Day 258 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Today Regina and I drove to Bakersfield to see Grayson. We had a wonderful day of just doing stuff together. We had lunch, shopped for some personal items, had a treat at Cold Stone, and went to Lowe's to decide on some things for Grayson's room at home.

It is important to us to include Grayson in the process as we decide the future "look" for his room. This is the room that he will return home to, and it will look little like the one he left. Because of that, we want to make sure that he is consulted as we pick things. Today we looked at and decided on window coverings and paint colors. He was excited and interested in the process, and there were several things that he said "No" to as we shared our thoughts. Mostly he liked the direction that we were pursuing and was happy to be included.

Grayson was alert and fun to be with all afternoon and evening. Even though he only used one or two word responses, he was quite communicative. We actually appeared to wear him out a bit today, for by the time we left Lowe's, he was ready to do anything else!

We headed back and spent some pool time at the residence. There Grayson and I spent about an hour together floating on rafts and chatting – or at least him answering my questions. It was a nice quiet time together and we covered a lot of ground – why he enjoys it so much at CNS, why he can no longer drink alcohol, what he is looking forward to when he comes home, what he thinks about his "new" room and the new USC Head Football Coach to name a few of the topics. He was thoughtful, responsive and engaged in his answers.

When we left tonight, he had made dinner and was just sitting down to eat. Normally he eats around 5:30 or so. Tonight it was 7:00, so he was sure to be in bed within the hour. We had a great day.

Pax!

Brant

Day 257 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

It's Friday night – movie night! After going to see The Sorcerer's Apprentice last night, tonight Grayson went to see Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore. Wow – talk about seeing all of the new releases!

I called Grayson at 10:00 and he was still out. That means that there was no inappropriate behavior – good news once again!

We are heading up to Bakersfield in the morning to spend the day with Grayson. Prayers for safe travel!

Pax!

Brant

Day 256 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

I called the residence tonight and discovered that Grayson was out to the movies. When I called back at 10:00 to see how things went, he was still out with his residential assistant (RA) and the activities director. I assume that they had a good time and that since they were still out, that there were no behavior problems. Good news!

Pax!

Brant

Day 255 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends,

Grayson spent the afternoon and evening with a residential assistant (RA) that he hasn't worked with often. The RA felt it prudent to just spend time with Grayson, talking to him as a friend. This was a good strategy.

They hung out together all afternoon. They watched a pickup football game at the park, played ping pong in the rec center and did laundry. When Grayson was cued that it was time to take out the trash, the RA stood back and let Grayson take the lead. Grayson grabbed the trash bag and headed across the complex to the trash bin, deposited the trash and headed back with the RA following behind. The repetitious nature of these daily routines is building memory pathways that are essential to the healing brain. It is obviously working.

Grayson was allowed to order dinner in (chicken fajitas) and according to the RA he "ate like a champ". His increased appetite is a good thing.

The RA discovered that Grayson likes comics and talked to him about who he likes better – Superman or Batman. Grayson's responses were in the form of sentences (not just one word) though his words were rushed and hard to understand. The RA gently asked Grayson to slow down and he was able to communicate that Superman was "amazing" and that Batman was "smart".

The RA summed up Grayson's evening saying that he spent a fair amount of time laughing over the book he was reading and generally "going with the flow".

What a very long way we have come since the middle of November.

Peace,

Regina

Day 254 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends,

How fortunate we are that Grayson is surrounded by staff that genuinely cares about him.

This afternoon, Grayson did his usual cleaning chores (vacuuming and laundry), completed his orientation questions, and then headed out for a special one-on-one outing with his residential assistant (RA).

As they were driving down the street Grayson was asked what kind of food he would like for dinner. He spotted a Thai restaurant and off they went for a wonderful Thai buffet dinner. The RA was very impressed that Grayson had three full plates of food, including pineapple fried rice, and cookies for dessert. No one can remember the last time Grayson ate so well. Of course, how would they know that Thai is one of his absolute favorite meals? (I see his dear friend Dr. Parker's influence.)

After dinner Grayson became a little "antsy" and began scratching his forehead. The RA was perceptive enough to ask Grayson if he wanted to go back home to the apartment. He agreed.

When I spoke with Grayson he had just come back in and to my delight he remembered what kind of food he had for dinner!

The evening ended with no behavioral issues.

Can you tell how excited I am at the positive trend these last couple of weeks? I know these are very small improvements but we use a new kind of yard stick these days and the inches are really adding up. Thanks be to God from whom all blessings flow.

Peace to each of you this fine summer evening,

Regina

Day 253 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Grayson had very good day today. Yes, he did the usual – he did laundry, cleaned the kitchen, made dinner, did his therapeutic home program (THP) and took a walk after he took out the trash and checked the mail. What was different about today is how he did what he did. He was calm and relaxed. He required minimal cueing to do things and he was in a great mood. Oh – and no problem behavior.

Yes – it was a very good day today!

Pax!

Brant

Day 252 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Today was another quiet day for Grayson. He slept in this morning (until 8:00 AM – late for Grayson) before getting up and starting his day with breakfast. Today he did his cleaning chores (bathroom on Sunday and Monday) as well as preparing both lunch and dinner. He did his therapeutic home program, and did quite well on all of his questions. His behavior was again excellent – I'm hoping that this pattern continues to hold!

Grayson made brownies today, under the supervision of his residential assistant (RA). This treat was enjoyed in the afternoon as well as after dinner!

Regina and I did not travel to Bakersfield today – we needed to spend some additional time working in Grayson's room. We just about have it cleaned out, and are almost ready for some repair work, painting and carpet cleaning. This is the first time since Grayson went to Bakersfield that we have not joined him at least once on the weekend. Talk about guilt! Fortunately we know that we are just preparing for the next phase of the journey.

Pax!

Brant

Day 251 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Grayson had a quiet day at the residence. It was a balmy 102° today, so inside was good! He did his grocery shopping for the week, labeled and put away all of the groceries, did some laundry and folded and put away clothes. He cooked pork chops for dinner tonight, and ate all of his dinner before cleaning up and doing his therapeutic home program (THP).

After dinner and THPs, Grayson and his roommate watched a DVD – The Pursuit of Happyness. After the movie it was time for meds, snack, teeth brushing, PJs and bed. I spoke with a sleepy Grayson at 8:15 after he was in bed.

Regina and I stayed home and worked in Grayson's room today. Getting Grayson's room at home prepared is essential as he may have to leave CNS soon. The preparation is not as easy as it sounds. When he left the house on the morning of November 16^th, he left as a 24 year-old with a myriad of interests, and a room that mirrored those interests. No less than 14 computers (four of which are in working condition) are in there, along with mementos from both boys dating back to elementary school. There are also 3 desks, a TV, two bookcases full of books – well, you get the idea. I'm reasonably certain that the last time we did a major overhaul of the room was in 1996. We've been taking one day a week to work in there and have made a lot of progress, but it is slow going as we decide how to streamline and simplify his environment. There are moments of joy and melancholy as we find items that bring back memories of the wonderful life that we had with him. Now we are preparing a place to start memories of the new life we have.

Pax!

Brant

Day 250 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Its Friday night Movie Night! Tonight, however, Grayson decided to stay home. He did his chores (laundry and made his bed), his therapeutic home program (THP), and then made dinner (under the watchful eye of his residential assistant (RA)). After dinner he took out the trash, checked the mail and took a stroll around the grounds.

After his walk, Grayson got a rare treat – two hours of his favorite TV show – America's Funniest Home Videos. His RA said that he laughed almost the entire time!

I waited until after the show to call and talk to him. It was 9:00 and he was ready for bed – late for Grayson. When I asked him what show he watched tonight, he said, "I don't know."

Memory is a precious thing.

Pax!

Brant

Day 249 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

What a wonderful facility Grayson is privileged to be in. Tonight his residential assistant (RA) and the residential activities director took Grayson to a movie – a personal outing. The personal outing also involved dinner at Wendy's because the staff hadn't eaten yet. Grayson, who already had dinner prior to the outing, ordered a burger and fries and ate the whole thing!

When I spoke with Grayson, he was in bed. I asked him if he had gone to the movies and he said, "Yeah!" I asked him what he saw and I expected him to say, "I don't know." What he said, however was, "Marmaduke!"

Wow – he remembered! Thanks be to God.

Pax!

Brant

Day 248 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

It's Wednesday – Order-In Night! Grayson had an enchilada and tamale from the Mexican restaurant on the schedule tonight. He ate every bite and had extra time to relax!

By the time I was able to call this evening, Grayson was in bed, and the residential assistant (RA) that he worked with this evening had gone home. This is good news actually. Grayson has been moved to a lower level of care because he needs minimal overnight observation.

I talked to Grayson as he was in bed and listening to his audio book. He didn't have any particular thing about his day that he wanted to share or that he could remember.

Another RA that is in the apartment that watches another resident told me that Grayson had no problem behavior tonight. This is again good news and continues a trend of several days of good behavior.

Pax!

Brant

Day 247 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Today was another good day for Grayson. Today he had no problem behavior at all. He was also alert and completed all of his tasks with encouragement. He prepared his dinner with help from his residential assistant (RA). After dinner he took out the trash and checked the mail.

Tonight was Karaoke Night at the rec center! Grayson has not participated much in this activity for the past few weeks, but he joined in tonight. There are several younger patients that have recently joined the community, and they were there in force this evening. It was loud and, as Grayson's RA said, the room was "quite chaotic". Hearing this, I was concerned because Grayson is not usually comfortable in chaos. Grayson did not sing, but he was calm and sat and laughed at the antics of these guys. He did just fine, spending his time there without a problem and earning the following statement from his RA – "I was proud of him this evening!"

Meds, snack, brush teeth and PJ's were the order of business when they returned to the apartment. Grayson turned on his CD player to listen to an audio book, and snuggled in for the night.

I'd say that this was a good day!

Pax!

Brant

Day 246 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Today was another good day for Grayson. When he returned from the clinic to the residence, he rested for 30 minutes before beginning his therapeutic home program (THP). Today his THPs covered three areas – orientation (what is your address and phone number, who is the president, what is the day, date and time); situation (what would you do if…) and cognitive (coal, brownie, toast and vanilla ice cream – which is the darkest?) This one became progressively harder (Which was the third item?) He did well on all of his THPs tonight.

He was calm today and did quite well with his chores and dinner preparation. After dinner Grayson and his residential assistant took out the trash, retrieved the mail and took Grayson's roommate along for a long stroll. They stopped by his residential treatment coordinator's office so she could see Grayson's new haircut – it certainly is short, but still cute!

When I talked to Grayson tonight, he was getting ready for bed. At 7:30 he was putting on his pajamas and was ready to lie down for the night. Sweet dreams, Grayson!

One last item – to his Aunt Julie on her birthday, a message from Grayson!

Pax!

Brant

Day 245 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Today Grayson had a relaxed day. He finished his picture checklist of tasks and chores early, so had a quiet afternoon resting in the cool of his apartment. He had no problem behavior today and that is extremely good news. Like yesterday, he was calm, alert and in a good mood. He spent some time reading the now well-worn xkcd Comic Book he received for his birthday.

For dinner he prepared stir-fried shrimp – a meal fit for a king I am sure! After dinner he relaxed some more, finally watching about 30 minutes of TV before getting ready for bed. When I spoke with him around 8:30, he was in bed listening to one of his audio books and almost asleep.

Quiet days are good for a change!

Pax!

Brant

Day 244 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

We visited Grayson shortly after he arrived home from his weekly grocery shopping run. He was excited to see us and hopped right up as we arrived. He was more high energy today than he has been in several weeks.

We gave Grayson a choice of lunch locations and he chose Chipotle. After we finished our lunch, since Sport Chalet was just across the parking lot and having a big sale, we stopped by and picked up a few things. After leaving Sport Chalet we headed off to the J C Penney to buy Grayson some more short pants. He has several pairs of long pants, but since it was 105° we thought that more shorts were in order! We made our purchases (I scored a few pairs myself!) then we were off to have a treat.

Grayson chose Cold Stone over Baskin Robins today. Unlike past trips there, we chose to eat our ice cream inside for fear that we would have to drink it otherwise!

After Cold Stone, it was back to the residence and into the pool as quickly as we could. When I signed him back in, I was surprised that we were out over 4 hours and it was approaching the time for his 5:00 meds. We changed into pool attire and got in the water. The water temperature this week was 92° – but it was still refreshing. Regina and I enjoyed being in the water with him for an hour or so, before Grayson started to get tired. He went back to the apartment, showered up and dressed, then sat down to dinner that had been made for him already. Because both residents had been out with their families, one of the staff members prepared dinner for them so they could enjoy their time – how cool is that!!

We said our farewells around 7:00 as Grayson sat down to eat. He finished his dinner, did his therapeutic home program (THP) with his residential assistant (RA), then got ready for bed and climbed in. One tired dude – and a really good day.

I'll leave you with a picture of Grayson sporting his new haircut with Regina!

Pax!

Brant

Day 243 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

It's Friday night – Movie Night! When we called and checked, Grayson had gone to the movies and his plan was to see Despicable Me. Since he had not been brought back to the residence, we can assume that behavior was good and things were going well. We'll have to wait until tomorrow to get a report.

We'll be heading up to Bakersfield to visit him in the morning!

Pax!

Brant

Day 242 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Grayson had a good day today. He arrived back at the residence and chilled for his usual 30 minutes. After the rest break he checked the mail. According to his residential assistant (RA) it was "wicked hot" outside! They retreated to the air conditioned oasis of the apartment and reviewed Grayson's checklist. First they completed Grayson's therapeutic home program (THP). Next Grayson tackled his chosen cleaning chore for the evening – vacuuming!

Dinner was a breeze this evening, because he had plenty of left-over's from last night's chicken fettuccini dinner. He added peaches, and voila – dinner was done!

After dinner, Grayson and his RA ran personal errands with the activities coordinator. Grayson got a haircut, then helped shop for some stuff for the residence. This was followed with an ice cream treat – cool night!!

Grayson returned to the apartment, got ready for bed and turned on his audio book, A Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. All in all a good day for Grayson!

Today Regina and I had a long conference with several staff members and the neurologist discussing discharge options and trying to build a plan that is in Grayson's best interest. This is a difficult task as there are very few facilities with the ability and expertise to accommodate a case as complex as Grayson's. Those that can accommodate him are simply unaffordable – by a lot. We continue to pray that the way will once again be made clear to us.

Pax!

Brant

Day 241 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

It's Wednesday – Order Dinner In Night! It was an Italian night, and Grayson ordered fettuccini with chicken when he arrived back from the clinic. That certainly lightened the workload this evening!

Grayson had a snack and took his 30 minute rest period as soon as he got back to the apartment. When the rest period was over, Grayson checked his picture check-list, and saw that his tasks were to take out the trash, pick up the mail, and to do laundry. He accomplished all of those things and his therapeutic home program (THP) before dinner arrived.

He ate all of his dinner (a good thing – he is now down 65 pounds from his pre-incident weight) and only required one verbal cue to clean his place after dinner. He spent the small remainder of the evening reading and listening to his audio books.

Just before he went to bed, he had an incident of "behavior". This was a huge disappointment to us, as he had so many incident-free days in a row. We trust that this is healing disguised as a challenge!

Pax!

Brant

Day 240 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Today was another good day for Grayson! It has been quite a while since we have had a string of good days, so this is increasingly good news. Just to manage expectations – good days mean good moods, cooperation, and fewer cues required to accomplish chores. A good day is not a miracle cure, but it potentially is keeping the door open to options as Grayson prepares to transition from CNS to his next recovery location.

Today Grayson was not anxious, and was calm all evening. He required very minimal cues to do his part with dinner preparation and clean-up. After dinner, he went on a personal errand outing with his residential assistant (RA) and several other patients and RAs. He purchased shampoo, body wash and after shave lotion. He was unable to get the haircut that he wanted, because the line at the salon was too long.

Grayson has been walking with the speed of a slower than normal turtle lately. Tonight he walked with more speed and a bit of spring in his step.

When they returned to the residence, Grayson tossed in a load of laundry before getting ready for bed. When I spoke with him he was reading his xkcd comic book while lying in bed. Sweet dreams, Grayson!

Pax!

Brant

Day 239 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Today was another good day for Grayson. According to his residential assistant (RA), he was very cooperative and helpful all afternoon. He managed to run two full loads of laundry (across the complex because their dryer is on the fritz), prepared his dinner with minimal verbal cues, did his dinner clean-up, did his therapeutic home program (THP), and had an after-dinner snack.

When I spoke with him this evening, he was in a good mood, and sounded a little brighter than he has the past few days. His RA also reported that he had been a bit more verbal this evening. During his second laundry load, he found a dollar! He treated himself to a soda from the machine after his THP's tonight. A cold soda on a hot Bakersfield night – cool treat!

Pax!

Brant

Day 238 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends,

Last weekend Grayson was low energy, a little spacey, and as Brant put it "a little off his game". Today, however, Grayson greeted us with bright eyes, an eager smile, and more energy.

He stood right up and helped us get his travelling bag together to go on our outing. We gave him a choice of several types of food for lunch and he chose Chinese. Later in the afternoon we gave him a choice of several types of "treat" and he chose Baskin Robbins. A while back we pointed out in this blog that when given a choice of A or B Grayson nearly always chooses B. Likely it is because it is the last thing he heard in the question and the answer is merely an echo of the end of the question. We've tested it many times by switching the options and the choice is still most often B. Today he focused on a choice and stuck with it (both lunch and treat) – even though we switched the choices around repeatedly. This feels like progress to me.

We spent quite a while at Lowe's this afternoon looking for Velcro strips, a photo sensor light fixture, a small storage box, and glides for patio chairs. Grayson was quite patient while we wandered through the store stopping to explore things in various departments. He stopped us more than once to explore some display and pick up a package of this or that and return it to the shelf. While we were in the patio furniture area, he sat in several different style chairs. He laughed as he and I tried to figure out how to make an odd-looking lounge chair with a built-in sun visor work and the visor hit me in the face. We even stopped to look at carpet samples for his bedroom and he chose a pattern that he preferred. I was impressed that he never lost interest or got fidgety.

Later in the afternoon we returned to his residence and he was able to accurately recall and tell his RA what kind of food he had for lunch and where we had gone for our treat. This is also an improvement.

It was 101 degrees in Bakersfield today and the 90 degree pool water felt divine. Grayson enjoyed splashing his dad, tossing a beach ball back and forth, and generally just hanging out close to us in the water.

During a retreat to the shade, I asked Grayson if he was happy at his residence. He answered affirmatively and I asked if he would like to come home soon. He smiled and said quite emphatically, "Yes!" We spent a fair amount of time talking about home, his room, where we worship and the people who miss him. When I told him that tonight was to be the first of our summer outdoor concert series at church he remembered putting up the spotlights last summer.

Grayson seemed much more engaged with us today. His answers were quicker, some several words long. At lunch, he didn't hesitate to read each of our fortune cookies to us. We are all more fortunate than he could ever know just to be sharing this wonderful day together.

Grace and peace to each of you.

Regina

Day 237 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Grayson shocked his residential assistant (RA) this afternoon by choosing to do housework rather than go out by the pool. I was a bit shocked too, until I realized that not only was it hot today in Bakersfield, it was also uncharacteristically humid. Perhaps Grayson was looking for an excuse to stay in the air conditioned apartment! His RA told me that the apartment has never been cleaner! We will get an opportunity to see for ourselves tomorrow.

Dinner tonight consisted of chicken and rice – Grayson made the chicken, and his roommate made the rice – Teamwork!!

During some rest time today, Grayson put the CD in his player and started A Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. He is really enjoying that birthday gift! When I talked to him this evening he was reading his new xkcd comic book that he also received on his birthday – another gift he is really enjoying!

Yesterday I said that Grayson had gone to the movies. There were lots of things about the experience that were difficult for Grayson, and he was able to manage with some help from his RA. First, there was a long line to get in to the theater – something Grayson has had trouble with before. Next, there was a crowd to get in to the seating area, something that also makes Grayson edgy. Finally, there was a long time between sitting down and the start of the movie. His RA kept assuring him that things were OK and not to get wound up. Grayson paid attention, and was able to outwait the issues and then enjoy the movie. No problem behavior! Just for the record, the movie he chose to see was Predators. (A nice calming movie!)

We'll be visiting Grayson tomorrow. The last few weeks we have been spending time trying to prepare the house for his return. While we thought that home might be one of the options for his post-discharge care, we are coming to discover that his behavior and control issues are likely making it the only option for him. We will continue to keep working the issues, and pray that the Lord will lead us to a suitable care facility where Grayson can continue to maximize his potential, and where his quality of life is the best it can be for Grayson.

Pax!

Brant

Day 236 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

It's Friday night – Movie night!

Because Grayson and his residential assistant (RA) were at the movies, we didn't get a report tonight – except that no report is a good report! Because they were out, that meant that Grayson had no problem behavior, and that is good news.

More tomorrow!

Pax!

Brant

Day 235 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Grayson had a relatively normal day at the residence today. He arrived back from the clinic at 3:30. Instead of his usual rest period, he tackled one of his cleaning chores first at the suggestion of his residential assistant (RA). Today he cleaned the bathroom counter and shower. After this, he took his rest break and watched TV for 30 minutes.

After his break he started dinner prep under the guidance of his RA. Dinner was an easy fix tonight, so he had dinner and cleaned up by 5:00.

After dinner he showered, changed into clean clothes, then took out the trash and picked up the mail. He stopped by the office of his residential treatment coordinator for a treat before going back to the apartment.

Back at the apartment he did his therapeutic home program (THP) and this activity went well. After the THPs, he was encouraged to do some of his exercises, but Grayson was not interested. He read his new comic book for 30 minutes, before getting ready for bed. His RA told us he was chuckling the whole time he was reading!

When I spoke with him at 8:15, he was in bed and listening to A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Pax!

Brant

Day 234 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Grayson had a good day today. When he arrived back at the residence he put a load of laundry in the wash, one in the dryer and his residential assistant (RA) folded a load and Grayson put it away. He took out the trash and checked the mail, before taking his regular 30 minute rest break. After his break he did his therapeutic home program (THP) and he did very well on his orientation questions.

It is Wednesday and that means order-in night! At 6:30 his meatball sandwich from Subway arrived – one of his favorites! He enjoyed the sandwich before relaxing a bit. At 7:30 he took his meds and had a snack (he has lost an additional 4 pounds this past month). I called him right about this time and we had our daily chat. After my call he started getting ready for bed. He was in bed and listening to A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by 8:00.

Regina's and my day was a bit more sobering. We had our monthly patient conference which was informative and educational as always. However, discharge planning is now looming, and it is depressing just how few options there are for recovering brain injury patients. Anoxic injury takes years and years of healing, and Grayson will require waking supervision (15+ hours a day) for several years for his own safety. At this point we are just not sure what we are going to do. One thing for certain – the Lord has led us through minefields before. We pray once again for His guidance and wisdom.

Pax!

Brant

Day 233 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Grayson had an OK day today. He got "stuck" while trying to get off the bus, but eventually was able to get up. He rested for his normal 30 minutes before having a meeting with his residential treatment coordinator.

The meeting was to discuss a change to his residential program. His current program stated that if Grayson had behavior problems within 60 minutes of an outing, he would have to stay back. This has held him back from several Saturday morning shopping trips lately. Because Grayson has such limited short term memory, within 30 minutes he doesn't remember the behavior. Therefore the change to his program was a reduction to within 30 minutes of an outing. Motivation requires an understanding of consequence to be effective.

After the meeting, Grayson and his residential assistant (RA) went back to the apartment to begin dinner prep. Grayson was having some trouble this evening, so his RA had him sit at the kitchen table while she prepared most of the meal. Grayson read a new comic book he was given for his birthday, and his RA said that he was chuckling most of the time he was reading.

After dinner Grayson and his RA took out the trash and checked the mail. When they returned to the unit Grayson did his therapeutic home program (THP). He then did his chores which consisted of wiping down the counters.

A pretty normal day, with a minimum of excitement.

Pax!

Brant

Day 232 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Grayson had a relaxing and rather low key day today. The clinic was closed, so he slept in, and had an easy day. He did manage to get some chores done over the course of the day. This evening he took out the trash and had a nice walk with his residential assistant (RA). When I spoke with him he was in a good mood and winding down for bed.

Last night after we left, there was a fireworks show at the residence. Not exactly the big, stadium show that you might see in a big city. Not even a small town show. This was a big box of fireworks like roman candles and Piccolo Pete's and star wheels and sparklers like most of us old folks enjoyed as children, but have mostly been outlawed in Southern California because of fire danger. Grayson enjoyed this for about 30 minutes then at 9:30 he stood up. His RA asked him what he needed. Grayson said, "Bed." Enough said!

Pax!

Brant

Day 231 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Happy Independence Day!

We drove up to Bakersfield this morning, picked up Grayson and went to lunch. Today we combined our usual treat with lunch by going to Moo Creamery. There we had gourmet burgers and shakes.

After lunch we went back to the residence to swim. We spent roughly two hours in and around the pool with Grayson – a great way to beat the Bakersfield heat! Today it was a balmy 95. With no humidity to speak of, it was really rather pleasant!

Grayson was signed up to watch a fireworks show this evening so we bid our farewells around 7:30 and hit the road for home. We left Grayson preparing his dinner with his residential assistant (RA), gave lots of hugs and went on our way.

Every day is a new journey for Grayson. Today he was very unlike last weekend. He was pretty "stuck" on a lot of things – getting out of the car, putting on his swimsuit, etc. He did seem to have longer recall of things we did today (good news!), but he was a bit off his game otherwise.

Grayson's morning RA helped him rearrange his room today. When we arrived we took some pictures. Note the well wishes from his birthday are still prominently displayed!

Pax!

Brant

Day 230 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

If you follow this blog regularly, you are probably starting to get the basic routine of patients like Grayson. Routine may seem boring or overly confining to you and me, but to patients recovering from brain injury, a dependable set of activities and expectations is a major comfort. So, since today is Saturday, Grayson did what Grayson always does on Saturday morning – he got on the bus at 9:00 AM and went to WinCo Foods to do his grocery shopping for the week.

Later in the day, long after groceries were put away and lunch was made and consumed, Grayson's residential assistant (RA) suggested some pool time, and Grayson thought that was a good idea! Grayson hustled to get his chores done and made an early dinner. After dinner his RA and Grayson spent about 90 minutes playing in the pool – and I am told that Grayson had a blast! I talked to Grayson after he was in bed and he seemed to remember the pool time and the fun. That is great news for a parent anxious to hear good news!

We'll be traveling to see him in the morning. Prayers for safe travel!

Pax!

Brant

Day 229 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Grayson had an uneventful day today and that is good news! We received a limited report late tonight, because we spent the evening discussing graduate school plans with Grayson's younger brother, Austin.

Even though it is Friday, Grayson did not choose to go to the movies. Instead he hung out at his apartment, prepared a leisurely dinner (and ate all of it!), watched some TV, and then went out by the pool with his residential assistant (RA) to do his therapeutic home program (THP). Later he read some National Geographic magazines while lounging on the couch. It was a relaxed evening to start the long holiday weekend.

We will be visiting Grayson later this weekend. No bad news is good news tonight!

Pax!

Brant

Day 228 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Today I got a brief and rare glimpse into Grayson's morning routine, as his normal evening residential assistant (RA) worked a double shift and was with Grayson this morning. As anyone who has ever been a parent can attest, morning routines are way different than evening ones. Waking Grayson is very difficult, and he requires active supervision over his morning activities to keep on target to make the bus on time. The plan with Grayson is to do things early enough so that he is always early to the deadline. Today he was showered and dressed, he made his breakfast, ate it and put his dishes in the dishwasher in time so that he had about 10 minutes to relax in the recliner before going to "transpo" (the RA vernacular for the place where the buses pickup the patients). He relaxed for a few minutes on the bench at transpo until the bus arrived around 9:00 AM. He boarded the bus with all of the ambulatory patients and their RA's, and then the wheelchair users were brought aboard with the lifts. When everyone was on board, they took the 20 minute ride to the clinic and arrived as usual a little before 10:00 AM. Grayson's RA escorted him to his first session for today – occupational therapy.

When Grayson returned from the clinic, he came back to the apartment and immediately did one of his chores – cleaning the bathroom. After that, he started defrosting a steak for dinner and then rested while it defrosted until around 4:45 PM. At that point, with minimal prompting, he lined the pan with foil and set the oven to cook his steak. With suggestions from his RA, he seasoned the steak and cooked a vegetable. While everything was cooking, he sat at the dining table and read his new National Geographic. He ate all of his food tonight and without any prompting or cueing, he stood up after dinner, took his plates to the kitchen rinsed them and put them in the dishwasher. That was a first!

Grayson watched TV for a bit after dinner before doing his therapeutic home program (THP) with his RA. After the THP's, they went to the rec center for a discharge party for one of Grayson's former roommates, a nice young man who had been injured in an auto accident. Grayson took his party cupcake back to his apartment and ate it before getting ready for bed.

When I spoke to Grayson tonight he was nearly ready for bed. He didn't remember anything about his day.

Pax!

Brant