This week, I found an unused lounge chair near the bowling alley bar and got permission to bring it out onto the alley. Rand loved it - it was a bit lower than his wheelchair, it has no strange protrusions, it has arm rests to support him, nothing goes bump in the night and it is comfortable between shots! Below are some photos of this unique solution. It proved to be temporary as he needed the extra height that his electric wheelchair gives him and by the middle of the second game, he was back to his hotrod. But it was fun while it lasted! Not too many people can claim to have bowled from a bar lounge chair! Every week Rand bowls better and better. This week he had several spares and two strikes! He's enjoying himself and that's what counts.
We are in the third week of "The Puzzle From Hell" - a photo of dozens of beautiful, multi-colored butterflies, with no rhyme or reason to the top, bottom or sides. Several of us have been slaving over it and, along with Rand, should have it done in the next day or two. Then - a break from puzzles!! A friend gave Rand a beautiful set of wooden Tangrams for Christmas. The patterns are too small for him to deal with so she blew them up to fit the pieces, glued them to poster board and made several patterns that are the right size. That will be our next project. What a wonderful gift!
"Max," the speech generating device, is still sitting in the wings. We have been so busy with Rand's on-going participation in Recovering Function and other therapies and activities, that we haven't had time to jump into Max with a vengeance. Next week I am scheduled into an all day training on Max which includes some one-on-one time with the trainer, so I will feel more prepared to tackle that project. Rand is skeptical about it but he will cooperate as he always does. I'm afraid that he is getting comfortable with not being able to communicate well. All of us around him can interpret his needs and wants most of the time so his frustration level has dropped a bit.
Thuan helps Rand to get up from his bar chair on the alley.
There it goes - getting closer to a 300 game! Notice how Thuan's knee is supporting Rand's right knee to keep it straight and solid.
Rand just passed the second anniversary of his stroke. He remembered. He kept pointing to January 28th on the calendar and we talked about it. He remembered the paramedics, ICU, falling down at home, most of the morning. He does not remember much of the succeeding seven months. I was amazed that he remembered any of it - this is the first time. He also remembered Valentine's Day and gave me a Valentine. He is such a sweetheart!
Keep him close in your thoughts and prayers.
Love,
Connie
