Walking, Applesauce, Cute Nurses, and Word Searches. Jack has been a busy guy these past few days. And he’s going to be busier in the days to come. Which is awe-inspiring considering what he has been through over the last two frightful weeks. With the help and support of the team surrounding Jack (John, Kelly, Emma, nursing, therapists, and doctors), Jack has been up and about for very short periods. Yesterday, therapists were able to work with Jack to do a little walking, and little leg lifting (while standing!), and even a little sideways walking. Dancing in slooooow motion. Coordinating his movements, slow but deliberate, responding purposefully to those working with him. How wonderful is this! Jack has the will to fight through this, which anybody who knows Jack can already attest to. Progress will be painstakingly slow, and at the same time very intense, always looking forward to the next hurdle to kick ass on. Speaking of kicking ass – today Jack was given a word-search puzzle and a pen – yes, you guessed it, he went straight to work on circling words. Two weeks ago this was unimaginable. U N I M A G I N I A B L E. Today, he did it. Grab the box of tissues and let that soak in for a few minutes. Go Jack! Jack also had a visit from a therapy dog, and walked around in Physical Therapy and did some exercises. And his Speech therapist had him swallowing ice chips, water, a little bit of smoothie, and some applesauce. He even held the cup and a spoon by himself and got them up to his mouth. And Jack’s also doing his part to win over the nursing staff – taking the opportunity to give his nurse a big hug. What a guy, not missing a beat here! Gotta love this kid! Jack’s Co-Chiefs of Staff And John and Kelly have been very busy these past few days as well. There is much to do, many details to understand and manage, and decisions to be made. Understanding the path ahead, Care Conferences with Jack’s OHSU team, upcoming therapy needs, hospital resources, insurance resources, planning for the facial surgery in Jack’s near future - all very important yet fatiguing – they are drinking from the firehose. And doing so with courage and the knowledge that they have a community behind them and helping them to the finish line. Fortunately, John and Kelly have been able to settle into a bit of a routine to allow them to each take turns staying with Jack and advocating for his hour-to-hour and sometimes minute-to-minute needs while the other is able to get away, get some sleep, take a shower, and simply get some time away from the hospital. Some time to “sober up”, reflect, and see the light of day. This is critically important for them, and they have taken the necessity to do this for themselves seriously. And soon they will take the next step, allowing a close nurse friend stand watch as John and Kelly have, keeping an eye on Jack and his needs. Allowing them some time together, some time to take a collective deep breath, some all-important respite from the day-to-day and night-to-night grind of caring for and loving their Jack. Keep the prayers, warm thoughts, and kind comments coming – they truly help the Fletchers cope with each coming day, bringing just a little extra sunshine into their hearts.
Posted on: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 01:22:02 +0000
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