SIX MONTHS

It has been six months since Joanne had the stroke and she has made amazing progress. Her most recent success is regaining movement in her "frozen shoulder". She has had four acupuncture sessions which have made a noticeable improvement in the range of movement. Four weeks ago, she could barely raise her arm above her waist. Now she can raise it over her head and swing her arms around in circles. Thank you all for your continued support and prayers. Joanne has a new thing she likes to say all the time, "Praise God". She is so thankful that she is alive and well and improving each day. She thanks Him for every small success. She sees how God has given us EVERYTHING, large and small each and every day. How wonderful it would be if we all could be so thankful for everything we have been given all day, everyday. Praise God!

I HAVE LOST ALL HOPE

Lost all hope in ever finding a matching pair of socks. Although Joanne is doing most of the household chores, she doesn't do them with the passion she used to. I don't mean to complain, mind you, she has a lot more important things to deal with, like getting her frozen shoulder to stop hurting while trying to keep it limber. Working her hand to get her strength back and make her fingers work again. And she does endless, sometimes mindless word puzzles to work on her speech. She had an allergic reaction to an antibiotic which made her break out in a spotted, itchy rash, all over her body. Just as it was getting under control, it came back with a punch. She is finally feeling better. Please continue to keep us in your prayers. We all are still adjusting to our new lives and it can be quite challenging sometimes.

LIFE GOES ON

It has been five months since the stroke and Joanne has been doing well. She still has to work on her fine motor skills in her right hand. It is taking a long time to get her hand and arm to work. She developed a 'frozen shoulder' which apparently is very common after a stroke. It is a very painful condition which limits the movement in her arm, which is makes using her right hand and arm very difficult and slows down the occupational therapy.
Her speech is still improving. Some days are very good and some days are not as good as others. She has a great sense of humor about it most of the time but we do have those moments when she is just plain frustrated and unhappy about it. Overall, she has been very positive and upbeat during all of these trials. She tries to schedule a good cry every two week or so.
We are all adjusting to all of the challenges and we all have good days and not so good days. Friends and family continue to help with chores and errands and we still have been receiving meals on a pretty regular basis. I am so grateful for all the help we have received. I don't know how we would have made it without all of the love and prayers we received.

TESTING, TESTING, 1, 2, 3.

Joanne had quite the day today. She was scheduled for an MRI of her brain, an MRA of her head and an MRA with injected dye of her head and neck. If you know what it's like to have an MRI, you know it's not too much fun. She was nervous. She did a great job for the MRI witch took a little more than a half an hour. She took a short break, and ended up with a chill and a case of nerves. She was very brave and agreed to jump back in and go for the second part of the scan. This was a bout 15-20 minutes. The technician suggested that we come back tomorrow for the last part of the test which as she put it, is very long...yikes! She said most people can't do so many scans all at one time. I am very proud of Joanne, I don't know if I would be able to have an MRI. It is a little too tight for me. They took some amazing pictures. The technician said she had a beautiful brain, very bright, she could hardly look at it without sunglasses, ha, ha. We will follow up with the neurologist in the near future and I suppose he will let us know how she is healing and that all is well.

THIS IS HOW I FEEL

I feel like there is always one more thing to do.
Pray that I will have the endurance to do everything I need to do.
--Paul

I MISS MY LIFE

This is what Joanne said to me. Even though she is doing so well, it is still a daily struggle. We gauge how well she is doing, but the starting point is '0'. Before the stroke she was 110. She has regained so much and I thank God for that, but so much was taken away. After all the visitors leave, after the light conversations and small talk, life goes on. Dealing with the day to day needs of a family. Homework, laundry, cleaning up a spilled glass of milk, consoling hurt feelings, redirecting an argument, expressing your feelings of joy or sadness, disappointment or optimism.
Buttering a bagel with one hand, opening a jar or bottle, pulling on a pair of pants, tying your shoe. It is a battle every day.

HELLO 2008

We say good bye to 2007 and look forward to the new challenges of 2008. Joanne has come so far in such a short time. The past two months however, does seem like an eternity. She had what I am calling a "growth spurt" on Thursday. She was getting more sensation in her hand and it was noticeably stronger and more responsive. In the evening after an OT session, she was pouring milk for dinner, saying, "Hey, look at me!", as she was doing a little dance around the table. She was like a child with a new toy. She kept walking around picking things up. It was very exciting to see. She is rather frustrated at the prospect of not being able to drive for a while. And she is bothered at times with the inability to find the right words. I know she does not want to be defined as a person who had a stoke. It certainly is not who she is, it is just something that happened to her. She is so determined to regain her speech and her strength. Her determination is truly an inspiration. Joanne has been so strong though this and had risen to each challenge with such grace. We have had our share of tears. I am sometimes surprised by the tears, since she has been so strong. I am very proud of her for staying focused and for saying, "I don't like this, but it happened and I need to work until I get well."

I keep thinking of, Romans 8:28 and 8:32, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.", "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?" What good comes from someone having a stroke? What good comes from a family turned upside down? What good comes from a husband thinking that his wife may not live through the next day? Luke 11:11-13, "Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?"

We may never know what ultimate good God has caused by Joanne having a stroke, but I know that He has been present in our home, like a dear friend, laughing with us and crying with us and just being with us. I can say with absolute certainty that I have almost literally felt Him carrying me along. He put people in our life who where there to help us physically, emotionally and spiritually. I would much rather if Joanne had not had a stroke, but she did, and I am so thankful that we have a loving God to rely on. I wouldn't have been able to get through this challenge without His help.