Day 470 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

It is Monday and Grayson was back off to the clinic this morning. The weather was beautiful today and Grayson and another patient went outside with the physical therapist and kicked a soccer ball around. Grayson required a lot of cues to pass the ball or to go get the ball, but he participated. Other highlights at the clinic today was making an eggplant sandwich – and eating it!

Regina and Grayson went to the grocery on the way home. As soon as they arrived home and we unloaded the car, Grayson and I ran back out to run some other errands. It was 7:00 tonight before we were ready to start dinner. Fortunately dinner was a salad so the "cooking" part didn't slow us down.

Grayson was alert for another day, but non-verbal for another day. We really have to pull words out of Grayson now. This part appears to be getting worse and not better. In my observation of him it is just too hard for him to speak, and he doesn't. My fear is that the longer this continues the more that the pattern becomes fixed. Let's pray that this area turns around.

Pax!

Brant

Day 469 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Today Regina had church duties so Grayson and I were on our own this morning. He woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed and we went through our morning routine and made it to church only 10 minutes late!

Since we had two cars at church, Regina took Lauren someplace and Grayson and I were on our own for lunch. As we drove to lunch we saw the mountains with their spectacular covering of snow from yesterday's storm. While we received no snow here, there were actually small accumulations in several surrounding cities including Burbank, my old home.

Tonight Regina, Grayson and I watched the entire Academy Awards for perhaps the first time since Bob Hope was the emcee! Regina and I were quite amused that Grayson caught and laughed out loud at some very subtle humor during the show. He is alert and aware, and especially so today. I just wish that we could get him to speak more.

Pax!

Brant

Day 468 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Today Grayson and I spent the day together. Regina and Lauren spent a good mom and daughter day together and Grayson was responsible for keeping me out of trouble. We had breakfast, exercised, did chores, ran errands and even cooked dinner together while the girls spent some quality time together. After dinner we watched Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade – a very fun movie that we hadn't watched in years.

Grayson was very non-verbal today. At one point I had him speaking a bit describing the pictures in his digital frame by his bed. If you have not seen it, there are about 30 pictures in a loop from his life – family vacations in Hawaii, Mama Tutu's 80^th birthday in Puerto Vallarta, pictures from our wedding, of our parents, holding Grayson on his first birthday, Scouting pictures – a real treasure that runs when he is in his room. We find him staring at it frequently. His describing the photos was about the most he spoke all day, and it was mostly in one of two word descriptions.

His cold is still bothering him, but this will pass soon.

Pax!

Brant

Day 467 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Grayson woke up more alert than he has been in the last few days. I especially noticed how quickly and deftly he went down the stairs on his way to the car this morning, something way more competent than his usual slow and halting pace (always scares us to death on the stairs!). The cold that has been getting to him seems to be waning a bit.

Rain in Southern California translates to snow in the Sierras and slow on the freeway. It took Regina forever to get home with Grayson tonight, after an equally long drive out to get him. Fortunately all arrived home safe and sound albeit a bit older. Neither of us was in any mood to cook, so we treated ourselves to a dinner out at one of our favorite Italian haunts. We had a relaxing dinner for which Grayson was surprisingly calm before coming home to enjoy the movie Social Network.

It was a nice to relax tonight!

Pax!

Brant

Day 466 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Today I flew home after spending the week in Huntsville, Alabama. I drove out to pick Grayson up at the clinic this afternoon and he was glad to see me. He greeted me with a cheery, "Hi Dad" when he saw me waiting for him to finish his therapies. I had him take me to the places where his things are stored so we could bring them home. Then I had him take me to the front door of the facility which he did. After we went out the door, I suggested that we take the stairs instead of the elevator down to the first floor. He said OK and we headed off to the stairwell. Five flights later we were walking to the car. Movement is good!

Grayson is fighting a cold this week, and we are very limited on medications that we can give him due to his condition and the meds he is on. Tonight he had an early dinner then relaxed until an early bedtime. He was pretty non-verbal all evening, but he sure gave out a lot of hugs!

It is great to be home for a few weeks!

Pax!

Brant

Day 465 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends,

This morning was filled with our routine. Each day begins something like this. I start by checking and answering office emails and voice messages then get myself ready for the day. I wake Grayson and guide him through his morning routine - breakfast, medication, shower and shave, dressing, and lunch preparation followed by transportation to therapies.

Today, after I dropped Grayson at the clinic, I rushed back to my office to try and squeeze 8 hours of work into 4 hours. I was so focused on getting back to the clinic in time to pick him up that I completely forgot today was one of the two days he had a ride home this week. Not a critical error but it cost about an hour and a half of productive time at the office.

When we returned home tonight, Grayson surprised me. We walked into the kitchen and deposited my purse, briefcase, and Grayson's lunch box on the kitchen counter. After a stop in the restroom (it was an hour drive home) we returned to the kitchen. As I was opening the mail, Grayson walked over to the counter, unzipped his lunchbox, put the dirty Tupperware container in the sink and the reusable ice block into the freezer. All without any reminder, request or coaching. This was a first.

Some days I have to look for something to be hopeful about – today it was a gift just handed to me.

I am filled with gratitude for that simple gift (and that Brant comes home tomorrow after three work weeks in three states).

Regina

Day 464 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends,

Early in the evening Grayson and I played Dominoes. It was hard for him to look at the game pieces and think at the same time. He frequently scratched his scalp and ducked his head away from directly looking at the table. He got so wiggly that he jumped up from chair several times and had to be encouraged to sit back down. When asked he said he still wanted to play. When it was his turn he played very quickly. You wouldn't think he had even looked at his dominoes. He did, however, beat me four straight games.

Tonight Grayson resorted to simply pointing at whatever he wanted and it took much coaching to get him to verbally express himself. Since I know his routines and facial expressions so well, it would be easy to allow this "lazy" method. That would be a disservice to him in the long run.

Most nights when Grayson is ready for bed, he goes to the book shelf and selects a book to read for a ½ hour or so before I turn the light out. Tonight when I suggested he get a book, he stood in the center, looked around the room and seemed a bit lost - as if he couldn't remember where the books were. Finally when I gestured to the book shelf, he slowly walked over and retrieved one.

Each day brings challenges for him.

Grace and peace,

Regina