Rand's sister, Karen and her husband Kaj, were here for ten glorious days in April. They escaped the last of the record breaking snow in Madison, WI. The four of us went on outings almost every day, including a picnic with friends from Minnesota. They got to see Rand in PT, bowling and music, driving his hot rod, negotiating the mini-van, sidewalks, stores and parks. Rand and Karen painted together, played catch, talked, listened to Karen read parts of her memoirs, and laughed uproariously at family stories. It was so wonderful to have them here. While the rest of us were having fun, Kaj was tackling projects around the house - painting a bathroom, fixing whatever was broken, sharpening knives, doing so many things that needed to be done. What a blessing they both are! We miss them already.
Rand continues to be healthy as a horse, thank goodness. His blood viscosity levels are still uneven so we visit "The Vampire Room" about every two weeks to have it checked. He didn't have a cold or even the sniffles this winter.
For his birthday I got him a 40" Sony HD TV and a Nintendo Wii video game. His room is now the most popular place at his house! You can hear whoops and hollars coming from his room as he and friends play Wii bowling, golf, etc. What fun!
Our latest project is to teach Rand to read. I am in the process of trying to assess what he knows and how he learns. He and his brain are so incredible that I am having a hard time figuring out where to start. He does not know any letters of the alphabet, can not recognize them and does not know what sounds the letters make. He does not know colors or shapes or any sight words. Yet, he can write his name, my name, sometimes correct the spelling of other's names. He has memorized some words and patterns but has no strategies to understand other words. He is skeptical about his ability to learn to read but we're going to give it a try. He understands that the materials will be child-ish and he is an eager student. His short term memory is poor so this will be a long process. As long as he is willing to work at it, so am I.
Karen and Kaj brought me a book that I highly recommend. If you are interested in strokes and brain function in easy to understand terms and in plain English, then run, do not walk to the nearest bookstore (or online) and pick up a paperback copy of "Stroke of Insight," by Jill Bolte Taylor. It is a fast and fascinating read about what it is like to have a stroke, told by a brain researcher (the author) and the story of her recovery. She had a very different stroke than Rand, but I could see and hear him on every page and start to understand what it was like for him in the months following his stroke. She had a total recovery eight years later, but every step of the way was painful, frustrating, scary and triumphant - just like it is for Rand.

Thuan is beside Rand for safety, but Rand can walk alone short distances now. Rand's sister Karen is in the background.
Keep those cards and letters coming and visit when you can. Rand loves company and so do I!
Keep Rand close in your hearts.
Love,
Connie
