Journal entry by Annette Dearolf —
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! There is so much to be thankful for this year! I am so thankful for having Daryl home and for all of us surviving this summer! Him with the brain bleed and his stay at Jefferson and Moss, me running to Philly and Elkins Park every day to be with him and our kids surviving their stay with GamGam and PopPop......and GamGam and PopPop surviving our kids! We are also so very thankful for all the support we have gotten from all of you - our friends and family! We definitely couldn't have made it this far without all of you!
As an update, Daryl is doing really well at therapy. He is not using the leg brace, or the crutch anymore, the wheelchair stays in my car and we only use it for long trips (like our jaunt out to Pittsburgh where we only used it for campus tours). He really only uses the cane (the lovely flowered cane that my Grandmom sort of used) as something to carry....the bottom doesn't usually touch the floor! He doesn't even use it most of the time when walking around the house. He's in Daryl mode trying to help do everything. He's clearing the table, putting things away and well, just being Daryl!
He is regaining use of his right arm and hand. He says he doesn't have much feeling in that arm and hand, but he is starting to use them. He tucks in his shirt (of course), and has started writing with his right hand....not much yet, but we'll get there. They had him practicing tying shoes yesterday and he did it...it took awhile, but he did it.
Speech is still the toughest, but he is making great progress. He's getting a lot of words out, but still usually missing the key ones. He's also recognizing when he gets the wrong word out too, so that's good. We have a program for the ipad that he is using on his non-therapy days.
It all wears him out, but he's doing more and more each day and each week. The progress is really amazing considering everything! He still can't see to the right side, but he's getting around well and is learning to look more to that side when doing things.
So very much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving! Thank you all for being a part of our support system!
Annette
As an update, Daryl is doing really well at therapy. He is not using the leg brace, or the crutch anymore, the wheelchair stays in my car and we only use it for long trips (like our jaunt out to Pittsburgh where we only used it for campus tours). He really only uses the cane (the lovely flowered cane that my Grandmom sort of used) as something to carry....the bottom doesn't usually touch the floor! He doesn't even use it most of the time when walking around the house. He's in Daryl mode trying to help do everything. He's clearing the table, putting things away and well, just being Daryl!
He is regaining use of his right arm and hand. He says he doesn't have much feeling in that arm and hand, but he is starting to use them. He tucks in his shirt (of course), and has started writing with his right hand....not much yet, but we'll get there. They had him practicing tying shoes yesterday and he did it...it took awhile, but he did it.
Speech is still the toughest, but he is making great progress. He's getting a lot of words out, but still usually missing the key ones. He's also recognizing when he gets the wrong word out too, so that's good. We have a program for the ipad that he is using on his non-therapy days.
It all wears him out, but he's doing more and more each day and each week. The progress is really amazing considering everything! He still can't see to the right side, but he's getting around well and is learning to look more to that side when doing things.
So very much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving! Thank you all for being a part of our support system!
Annette
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