Ethan's 8th Birthday was better than his 7th!

On my son's 8th birthday, it was a very happy day. We had a lot of fun, and we were blessed to have such a great kid. I will never forget his 8th birthday. January 27, 2013.

Compare January 27, 2012. That was the day that I got out of the hospital. I was dazed and confused. But, I wanted to celebrate my son's birthday. We went to Red Robin by the Boise mall. It was a Friday night. It was busy. It was crowded. The sounds, the lights, the activity! Too much!

To say that I was nervous was understatement. I was scared.

Then, I had to go to the restroom.

The journey was long and tough! I did not know what to do.

Then, my 7 year old son, grasped my hand and guided me through the restaurant. He held the door, and waited. When I was finished, he held my hand, and made sure that I was safe.

7 years old. He had to grow up too fast because of me.

One year later, he is 8. He is funny, talented, smart, irreverent, energetic, and curious.

On Ethan's 8th birthday, I ran some errands. I drove alone. I went to Home Depot. I shopped at Fred Meyer. It was a beautiful day, and I treated my self with a chocolate milk shake.

I felt so normal. And grateful that I feel so normal.

Later, we went to Red Robin. We laughed. I went to the rest room -- alone!

When we were getting ready for bed, I told Ethan that I loved him so much. He said, "I love you too Daddy." Then he fell asleep.

What a difference a year can make.

I am so blessed.

Comments

What is wrong with us! A lot: Aphasia, Apraxia, and Dysarthria

This morning, from 10:30 to Noon, at St. Lukes in Meridian Idaho, I participated in the “Aphasia, Apraxia, and Dysarthria Support Group” started a year ago through Idaho State University. We meet weekly. So, what is wrong with us? Aphasia is the name given to a collection of language disorders caused by damage to the brain. A requirement for a diagnosis of aphasia is that, prior to the illness or injury, the person's language skills were normal. The difficulties of people with aphasia can range from occasional trouble finding words to losing the ability to speak, read, or write, but does not affect intelligence. This also affects visual language such as sign language . The term "aphasia" implies a problem with one or more functions that are essential and specific to language function. It is not usually used when the language problem is a result of a more peripheral motor or sensory difficulty, such as paralysis affecting the speech muscles or a general hear...

Phantom Blindness and Taking a Break after Strokes

I met with my eye doctor last week about taking some time off from my vision therapy. I have been doing therapy since my stroke almost two and a half years ago. I am tired, and a need a break. My doctor said, “This is completely understandable. Take some time off.” At the appointment, my doctor tested my vision. Because of the strokes, my vision was affected, and I have a problem in my field of vision on the right side. I have a deficit with my right side peripheral vision. However, it is getting better. During the test, I told him that I “sense things on the right side of my peripheral vision.” It seems that I know that something is there, but I cannot really distinguish what it is. He told me that there is a body of thought describing phantom vision or phantom blindness. A Polish researcher, L. Bieganowski, described this phantom blindness this way: “The subject of the paper is the phenomenon of phantom vision. It occurs among the blind (or almost blind...

Anonymous Blogsphere and my strokes!

It is hard to believe that my strokes happened almost two and a half years ago. Sometimes, it is a distant reality. However, most of the time, this is a vivid and startling reality even now. When I wake up in the morning, I have to realize that this is NOT a dream. So, how am I doing? It depends. I continue to be grateful for my recovery. Every day, I know that it could have been so much worse. On the other hand, I still have invisible deficits. I participate in many stroke support groups because, until you have a stroke, no one can really understand the ramifications of strokes, recovery, and deficits. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute have insightful information about “Life After a Stroke.” Their website is http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/stroke/lifeafter.html The intro says “ The time it takes to recover from a stroke varies—it can take weeks, months, or even years. Some people recover fully, while others have long-term or lifelong...

Dunham Family and My Stroke Story!

Search This Blog