to be that many TBI recoverers (I may have coined a new phrase) actually do BETTER with a little push now and then to "step outside their heads" so to speak. Sonny needs to see the world around him, people moving in and out of his surroundings, laughter, tears, children growing up, water splashing, dogs barking...the whole world continuing on. Only then can he see that HIS world is also going on! His entire existence is NOT the inside of a nursing care facility, but still encompasses his neighborhood, his friends, the moon, stars, and universe. Sonny's world has not diminished...who knows, one day we may all realize that his world has embraced even more than all of ours.

I hold on to the belief that one day Sonny will speak to us again. With his voice? Perhaps...perhaps not. Maybe he will need a letter board to spell out what he wants to say, or an Ipad keyboard (THANK YOU, MOM!!!) to type his thoughts. But one day, he will tell us his thoughts the way HE sees everything. I believe that. When he does, oh the stories he will tell us! So many long days and endless thoughts...and I think we will all have so much to learn from what he says!

Meanwhile, July marches on and we look forward to more days like yesterday for Sonny...and better! It was sort of odd in a way, knowing that in years past there were not many recent memories of Sonny, Mom, and me all together doing something random like a trip to the mall. But nowadays, it is one of our most special experiences and will be a treasured memory. So you see? Sonny gives us these gifts so often. He brings people together, makes us see the value of those we love, shows us the strength of the human spirit as he overcomes obstacles most of us have never dreamed of. He is a catalyst for helping us all to see reality, whether or not he would ever take credit for it. Holding onto every precious moment takes us back to our simple motto: Don't ever give up. Sonny continues to be one of our most powerful teachers.

Extra thanks to my Mom, who has made so many things possible through her generosity and her endless commitment to seeing Sonny regain all that he possible can. In the face of so many hurdles, this amazing woman has proven herself to be a tireless runner. Sonny would not have had the opportunities that he has were it not for her aggressive advocacy for her son...I am honored to come alongside and walk beside her in this journey. Very seldom do the "backstage supporters" receive any accolades...this Lady deserves a medal for all that she does on a regular basis. She is the Hero behind our Superman. :)

Here's to one more victorious day.

Thanks for reading.