Birthday celebration for Dad

What a happy day yesterday!  Mom and Kristy went early yesterday morning to spring Dad from his prison.  He was elated to walk out of the rehab facility to get on with life and healing.  Kristy said she and Mom were busy collecting all the things from his room when they looked around and couldn't find Dad.  He had walked himself down the hall to the elevator while his nurse ran after him to escort him out the front doors, as is protocol.  It has been so hard for Mom to travel up to be with him every day, and Dad got terribly lonely when Mom wasn't there, like during the long nights.  It's going to be great for them to be home.  Dad will continue to have therapists come to the house and also travel for therapy in town, but the long drives and hours apart for Mom and Dad are done.  I plan on spending the days that Mom works over at their house to help out and make sure Dad is okay.  He can get around pretty well with a walker, but he lost most of his strength and stamina.  He came home 20 pounds lighter and our family goal is to help him lose a lot more.  He knows he has to now.

The Doctors and therapists that worked with Dad loved his ever-present whit and were so surprised at how fast he progressed in his recovery.  He came home teasing that he could go to work and function with half his brain tied behind his back.  His speech is much better, he can eat solid food now (a big wahoo!), his facial paralysis is almost unnoticeable, and he is doing all his mental exercises to fix the connections in his brain that were damaged.  Dad speaks so highly of the skilled staff that helped him, and he knows he has a long road back to %100.  We are here to get him there though.  I pray that dear Mom's burdens will be lightened as she is worried about working enough to cover their expenses, and is Dad's main care-giver until he can function be on his own.

Despite all the hard work ahead, we had a happy celebration tonight with Dad at home.  While in the hospital, he would look at the calendar every morning to see what day it was and count how many more days until the big starred date.  His sister Mary, marked yesterday as Freedom Day and Birthday on the calendar in his room, so Dad would have something to look forward to.  We had a great evening celebrating his freedom!

The quickest thing we thought of whipping up for our impromptu dinner was breakfast; sausage, bacon, eggs, waffles, and tons of fruit.  I know, it wasn't the best meal for those of us trying to lose weight, but we were celebrating.  Dad kept saying that this was the best meal he had had in weeks.  Of course, anything beats pureed food stuck into molds to form it back into the shape it started in.  Breakfast for dinner topped with a piece of chocolate birthday cake for dessert made Dad a happy man.

One of the things Dad has to practice is puckering his lips.  Since his first week in the hospital he said he was going to watch the "Littlest Mermaid" when he got home because he remembered Sebastian puckering his lips in the movie.  "You gotta bot your eyes like 'dis.  You gotta pucker up your lips like 'dis," we all recited together in the family room as we watched the Little Mermaid while eating birthday cake.  Dad wasn't kidding, he had Mom put on the movie and sat there with the kids until that part came.  Then he practiced with all his might to pucker his lips.  He still can't quite get there, but at least he is moving the left side of his face much better than several weeks ago.

We said a late good-bye and gave Dad a huge squeeze on behalf of everyone that has been praying for his return home.  God is good!  He answers prayers, and seeing Dad doing better and at home is a huge answer to many prayers!

Happy Birthday, dear Dad!

P.S.  The chocolate cake looked and smelled delicious, but I was strong and didn't have any.  Not even a sneak off Sydney's barely-eaten piece.  I can do this.  I think I can, I think I can , I think I can.......