"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will." ~Mahatma Gandhi

Journal 2011



Written Sep 23, 2011 5:42pm

Happy Birthday Sonny!

Well here I am again apologizing for not writing in so long.  Time seems to get away from me these days.  Sonny is still doing well, making slow progress but progress none the less.  He has had more seizures and we had to change medications but he seems to be stable now.  Each time he has them it seems to set him back a bit.  This time he stayed a couple of days at Evergreen and had a good work up done by the neurologist.
The heavy dandruff he had for so long has cleared up.  His face however has not.  It still comes and goes, some days looking really good and some days a mess.  I have found some creams that seem to work well and found them on line so I can get more at a time.
Yesterday was Sonny's birthday.  He is now 46 years old.  He didn't get any cards but that is my fault for not reminding you all.  Cards any time are very welcome and he does know when they come.
Take care all and have a great weekend
Loretta

Written Jul 18, 2011 9:55am

Hi everyone,
I haven't written in a while because Lorrie has been here seeing Sonny and keeping everyone updated.  However, she is in Oregon training to work on a tour boat so I am adjusting again to being at North Creek more.
We had a stressful weekend with Sonny.  Sam was visiting Friday and helping him eat supper when he had a seizure.  This wasn't really a surprise since he had developed an allergy to Kepra and that drug had to be discontinued.  Anyway, he went on to have another one in his room, one in the ambulance and one at the ED at Evergreen.  So he stayed in a lovely room on the fifth floor at Evergreen for the weekend.  He went back to North Creek yesterday afternoon.  Dr Armitano, a neurologist, worked with him to get him stablized on Tegretol and hopefully this will last for a long time.  He has to take the Dilantin and he has to take Coumadin and it seems like a lot of the meds available do not agree with one or the other.  And Dilantin by itself doesn't work well enough.
So - if anyone has some time Sonny sure could use some visitors.  I know both Lorrie and I have asked you all to stop in when you can.  Please remember to sign in so we know that you were there.
Take care
Loretta

Written Jun 16, 2011 9:14am

Happy summer!

Well, here we are again, sunny June and summer is nearly upon us! There has been a lot going on with Sonny I recent weeks, so I will do my best to re-cap it all for those who are at the mercy of this Journal to stay informed...

It seems that we have a great deal of trouble keeping Sonny's new headrest in good working order. No matter how many times it has been repaired and tightened, somehow it mysteriously ends up disconbobulated to the point of being nearly useless. Must be those gremlins again, since no one else seems to be willing to fess up to it.

Meanwhile, it does seem that Sonny is lifting his head up and turning it around more often, which is a good sign. Obviously it means that he is able to physically lift and move his head, but it also shows us that he is interested enough in what goes on around him that he wants to observe and pay attention. Those are big milestones as well, so we are thrilled to see them.

In other news, we have continued with Sonny's regular visits home every other weekend, and added a new activity a couple weeks ago! Our cousin sings in a men's acapella group, and they were performing...so we took Sonny to an afternoon concert! Fortunately the auditorium was very comfortable, and there was a good location to park Sonny's chair next to us so that he could see well. He very frequently lifted up his head and was obviously paying attention when the singing was going on, and he even seemed to look intently at the pictures in the program when I opened it on his lap. He has always really loved music, so we really think it was an enjoyable afternoon for him.

After the concert, we stopped for a good hamburger and got him a milkshake to go with. He did a great job eating the burger and fries, of course! It was very close to his ordinary bedtime when we got him back to North Creek, but he stayed awake the whole day up until then...another important milestone. We thought back to when we first began bringing him out and about, how tired he would become just from a short trip to the house and how he would fall asleep from the fatigue. He doesn't seem to get so tired anymore, so it looks like he has slowly acclimated to the increase in activity and does very well with his outings. We try to be careful not to do too much or get him too tired, as extremes for Sonny are always a possible seizure trigger. Stress is bad for him, so we try to keep things calm and low-key even when doing something fun. So far so good!

Even the sore red areas on his skin seem to be doing better. The staff at North Creek have been much better about putting his cream on regularly, which is a definite help. Of course, once again this keeps him more comfortable, and reduces his general stress level, which leaves him more energy for other things.

With summertime here, we know that everyone gets busy and has lots to do. But we sure hope you all will stay in touch with Sonny, and know how much all of your contact means to him and to us. I recently saved all of the journal entries and guestbook notes to files on my computer so that they will never accidentally be lost...they are a precious keepsake to us, a reminder of just how far he has come from ground zero.

So, in Sonny's words:
"Whatever doesn't kill me makes me stronger."

Here's to our own personal Superman!

You can also keep tabs on Sonny in these two places:

Sonny updates at Chasing the Shade

Sonny's Facebook

Blessings to all,
Lorrie...for Sonny and the whole fam-damily!
JustLorrie@gmail.com
206.330.3269



FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2011 11:55 AM, CDT

The saga continues...
"Many people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could."

Yup...definitely Gremlins. No doubt about it! Once again, some pesky little creature has stolen into Sonny's room under cover of darkness (hear the Mission Impossible music in the background?), bent his headrest out of shape, and rendered it once again in need of adjustment/repair. I am currently conducting an internet search for Gremlin bait, Gremlin traps, anything related to catching the offending varmints who continue to cause problems with Sonny's chair.

In other news, Sonny has been doing very well in general. Last night while Mom was there with him, she asked him if he would like to go out on Saturday and get some fresh air, perhaps go to the water or a park or something... he looked several times toward his left hand, his eye-gaze signal for the word "Yes, and vocalized a general "Aaaahhhh" sound. Not a "real word", but Sonny vocalizing at all is a pretty unusual event, so we were pretty excited. He definitely seemed to be trying to make his point that "YES, I want to go outside and go on an outing!!" It was one more awesome attempt at communication that we rejoice to see!

Meanwhile, we are indeed planning to take Sonny out somewhere tomorrow so he can enjoy the beautiful weather...remember the sunscreen! :)

There have been a few new people showing up on Sonny's facebook, and we are so excited to have you around. Feel free to get in touch with us any time, stop in to see Sonny, send notes or cards...he needs his friends! Thanks for the fb posts, i do read them to him so he knows you all are thinking about him.

We will be sure to get some new pictures this weekend and post them up so everyone can enjoy the day with us vicariously through photos.

**Timothy, you are a gem! So awesome for Sonny to have a "guy buddy" to talk to...seems most of his visitors are usually us womenfolk, and I'm sure having a man around is a blessing to him. We appreciate you so much!

So, everyone have a great weekend and stay in touch.

Blessings,
Lorrie
JustLorrie@gmail.com
206.330.3269

WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2011 11:10 AM, CDT

The saga of the headrest...
 Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to post up a recent photo of Sonny with the new headrest on his wheelchair! He smiled three miles wide after it was all in place and adjusted, obviously happy to have his head up. He was still smiling over an hour later when I left!

Now, this headrest is not without its challenges. In fact, I have considered calling a priest due to the possibility that the headrest may actually be possessed by a demon or other malevolent entity, as it seems that as soon as Sonny's family leave the facility the headrest somehow takes itself apart, loosens its own bolts, bends itself out of shape, and becomes completely ineffective at even supporting itself, let alone Sonny's head. Ok, ok, maybe it's not possessed...perhaps someone in the facility just likes to play with new toys???

Yes, as you may have guessed, the headrest has been the recipient of much needless fiddling, fudging, and fenagling which has now rendered it in need of repair...for the third time in he four days he has had it. Hopefully we will get to the bottom of it (Wait! It's not demons...it's GREMLINS!!! Possibly the same gremlins who used to make my room all a mess while I slept when I was a little girl...darn those pesky creatures!)

So for now, the goal is just to get it back in correct placement since Sonny obviously benefits from having his head up!

More soon...the saga continues!

GO SONNY!!!!

Blessings,
Lorrie
JustLorrie@gmail.com
206.330.3269

MONDAY, MAY 2, 2011 2:03 PM, CDT

Haven't put a note in here for a while and I do apologize.  It just seems like something is always going on.
Sonny is doing great again, still progressing in baby steps but progressing.  The wheelchair people were there on Friday to get his headrest set up correctly.  It was really good for a while until someone bent it out of shape again.  Lorrie got it set right again yesterday and showed the CNA how to move it to get Sonny in and out of the chair.  He promised top tell whoever came on the next shift so hopefully it trickled down and they can all position him correctly.  I didn't realize how much it bothered him to not be able to see straight out until he could and just smiled and smiled.
He is also having a wonderful time with the TV remote.  Lorrie wrote numbers on his sketch pad and asked him where they were on the remote.  He was 100% correct so he isn't doing this randomly.  We had a care conference on Friday also and they are going to put his lap tray on for all meals now.  He can reach his food that way and really likes to do it himself.  Kind of messy since he doesn't handle silverware very well. But oh well.  He is trying to drink himself too.
  We are going to expand his "Go Talk" with pictures so we are looking for family and friend pictures that will fit.
Angela - Lorrie said you were there yesterday.  I'm sorry I
missed seeing you but thank you for going.  We will probably be bringing him home next weekend, not sure which day.
Take care everyone
Loretta

THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2011 10:05 AM, CDT

Well, every now and then things don't go exactly as well as we would like, and yesterday was one of those days.

Sonny had been doing really well recently with feeding himself, improving his coordination so that he could eat a sandwich without much help, even ate an entire pickle all by himself even though it was really slippery. We have been really excited to see another "leap forward" in his progress. It seems that he does it that way: sort of takes a big step forward and then then goes back and forth for a long while right there before taking another step forward.

He has also been working with his Go Talk computer, and has shown a keen interest in figuring out how to push the buttons in order to convey the appropriate statement. Mom had the privilege of seeing him use his tv remote control by himself this week! He had it in his hand and would push the channel button until he found something he liked and then he would leave it there. His roommate says he has had a great time with the tv lately, probably because he has figured out how to change it HIMSELF. For Sonny, finding the ability to make something happen for himself that he likes is a huge thing...most of us take that ability for granted. I know I do. It is exciting to see him make these steps because every little bit of ground that he gains encourages him to keep trying, to keep reaching for more and not give up.

Yesterday, Sonny seemed a little "dazey" in the late afternoon when I arrived, so I thought he might be tired or maybe stressed over something. I rubbed his shoulders and just talked with him for a short while, then noticed his face getting really red and knew something wasn't right. Then he began a grand mal seizure that would not entirely subside for the next fourteen minutes. Tim, one of our favorite aides, was on duty and heard me call for help, so he followed the nurse into Sonny's room and quickly took charge of getting him the help he needed. Sonny was having difficulty breathing, partly because of the way his head tilts downward to one side, so holding his head back made it much easier for him to breathe. The medics came and took EXCELLENT care of him, transporting him to Evergreen hospital. The results of tests showed that everything was fine except that his Dilantin medication levels were too low, so he had slipped into seizures. He was given a large dose of medication to return his levels to where they needed to be, and he stabilized quite quickly. When he checked out fine with no other concerns for his health, he was returned late last night to his own bed at North Creek.

Meanwhile, I had taken Mom home from the hospital so she could get some rest...it was an exhausting evening. I went back over and was there at North Creek when they brought Sonny in and helped him get settled comfortably into bed. The two gentlemen who transported him were also enormously kind and very gentle with Sonny...their service was so appreciated. I sat with Sonny on his bed for the next half hour or so until he finally fell asleep. He seemed definitely relieved to be back in his familiar room, and eventually relaxed into a sound sleep.

Julie, Sonny's massage therapist, will be there this morning to work on him, and I will spend the day there just to be around so he has company for the day. Oh, and partly because I am his over-protective little sister who just wants to put her own eyeballs on him during the day and make sure he is okay. There, I admitted it. :)

We had planned to bring Sonny home this Saturday, but we will switch that to next Saturday. He is going to be very tired for the next few days and will be adjusting to his medication, so it is safer for him to be there at North Creek until he is a bit stronger again. Of course, now would definitely be a time that he could use his friends to stop in if anyone has a free moment. These episodes, though they do not happen often, are quite frightening for Sonny...imagine having a massive seizure and then not even being able to ask questions about what is happening to you. Making him feel secure and cared for is the goal right now, so that he will relax and rest without stressing out. Last night at the hospital, Mom and I were amazed that with the huge amounts of Valium and Dilantin that he received to stop the seizures, still he fought to stay awake...I would have been a drooling puddle of protoplasm by then, but he forced his eyes to stay open. I looked across the bed and said to Mom, "I think he's afraid to go to sleep". :( He seemed to understand once he was back at North Creek that he was safe and could go ahead and close his eyes.

So, please keep all of us in your thoughts and prayers, especially Sonny as his body recovers from this challenge. Send a card, drop a note, or stop in for a minute if you can. I will be there all day today and probably most of the day tomorrow, so if anyone would like to talk to him on my phone you can call or text me and I will make it happen.

Sonny's favorite saying has long been, "Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger". He is morphing into Superman before our very eyes. Today I find myself greatly humbled by his courage and his ability to endure...I am proud to be Sonny's Little Sister, and my Mom's Little Girl. What an amazing woman our mother is! Where she gets her strength from, sometimes I cannot fathom.

Everyone take care today, and we truly hope that we will hear from you.

Miracles happen,
Lorrie
JustLorrie@gmail.com
206.330.3269

MONDAY, MARCH 21, 2011 10:25 AM, CDT

Hi everyone,  I haven't written in while but I wanted to get a short note in this morning.  Sonny had a big day on Saturday.  Lorrie and Sam brought him home early and Shanna arrived from eastern Washington about 11:30.  Unfortunately the two guys that she was picking up here decided at the last minute not to come.  Denny and Corky you know who you are.  We had thought they were coming for sure so we had told Sonny that you were coming.  That was a disappointment to him!!  Do you remember Denny the first time you were there??  You  told me that anything I needed just let you know.  Well, the only thing I need from you is that you spend some time with Sonny occasionally.  We thought that coming to the house might be easier for you poor guys that have such a hard time going to a nursing home.  I guess we were wrong.  We did have a good time visiting with Shanna and I really appreciate that she stops in to see Sonny whenever she is over here.
After Shanna left Cory came up.  Thank you Cory!  He comes from Bonny Lake so it is a hike up here.  Then we finally saw Alan Jefferson, the man who built this website!!  He came with his family and Sonny knew him right away.  Some of the crew went for a walk in the sunshine until Lorrie remembered that we didn't have his sun block.  I have learned that he does burn now even though he didn't before.  The nurses at North Creek really yell at me whenever I let him get sunburned.  Anyway, good to see Alan again and please don't be a stranger.  We bring Sonny home every other weekend, usually on Saturday.  Anyone is welcome to come over and see him there.  There are a few of you who came once or twice and never came back.  Sonny depends on Lorrie, Sam, and myself.  But he needs to have some male friends come and visit him.  I feel like we made a step forward on Saturday. Hopefully we will have more Saturdays with visitors.
Take care
Loretta

MONDAY, MARCH 21, 2011 10:25 AM, CDT

Hi everyone,  I haven't written in while but I wanted to get a short note in this morning.  Sonny had a big day on Saturday.  Lorrie and Sam brought him home early and Shanna arrived from eastern Washington about 11:30.  Unfortunately the two guys that she was picking up here decided at the last minute not to come.  Denny and Corky you know who you are.  We had thought they were coming for sure so we had told Sonny that you were coming.  That was a disappointment to him!!  Do you remember Denny the first time you were there??  You  told me that anything I needed just let you know.  Well, the only thing I need from you is that you spend some time with Sonny occasionally.  We thought that coming to the house might be easier for you poor guys that have such a hard time going to a nursing home.  I guess we were wrong.  We did have a good time visiting with Shanna and I really appreciate that she stops in to see Sonny whenever she is over here.
After Shanna left Cory came up.  Thank you Cory!  He comes from Bonny Lake so it is a hike up here.  Then we finally saw Alan Jefferson, the man who built this website!!  He came with his family and Sonny knew him right away.  Some of the crew went for a walk in the sunshine until Lorrie remembered that we didn't have his sun block.  I have learned that he does burn now even though he didn't before.  The nurses at North Creek really yell at me whenever I let him get sunburned.  Anyway, good to see Alan again and please don't be a stranger.  We bring Sonny home every other weekend, usually on Saturday.  Anyone is welcome to come over and see him there.  There are a few of you who came once or twice and never came back.  Sonny depends on Lorrie, Sam, and myself.  But he needs to have some male friends come and visit him.  I feel like we made a step forward on Saturday. Hopefully we will have more Saturdays with visitors.
Take care
Loretta

MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2011 9:09 AM, CST

Well, here we are again on a Monday morning!

Sonny had a great visit here at the house with Mom and I on Saturday. As usual, we had fun feeding him yummy things and watched some funny television shows with him. It does seem that he has gotten more used to these visits home. He doesn't seem bothered by the ride in the van, and he stays awake much better than he used to.

One thing that is a really encouraging milestone is that though it may not seem like a big deal for him to skip an afternoon nap, it shows us that he is able to pay attention for longer periods of time and focus on things that he is interested in. Sometimes that might be a tv prtogram, music, or just looking around as we stroll down the street, but his interest in his surroundings and his ability to focus his attention are good signs.

He does seem to be having a nasty flare-up of his eczema-like condition on his face. To this day we really don't know the exact cause of it, and there is no one thing that helps clear it up. So we use a few different types of cream on it and try to keep his face clean, hoping for the best.

Last week Sonny surprised me by taking his cup of water from me and drinking the entire thing all by himself! He is also doing very well feeding himself finger foods. All very encouraging signs that his coordination is, however slowly, correcting itself. Time will tell just how far he will go, but we will cheer him on at every voctory.

Another good thing to see is that he misses us when we miss our regular visits for any reason. Sounds weird, I know. The point is that we have wondered about his concept of time, especially since it is likely that he has some degree of short-term memory loss. So when we miss a visit and then he acts like he missed us, usually by acting kind of clingy, holding hands with us a lot, etc, it shows us that he was aware of time passing and that we were not there as he expected.

Hopefully his new wheelchair will arrive soon! It has been on order, and we are pretty excited about it. The new chair should have a better headrest that may help a bit with him holding his head straighter...not to mention the chair he has now is getting a little rickety!

I think that's about all I can add to the ongoing Sonny Saga. I did a little tidying around his room the other day, and was thinking I should put something up for St. Patrick's Day coming up. Green balloons, maybe? I think if I make him wear a silly Irish hat he just might reach up and choke me...hey, wait! Could that be considered therapeutic? Range of motion for the arms? Hmmmm...

Everyone have a great week!
Blessings,
Lorrie
JustLorrie@gmail.com

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2011 9:44 AM, CST

 Hi everyone,

Just wanted to post a few OLD photos of Sonny (Thank you, Betty Jo!!!) for memory sake. These were taken in 1984...so Sonny would have been about 18 years old. :) Look in the photo section here to see all three...One is attached with this post, there are two more.

Stay in touch,
Lorrie
206.330.3269

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2011 5:43 PM, CST

 Just a quick note to let everyone know that Sonny is home with us today, enjoying the peace of good food, nice warm fire, and...hours on end of rock concerts on cable tv! :)

I posted some more recent photos of Sonny here, and on his facebook as well.
http://www.facebook.com/sonnyperencevic

CB limits the number of photos we can have on here at any one time, so as we have to change them out here for newer ones I will keep the photos posted up on his facebook so they will continue to be viewable.

Thanks so much to those of you who sent Valentine's Day cards!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend, and blessings to all of you.

For Sonny,
Lorrie Jean
206.330.3269

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2011 3:05 PM, CST

Update Monday February 14, 2011

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Greetings everyone,

It has been a good week here for Sonny! Let's recap:

Soperbowl Sunday was a great day with Sonny here at the house all day and part of the evening to enjoy the game. He seems to be getting pretty well accustomed to riding in the van, so the trips back and forth do not bother him. It sure is simpler taking him in the van than bringing him on the bus, and makes the ride a good bit quicker, too. He looks around while he rides, watching out the windows, etc, and I turn the stereo so we can rock out if no one else is in the van with us.
So, as usual he ate really well while he was here. We had cold cut sandwiches for lunch and roasted chicken for dinner, both of which he enjoyed. He has been doing really well with his eating, and hasn't choked in quite a long time. We still thicken his liquids, and whenever he comes to the house or we take him out somwehere the treat for the day is always a root beer. Believe it or not, soda pop thickens quite well with the mix that we use for him.

This week we also had a care planning meeting with several of the staff and administrators at North Creek, which hopefully will resolve many of the issues we have had to deal with recently. The staff did seem to be attentive to the concerns we raised, and we had the opportunity to suggest changes that will be more helpful for Sonny. For example, it seemed that he was not getting his teeth brushed regularly after each meal, which is hard on his gums because of the anti-seizure medicine that he takes. So we came up with a few improvements in that area that should keep Sonny more comfortable...he has always hated not having clean teeth, so it is probably a nuisance to him now, too. He does handle the toothbrush better himself now with a little help, which is also encouraging as he masters those small coordination skills...slow baby steps.

His skin has also been much healthier in recent weeks, we believe partly because he has been getting much more water to drink than before. Many of the aides have been a little timid about giving him liquids because of the choking hazard, but he has a couple that really push fluids when they are there and it really does seem to help.

Sonny seems to be even more interactive as the weeks have rolled by, very attentive when people speak directly to him and making his likes/dislikes more clear to us. Mostly it is just a matter of patience, remembering that his responses may take more time and we have to be willing to wait for him to respond. He is using his eye gaze for "yes" and "no" quite a bit now, and will sometimes utilize the buttons Mom placed on his chair to say "Yes" or "No". We really encourage anyone who stops by to visit, encourage him to respond to you...and then wait for an answer. He can look toward his left hand to say "Yes", and toward his right hand to say "No". Just go slowly so he has time to hear you, understand, and then answer...rushing him makes him frustrated. Ha! Rushing ME makes ME frustrated, too! I'm sure we can all relate. :)

He also now has the new "Go Talk" computer gadget, and his speech therapist will be able to start using that with him shortly. It essentially has nine touch screen buttons with picture, printed word, and audible word cues when you touch one of the buttons. So, if he wanted a drink, he could touch the button that has a glass of water picture on it with the word "thirsty", and it says the word "thirsty" out loud. Ideally, it may help him to recover actual speech down the road, but meanwhile as he learns to use it, he will be able to more easily communicate more detailed thoughts than just "Yes" or "No".

I was very pleased to see that when I massaged his legs yesterday, both of his feet seemed a little more mobile. Perhaps these many weeks of massage and stretching are helping. He does move his legs a good bit, more so when he is in bed than in his chair, I think. But that is good for him too, the active motion as opposed to just always passive range of motion. Though we are grateful for the aides who go out of their way to work with him and keep his joints and muscles as loose as possible.  He definitely has a strong grip...he grabbed onto my arm once when he didn't like the stretching I was doing with him and didn't let go until I stopped! Yeah, he has his preferences and I think sometimes when something hurts he just says "Enough is enough already!" and lets me know without a doubt that he's done.
But he also lets us know very well when he DOES like something! He smiles a lot these days when he is happy, and especially when we go in to see him and dole out the big hugs. Please do not hesitate to hold Sonny's hand, give him big hugs, etc. Touch is so important, and though his injury was severe, he is not a china doll...he really won't break. He tends to not like having his face touched a lot, so if you do he will scrunch his face up and sometimes even close his eyes...his classic sign that what is going on is more than he can handle, or more than he WANTS to handle anyway.

As usual, he still loves chocolate. :)

We will have Sonny home again this Saturday, feel free to shoot me an email or give me a call if you would like to come by to see him. We keep things pretty casual around here, so if you don't get up for your own glass of water you might go thirsty...we kind of have our hands full at the moment. :) But we love to have people visit with Sonny, it is so good for him to see old friends.

Sometimes it is harder for his visitors than anyone else...seeing Sonny now when we remember him the way he used to be can be very difficult, understandably. Please know that we really do see this, and it is okay to ask questions. Sonny might not speak back (yet!), but he is very aware of what goes on around him...moreso all the time. So we like to remind people that he hears us and he sees us...he is right here, just quiet. (I know...bizarre concept for Sonny, we know, we know...) So if anyone would like to know more before coming for a first visit, we will gladly help you to be ready and not so surprised, make your visit a good time with an old friend. That's what it's all about.

Remember that you can find Sonny on facebook now as well and leave him notes, photos, etc.
http://www.facebook.com/sonnyperencevic

Last but not least...

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month!!!
Check out the green ribbon on Sonny's facebook page and spread it around to remind people that Brain Injured loved ones are all around us, they need us, and they still have so much to give!

I have rambled on long enough. Once again, cards/letters/pictures are a blessing to Sonny.

Love to all of you,
Lorrie Jean
206.330.3269
JustLorrie@gmail.com

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2011 11:46 AM, CST

Good morning everyone,

Sonny was here with us on Sunday again, and we all had a great day together! Corey, his daughter Sam, and his friend Mike all joined us for an afternoon of good food and chitchat. Sonny was in a happy mood and smiled a lot, watched tv, and ate chicken like there was no tomorrow.  It's always fun to see him have the chance to indulge in what he likes without having it pre-determined on his plate. He became pretty tired as the day wore on, but woke up to polish off his angel food cake with strawberries before we took him back to North Creek.

Usually Sonny naps a bit in the afternoon somewhere between 2 and 4pm, but when we bring him home he misses that nap time and tends to stay awake most of the time with just little cat-naps along the way. On Monday when I saw him at NC, he did seem a bit tired still, but was very smiley and held my hand a lot. So even though the trips out do seem to tire him, he seems to really enjoy them and we will stick to our plan of bringing him home every other weekend to hang with us here. As always, folks are welcome to come and visit him here on those days if that is easier or more comfortable than going to see him at NC.

I didn't get the Christmas decorations taken down yesterday as I had planned...I was pretty tired myself and just figured I would do that later this week. So if anyone DOES stop by, don't think we forgot what month it is...I'll get to it. :)

I was reading an article this morning that talked about how important it is to have faces and photos available to jog TBI patient's memories. For instance, when we talk with Sonny about old friends, family, etc, it would be good to have a photo to point to in order to make the memory connection. So, I am asking everyone to take a second and either mail a photo of yourself or email one and we can print them out and put them in Sonny's room. His contact with most people has been very limited...unfortunately it seems that though a lot of people read these updates, not very many people take the time to actually make any contact with Sonny. So here is his little sister reminding everyone who calls Sonny a friend...get in touch somehow. A note, a card, a funny comic, these are all things we share with him and hang up where he can see them. I know how much Sonny has meant to so many people over the years...HE NEEDS TO HEAR FROM YOU.

Ok, kicking my soapbox back under the table...for now.

We will be bringing Sonny home for the Superbowl this Sunday, so if anyone wants to stop by we will be here at the house.

Everyone have a beautiful day and a wonderful week.

Blessings,
Lorrie
206.330.3269
JustLorrie@gmail.com


MONDAY, JANUARY 24, 2011 4:33 PM, CST

Hi everyone,
Sonny had a good week and weekend.  I didn't get there on Sunday but when we went on Saturday we took a new lap tray that I found on line.  It fits well inside the arms of his wheelchair and the height and tilt are both adjustable.  There are two tabs that can be pulled up to keep a lap top computer from sliding off.  It also does quite well with the plates that his food comes on.  So now he can actually reach the plate!  I've been looking for one for quite a while that would work with his chair.  He spent more time checking out the tray than he did picking up his food but that's OK.  At least he was interested.  The other tray I bought did not work quite as well.  It is for washing his hair and goes from his neck into the sink.  The concept is good, but his neck is a little large for the space.  And he doesn't like to tip his head back.  So he got his hair rinsed very well but we also rinsed his shirt, the sling behind him, and the floor.  But we will keep trying.  His scalp is doing better so I am letting his hair grow a bit since it doesn't have to be washed every time I go in.
Whenever any of you go to visit Sonny he just loves to get his back scratched.  If you think about it his back has to get awfully itchy when he is on it all day and night and cannot change positions.  It's easier with two people, one to pull him forward and hold him there and one to scratch.  Or use a dry wash cloth.  You will get some big smiles!!
Corey - thank you for going.  I know you live pretty far and we all appreciate the time involved.  Hopefully Sonny can tell you one of these days how much he appreciates it too.  Sonny also loves chocolate.  We don't give him too much because he has gained weight.  But boxes of Junior Mints are great, especially if we're trying to get him respond or let us cut his nails.  They make good rewards.
Take care everyone.  We should be bringing Sonny home again soon if anyone wants to visit there.
Loretta
lorpenn@hormail.com

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2011 11:28 AM, CST

Well, Mom beat me to the punch with her entry this morning. :)

It was GREAT to watch the playoff game with Sonny...though I think I freaked him out a little bit with my screaming and clapping during Lynch's run for the endzone!!!! Couldn't help myself.

But Corey joined us for the day, as Mom said, and it was a wonderful afternoon! Hopefully we will get to do that again soon.

As Mom said, I don't think we are bringing Sonny home again this weekend, but I might take him out to the mall or something if the weather isn't too awful. He seemed to enjoy that the last time, so we will do it again. :)

Many blessings to all of you who read these updates...we would love to hear from you...and  so would Sonny.

Be safe out there,
Lorrie Jean
justlorrie@gmail.com
206.330.3269

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2011 10:25 AM, CST

Hi everyone!!  I haven't written in a while so I will take a turn.  I got a new ramp for the van - had to get it cut down a bit on one end but now it fits and makes it much easier to get Sonny in and out.  So bringing him home will be a regular event.
We did have him home on Saturday for the big Seahawk game and his old friend Corey joined us.  We all had pizza and root beer and watched the game.  Thank you Corey for joining us!
Since Sonny does different things for different people we don't always know some of the little gains he has made until someone tells us.  His room mate's wife told us that he was watching cartoons on TV and laughed out loud!  More than once!!  Other people have told me that he has laughed out loud but I have never heard him.  It is awesome to know that he does laugh because it indicates that he does still enjoy life.  Also I am a firm believer that laughter is healing and mental atitude has a lot to do with recovery.
We are still working on the yes and no buttons.  He does more with them for Lysa, the speech therapist.  But he did punch the no button forcefully when Lorrie was massaging and hit a sore spot.  Everything is slower.  Kind of like a 78 rpm record played at 33 rpm.  Don't know if he will ever speed up.  But the more he can do at slow speed the more fun he can have.  We all just have to be patient.
Still some snow out there this morning so everyone drive safe.  I don't think we are bringing Sonny home this weekend but will next weekend for anyone who wants to join us at home.
Loretta

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