A Stimulating Day

Jackie was up and ready to go by 8am.  Becca spent the first half of speech therapy having breakfast with him in a different patient dining room than the one he ate in twice before.  This dining area has more independent patients than the other room.  She stayed with him the entire meal and said he did well.  This is another step to introducing him to normal eating environments.  The second half of ST included memory exercises as well as playing Black Jack.

Physical therapy included a trip up to the fifth floor gym for a work out on the stim bike.  Jackie remained sitting in his wheelchair with his feet extended forward onto the pedals. This was a new experience for Jackie and one that had the goal of stimulating many of the muscles down Jackie’s left side starting with the abs down through the leg.  The electrodes when activated created movement in the muscles to help the left leg pedal the bike.  The machine could gauge how much the right vs the left leg was working and also tracked the pace and distance.  Since it was Jackie’s first time, the stimulation levels were adjusted until the perfect balance was struck between comfort for Jackie and work out performance.  Jackie pedaled a little over 2 miles and seemed to really enjoy the workout.

Lunch was sandwiched between two rest periods and by 2pm Jackie was ready for OT.  Paula was off today so Jackie worked with Nicki.  The first thing she did was an electronic stimulation treatment on Jackie’s left shoulder.  While that was running its 30 minute course, we went into the vision room were Jackie was tested on the Dynavision machine.  He sat in front of a large black metal box which had a screen with many lights.  Different programs could be selected to test different eye movements.  When the small squares lit up, Jackie was supposed to touch each button within a certain time frame.  He did several different sessions and most confirmed vision weakness while looking left.  He is going to have a follow up visit with the eye doc on Friday.  The results of the tests today may help fine tune Jackie’s glasses.  After the testing was complete Jackie practiced printing letters. He also practiced standing throughout the session for pressure relief from his chair.

Jackie enjoyed visits from family members today and was exhausted by bedtime.  Overall a very stimulating day – PTL!

Parents Night

Last night marked the end of the first week that Jim and I took turns sleeping at the hotel. We alternated every other night and decided to call Sunday night Parents Night since we both will stay with Jackie that night.  We arrived in Philly on April 2 and last week was the first time we slept at the hotel.  Prior to last week we used the room as our base camp and shower location.  The hotel is much closer to Magee, so it is a quick walk compared to a longer walk or taxi ride when Jackie was at Jefferson.  The only other time we felt comfortable taking turns away from Jackie was for a week or two when we were at Geisinger at the Select Specialty hospital.  Now that we can clearly see the care we will be providing for Jackie when we get home, we realize we need to keep our strength and energy level up.  We have also worked into a nice routine here at Magee and Jackie is getting stronger, both allowing us to begin this new nighttime practice.

Jim got Jackie and I moving this morning as we were both sleepy, trying to put off the morning tasks that needed to get done.  He managed to kick us in gear and we worked to have Jackie dressed and in his chair by the time the breakfast trays arrived on the floor.  Since it was Monday, Dr K stopped in and we got caught up with weekend updates.  Our biggest news was Jackie’s weight.  Sunday’s weight came in at 131 pounds.  PTL!  Another week of gains. It is so nice to see him filling out.  It is the first time since February that his body has finally had a chance to try to recover.

Today was back to his busy weekday therapy schedule.  Becca broke up her speech session in two parts. As a total she worked with Jackie on categorizing items, date recall and memory skills.  They played Black Jack which is a card game that requires math skills, memorization of the rules and decision making based on the rules.  Jackie did a nice job handling all of these required skills.  He would not have won much in Vegas, but still had fun.

Next up on the therapy schedule was PT.  Erin stretched his legs and worked on transfers.  Jackie’s left  leg still needs much help from his right leg to move.  She finished the session by taking Jackie to the parallel bars.  With Erin’s help to move his left leg, and coaching every step of the way, Jackie walked to the end of the bar.  Erin positioned  a full length mirror at the end of the bar so Jackie could visually see and follow the verbal cues she was giving him.  He walked the length of the bar two times.  There were a couple times when I felt as if I needed to go catch him from falling.  This was in no way mistrust in Erin, simply motherly instinct kicking in.  Strength, patience, belief and trust are big requirements for PT success.  So proud of Jackie’s perseverance and hard work.

After lunch and rest, it was time for OT. Paula worked with Jackie on sitting balance without using his hands.  Since his left hand provides little to no support, his right hand overcompensates and pushes him more to one side.  Practicing without hands increases Jackie’s trunk strength and as we all know this is a foundation for walking.  Paula also stretched Jackie’s arms and then ended the session with a little hoops shooting session.  It will take time to have the left hand assist properly.  For now, one handed shots with the right hand is the focus of his exercises.  It is wonderful to see a basketball back in his hands.

After another cat nap it was time for dinner and then group Art Therapy.  We went up to the greenhouse on the sixth floor and Jackie created two paintings using watercolors in a refreshingly, calm and beautiful setting.   A volunteer working with the art therapist is Jackie’s age.  She is a past patient at Magee and a very positive young woman.  I think Jackie enjoyed being around someone his age who understood what he was going through.  I hope they will be able to connect and talk at some point during Jackie’s stay.

We returned to the room and Jim stretched out Jackie’s legs.  Then it was time for a shower and then bed.  As in typical fashion, Monday proved to be a very busy start to the week.

I cannot begin to tell you how blessed we are for all of the support and well wishes we have received from family, friends, our community and even from people we do not know. We have not had the chance to write one single thank you note, which is driving me crazy, but please accept this as a huge THANK YOU for now.  We have unexpectedly taken a path in life we never dreamed we would travel, but it has opened our eyes to the things that are truly important and the people who have lightened our load with each mile of this marathon.  PTL!

A Beautiful Day

What could be better than starting the day with a fresh cup of Starbucks? Lindsay and I did the run to kick off Father’s Day. We also were given the green light to take Jackie down to the cafe for one meal this weekend. We chose breakfast.  Before we went down Paula, OT, spent some time with Jackie working on dressing himself as well as brushing his teeth.  The timing worked out well as  we went down to the cafe a half hour before they closed. It was about as quiet as you could get and helped to make Jackie’s first experience a positive one.  It was also the first time all four of us sat around the same table in months.  A beautiful moment to enjoy on Father’s day. PTL

After breakfast we came back to Jackie’s room and hung out for a while.  Jackie then took a nap while Jim and Lindsay spent a little bit of time checking out a sports apparel store in the city.  Lindsay and I stole some time together on Mother’s day so today was Jim’s turn.

Jackie had already started eating when Lindsay and Jim came back with lunch for the three of us.  Then Lindsay’s old roomy from college stopped in for a visit and to take Lindsay back to the train station.  Lindsay is planning to come back next Saturday, so saying goodbye was not that hard as we will see her again in just a couple days!

Jim, Jackie and I went up to the sixth floor to enjoy some of the warmth and sunshine as it was an absolutely beautiful day.  Jackie was sporting his new sunglasses and Flyers hat.  Before today, he never wanted to sit in the sun, so it was nice to have him enjoy the warmth and light for just a short period of time.

Jackie was tired, so we got him back in bed to get some more rest.  After about an hour the dinner trays were delivered and he was up once again.  Jim and I found a local restaurant that had a good reputation so we ordered out – after all it was still Father’s day.  Once Jackie was done eating we were planning to eat our food outside with him, but both terraces were noisy with visitors so we all opted to eat in Jackie’s room and watch golf.  Jackie enjoyed sampling our dinners.

It was starting to get late, so we got Jackie ready for bed and his nighttime meds.  It wasn’t long after that he was asleep.  Like last weekend, we tried to limit his rest time.  As hard as that is to do, it will benefit him in the long run.

I hope you were able to enjoy part of this beautiful day.  Ours was special in far too many ways to count.  Thanks for keeping Jackie in your thoughts and prayers. We are truly grateful and blessed by your support and love.

Now That’s a Cheese Steak

It is officially the weekend so Jackie slept in; ok not like sleeping in until noon, but a little later than normal.  Because of the timing of his morning meds, we can’t let him sleep in too long.  Jackie ate a good breakfast and then we decided to watch a little CNN while waiting for his recreational therapy to get started.

Today Jackie played UNO with Jenna.  Since he could not hold his cards with his left hand, he used a card holder.  I loved the holder because it was homemade and recycled an old phone book.  The book was cut about 3 or 4 inches above the binding and then duct tape was wrapped around the edge.  The open pages allowed cards to be placed in them  so you could see them and it sat by itself on the table.  Ingenious yet so simple.

After Rec therapy Jackie took a nap.  He was tired and slept until I woke him up for lunch.  As soon as he was done Lindsay arrived.  She took the train into the city and then caught a taxi to Magee.  She is staying until tomorrow afternoon so we can celebrate Father’s day together.  PTL. Florent will be back to visit on the next trip to Magee.

Shortly after Lindsay arrived, Jackie had some visitors.  It is great to see him interact with his friends.  When we get back home, I truly believe seeing his friends more often will help with his recovery.  Jackie will be better able to handle longer, more frequent visits once he  is home.  Jackie got tired quickly and went back to bed for another nap.

We had talked about getting official Philly cheese steaks at either Pat’s or Geno’s to help celebrate Dad’s day, so while Jackie slept Jim and Lindsay were given a ride to Pat’s from a Magee staffer and were back in no time.  All four of us enjoyed the authentic taste of Philly for dinner.

It was now time for a shave and shower.  Since it was still fairly early we decide to start watching the movie Caddy Shack.  The night before we thought we had checked that movie out, but it ended up being Caddy Shack Two.  How ironic that Lindsay brought the original movie for Jim for a present.  We all enjoyed some good laughs and then it was night time meds and then time to turn in.

I find myself getting sad at times but tonight I felt wonderful. My family was together, we shared some laughs and Jackie’s room was filled with love.  When we were watching the movie, I caught Jackie periodically looking over at Lindsay.  I think he kept checking to make sure she didn’t leave.

Hopefully you will be spending time with your family during this Father’s day weekend.  Enjoy and cherish each others company and get something special or fun to eat.  Happy Father’s Day!!

One Month

Today marks one month since Jackie has returned to Magee.  We continue to remind him of all the progress he has made since he has been here.  He is used to his daily routine and feels comfortable here.  There is no question that he would like to be home, but the staff at Magee has adopted us and has made us feel as close to home as you can get in a rehab hospital.

Jackie’s morning started out like any other.  We spoke with Dr. k, had breakfast and of course morning meds.  We were ready for Becca when she came to the room for speech.  She worked with Jackie on his short term memory, played catch phrase and listened to Jackie’s playlist on his phone entitled ‘college’. This was fun for Jackie and at the same time Becca was noting his familiarity with the songs and if he knew the lyrics.  They also did some shoulder shrug dancing to the beat of the songs. Jackie started his speech session in his wheelchair, but finished out the session from bed since he was experiencing some pain.  He rested in bed after Becca left and then it was time for PT.

Erin used the first half of the session to practice transfers from Jackie’s wheelchair to the gym mat.  She also had him work on lying down and sitting back up.  The second half of the session was spent using the Vector technology for assisted walking.  There are two therapists that assist Jackie. The key now is to get his posture and trunk strength solid since this is the foundation for walking.

As always, Jackie was exhausted after Erin’s session.  He managed to eat his lunch before crashing in bed for another nap. OT was next. Jackie practiced transfers, did some stretching, did assisted standing at a table and also had an electronic stimulation treatment on his left shoulder. He was glad that all of his sessions were over for the day.

We went to the sixth floor terrace for some fresh air and then went back to Jackie’s room for one final nap before dinner.  Jackie worked hard all week and it was starting to catch up with him.

The smell of his dinner tray helped to wake him up.  After he ate we decided to take a quick walk and then watch some golf.  During the stroll we stopped by the pizza and poker room and the boys both picked up a piece of pizza. Jackie ate about half of his slice.  We got him into bed and started watching a movie, but it wasn’t long before he wanted us to turn it off and he tried to go to sleep.  He seemed restless at first but is starting to settle down now.

We are looking forward to Lindsay’s visit tomorrow and a weekend of rest and celebrating Dad’s day.  PTL

Vector Action

Jackie slept in a little this morning, but we were still able to finish breakfast and get morning meds before speech.  We also spoke with Dr. K for a while.  He remains happy with Jackie’s progress and continues to fine tune his meds.

Becca decided to spend half of her hour with Jackie in the morning and the other half at lunch.  The morning session focused on games requiring attention as well as quizzes on short term memory.  The second half of her session was sitting with Jackie at lunchtime in the group room.  This is the second time Jackie ate in a room with distractions.  There was a gentleman with a strong voice sitting across from Jackie.  It did not take long for Jackie to ask Becca if he could finish lunch in his room.  I’m sure it is just going to take a little time for Jackie to get adjusted to meal distractions.

Jackie had three other Therapy sessions during the day.  He had his second session with the art therapist.  He drew another picture and spoke with Lori the entire time.  He also had PT.  Erin took him up to the Vector machine and coached him through a beastly session.  Using the Vector, Jackie practiced doing step ups, standing and also walking.  Erin and another therapist assisted as Jackie completed three circuits of the course.  He was exhausted but pleased with what he had accomplished.  His last therapy session had a surprise waiting for him in the gym.  Nessie, an adorable, three year old Sheltie was waiting to spend some time with him. Jackie loved her and her tricks made him laugh.  He threw her toys and also gave her treats.  While this was going on he was getting electronic stimulation treatments on his left shoulder.  He also worked on transfers to and from his wheelchair and sitting.

Jackie had a total of two short naps sprinkled in between his therapy sessions  which were well deserved.  We had dessert on the second floor terrace and then he got a shower in the chair.  Next up was a little bit of movie watching and then bed.  We wrapped up another successful day at Magee.  PTL!

Thank you for caring about Jackie and sending positive thoughts and prayers his way.

A Phantastic Day

Today Jackie woke up on time and ready for breakfast and morning meds. As soon as he had finished, Becca came in for Speech therapy.  Jim and I left the room and met with our case manager.  She gives us updates on Jackies team meetings held by the staff each Tuesday morning.  She is our point of contact for just about anything.  Today we had a brief discussion on what things may look like post discharge.  We have a couple more weeks to get everything figured out.

Jackie’s speech session went well.  Becca combines the necessary skill building exercises with fun activities.  It is a great way to end his sessions on a positive note.

After speech Jackie stayed in his wheelchair and did not rest in bed.  Lori, the Art therapist stopped by and we decided to have Jackie do individual sessions with her Thursday mornings and then participate in the group sessions Monday evenings.  Shortly after her visit, Paula stopped in and started electronic stimulation on his left shoulder. She gave us a heads up that there was a special visitor at Magee today.  A short amount of time passed and we changed Jackie’s shirt from the Flyers to the Phillies and headed to the gym as it was time for PT and a meet and greet.

Ryne Sandberg, the manager of the Phillies, and his wife were there visiting patients.  We were all able to meet with them, shake their hands and even get a picture together.  Jackie also received a signed card from Ryne which is already hanging up in his room.  Too cool.

Immediately after meeting him it was time for PT.  Erin worked Jackie hard today as always.  There was one break at the beginning of the session where both Erin and Jackie realized they liked the same Usher song.  We found it online and jammed for a very short time listening to ‘Yeah’. After some shoulder shrugs to the beat, Jackie sat on the side of the mat and balanced himself in a sitting position for longer than he ever has before.  PTL.  He worked on transfers from the wheelchair to the mat and also worked on laying down from a sitting position.  Once he was down, he then had to work on getting back to a sitting position.  Seems so easy, but for Jackie it is exhausting, especially when his right side has to help his left side do some of the work.  He is assisted when doing this but the goal is to have him be able to do these tasks by himself.  He finished up PT with standing exercises.  For those of you who golf, I equate it to all the things you have to think about when you line up to hit your shot.  Jackie has many things he needs to remember in order to be able to just stand without falling.  With time it will become second nature to him as it is to us.  It is crazy how many things we take for granted every minute of our lives.  Feel blessed for the little things.

It was now time for lunch.  Jackie’s appetite is the only thing that allows him to stay awake when he is so tired.  It was funny, near the end of his PT session he  became a little unfocused and said, “I smell food”, we all laughed.  We could not smell anything, but the lunch trays were in the process of coming up to the floors.

Jackie ate a great meal and then Paula came in to start electronic stimulation again.  It had been turned off during Jackie’s PT session.  It wasn’t long before his OT session began.  When Jim went to the gym to pick up Jackie he was jamming once again with a bunch of staffers.  I am so glad we are at Magee!

Jackie took a well deserved nap after OT and awoke to the smells of dinner.  As in normal fashion he ate a healthy meal and then the three of us went up to the sixth floor terrace for dessert.  We also rented another movie to be watched in several sessions.  When we got back to the room, Jackie said he was excruciatingly tired.  We got him in bed and he took a cat nap before his 8pm meds.  Jackie was asleep minutes later.  He worked very hard today with only one rest break.

Jackie has come a long way since our first day back at Magee.  I told him before he went to sleep that I loved him and was bursting with pride.  To get out of bed every day and work harder than you ever have before is a sight to be seen, especially for a 19 year old who still struggles to sit, stand and walk.

Hopefully reading this blog gives you a small taste of the reality checks we live and see every day with Jackie and all the other patients at Magee.  I also hope it allows your eyes to see all the good things in your lives and helps you appreciate all of them.

A Day of Firsts

Jackie woke up fresh and ready for the day.  We got him dressed and up in his chair on time.  No sleeping in.  His speech therapy was being moved from 10am to 9am and we wanted to be ready.  That meant eating breakfast and getting morning meds all done in an hour.

Becca held the session in Jackie’s room and tag teamed with another speech therapist as she had to attend a meeting half way through the session.  She had given Jackie a quiz when he first came to Magee and she retested him today.  He scored much higher today.  PTL!  Becca came back at lunchtime and took Jackie over to the group room to eat for the first time.  It is the room where patients go that need to be supervised while eating.  We have been feeding Jackie ourselves in his room as he gets distracted easily and needs to focus on his swallowing.  Eating in the group room is the next step to see how he handles eating a meal with distractions.  I felt like I was sending him off to school for the first day.  Becca assured me she would be with him the entire time and he would be fine.  She was right.  He did ok and she will sit with him a couple more times before he consistently eats there.  The ultimate goal is to get him to the point where he can eat in the cafe with us and eventually prepare him for the real world.  I think it will be a while before he eats all of his meals in the group room.

Since speech was an hour early, Jackie had the chance to rest for an hour before PT.  He was unable to go to sleep, but just laying flat was helpful to relieve pain from sitting in his chair.  We got him up and ready just as Erin was coming into the room.  Jackie practiced transfers to and from his wheelchair and also for the first time, stood for a while with the help of a machine he hadn’t used before. It basically was a chair that when cranked up held Jackie in a standing position.  It had to have felt good. Erin positioned a mirror in front of Jackie so he could see himself and work on holding his head up straight.

He was tired after the session since he did not take a nap all morning.  After his lunch with Becca he slept for almost an hour and a half when we woke him for OT.  He still seemed to be tired throughout all of Paula’s session.  She used electronic stimulation on him for the first time.  She targeted his left shoulder and his left hand.  The goal is to get the muscles moving so they don’t atrophy.  Jackie’s brain is not telling the left side of his body to move much, so it is important that the muscles on this side are used to also help retrain the brain.  After an exercise with coins, Jackie was done with all therapy sessions and headed back to the room.  We followed the meal trays down the hall, picked up Jackie’s and ate dinner.  We wanted to visit one of the outside terraces but Jackie was tired.  We let him rest in bed for about an hour and then had very quick visits on the second and sixth floors.  After that is was back to the room for a shave, shower and then bed.  It had been an exhausting day of firsts for Jackie and he gave it his all.

Trying new things can be scary,  uncomfortable and tiring.  Sometimes it is just what you need to get you to your next step in life.

The Next Level

It is hard to believe it is Monday evening, days go by quickly at Magee especially during the week.  Jackie continues to sleep well. Rehab is hard work and his body and mind is exhausted at the end of each day.  Not only are the routine things we do every day a chore for him, but adding therapy sessions on top pushes him to a new level each day.  I find myself wanting to do more for him than I should. I guess that is the Mom in me, but ultimately that is not helping Jackie get any better.  Jim is very good at striking the perfect balance between helping him and letting him help himself.

Today we waited for each meal to arrive with anticipation. I usually order the meals, but Jim ended up placing the orders for today.  We made a big deal out of uncovering the lid on the plate of each main dish.  Breakfast was Belgian waffles, not a real favorite of Jackie’s but nothing a little margarine and a lot of syrup couldn’t fix.

Breakfast led right into speech.  Becca came into the room as usual and started the session. Jim and I stepped out of the room to speak with one of the docs on Jackie’s progress.  When we came back into the room, Becca and Jackie were listening to Usher and playing the card game War.  It wasn’t long before Erin arrived to take Jackie to the gym for PT.  After looking at Jackie and how he was sitting in his wheelchair, she worked to find a different back for the chair, one that wrapped around his back more so he would stay sitting in an upright position vs slouching to one side.  While others on the PT team helped get the right parts, Erin stretched Jackie and worked on his standing balance among other things.  She also likes to end her sessions with a walk and today was no exception.  Today he used the walker with the left arm extension for his stroll.  It will be a while before Jackie walks on his own, but each step gets us a little bit closer to that goal.

We returned to the room for lunch in his updated wheelchair.  Dad’s selection of a cheeseburger and Mac and cheese was different but good.  Jackie is still fairly new to eating the regular diet, so his quiet room and occasional coaching from us keeps him on track throughout the meal.  As soon as he was done and had his mid afternoon meds, he was in bed and napping.  It was only a short hour before OT.

We almost had Jackie out of bed when Paula came to the room.  Before heading to the gym, she tried out different chairs that would assist Jackie with different tasks in the bathroom.  We continually explain to Jackie that his condition is temporary and that his wheelchair and other accessories and devices are meant to help him get back to being independent again. He has not asked us how long it will take.  We will cross that bridge when we get there.  Paula also took Jacke to the gym and did a work out there.

We had hoped to keep Jackie up until dinner, but he was ready for more rest.  Considering he did not rest at all this morning he was due for a little more shut eye.  I ‘m not sure what woke Jackie up, but  we were able to get him out of bed and in his chair right as the dinner trays arrived on the floor.  The meal selection was a hit; hot sliced turkey breast, mashed potatoes and green beans. We have noticed a positive difference when Jackie wears his glasses for meals.  The glasses improve his accuracy when he moves his spoon toward his next bite.  We broke out in laugher today when we put his glasses on.  He took one look at his food and said, “Oh my gosh, HD.”  PTL, he still has his sense of humor! (In case you don’t know, HD in this case means high definition)

Right as he was finishing up, Lori, Magee’s art therapist, came by for her first session with Jackie.  He had taken some art classes in high school and we thought he would enjoy this type of session.  Lori is a soft spoken, kind hearted women and Jackie responded well to her.  She talked with him as he used markers to draw a picture.  He stayed focused the entire time and seemed to really enjoy what he was doing.  Jim and I are going to talk with Lori about setting up more sessions.  She will bring her art cart next time and may even explore Jackie’s interest in molding or working with different types of materials.

We had a little bit of time to burn before bed, so we headed to the covered second floor terrace for our first taste of fresh air for the day.  We all enjoyed a little snack and then watched some of the action of the cars on the busy street one floor below where we were sitting.  The noises soon became too much for Jackie so we went back up to his room.  Even though it was early, he headed to bed.  Rest is good for the body and he earned every bit of rest he will get tonight.

We all work hard, if you sometimes feel the task ahead seems too hard or unattainable, think of Jackie and try to push yourself to the next level.  You will be surprised where baby steps will take you.

Weight Day

Jackie had another restful night.  He knew when he woke up that Lindsay and Florent would still be here.  Sure enough they came back to the room early in the morning with a Starbucks strawberry smoothie in hand for Jackie.  We moved from Jackie’s room over to the community room.  There is a large bay window there and we sat at the table right in front of it and finished up breakfast.  It was so great to be together as a family.  Jackie really enjoys talking with Lindsay and Florent.

Time went quickly and the Recreational therapist stopped by for her session with Jackie.  We all went up to the sixth floor terrace and then Lindsay and Jackie played tic tac toe bean bag throw. After the game Lindsay and Jackie switched to scatch ball.  This is the game where a tennis ball is thrown onto the Velcro surface of a flat mitt of the other player and then thrown back.  The therapist put the mitt on Jackie’s left hand to try to work on increasing its movement.

Jackie was exhausted, we had been following the weekend schedule and he was now due for a rest in bed.  Before he got settled in, it was time for the weekly weigh in.  We anticipate this day all week in hopes that Jackie continues to put on pounds.  Sure enough, the bed registered 126.5 pounds. PTL!

With the good news top of mind, Jackie fell asleep quickly.  Lindsay and Florent stayed with him while Jim and I ran an errand.  Jackie had been wanting a memory foam pillow like the one he used at home and at college.  His neurosurgeon had given us the OK, but we did not have the chance to get one until now.  Since Magee is located downtown we had no trouble finding a pillow and even bought soft pillow cases. On the way back we picked up some ‘manly’ toiletries for Jackie.

Lindsay and Florent headed home as soon as we returned to Magee and it was time to get Jackie up for lunch.  After he was done more visitors arrived.  Jackie went with us to give a short tour of the facility and then we visited on the sixth floor terrace and then back in his room. Jackie was having a great day but was exhausted.  We got him back in bed for another nap.

Dinner was next and then a little bit more time on the sixth floor terrace.  Tonight’s dessert was homemade gluten free brownies from Florent’s Mom and strawberries from Aunt Carole’s garden.  Yum.

Once again we returned to the room.  Jackie got a shower in the chair and then moved to bed for sweet dreams on the memory foam pillow.

We continue to count our blessings every day, for Jackie’s continued progress, our family, friends, community and all the prayers and support from you.  Please know we are truly grateful for everything.