I just realized that I should have made my laughing instead of crying into more than one post/chapter. Here we go:
I am a people person, a good thing most of the time, people feel comfortable around me and open up. I get it from my Pa. I used to feel embarrassed when we would go to the supermarket and he would have a 20 minute conversation with the checkout people. I asked him once why it was that he was so cheesy and nice to people everywhere he went. H e replied that he hurt people for a living and wanted to see them smile, my Pa is an orthodontist and gave me my dashing smile too.
Lex was worried that I am getting to buddy buddy with my therapists at Neuroworx and that by so doing would some how sway them to go easy on me. There is no swaying 'these people,' Babe. PTs are the real deal and get results. Jan once told me"I am pretty sure you were hard to figure out, even before the TBI, Curtis" I can remember responding with "Was there a compliment in there somewhere?"
Lex got me a tshirt with the words 'Goin' spleenless' on it which even got a smile out of my stoic and great Neuro Dr. John Speed.
I am finding out that time outs are as much for me as they are for my kids, about a month ago or so, I picked up my Colester with my one good arm to go on a time out. He knew what was happening and on our way over to the time out chair he bit me, right on my good arm! I sat him down and told him that in order for him to be safe from me, he needed to stay put for two minutes, to let me calm down and laugh at our plight.
I got on a muscle relaxant that had the rare side effects combination of urinary urgency and retention. I lasted a few days before I exercised my patient right of refusal of treatment.
We get to go swimming in the Spring/summer at my Aunt Susan and Uncle Mike's home in Murray. The kids love it and I get to be a fish as I get some playful Physical Therapy in. Abby has warmed up to the water, she used to sit on the first step and just cry, now she races me across the pool, in between organizing her little mermaid production with all her cousins. Maxwell has started to warm up, racing with me as long as he wins- ahh, the life of an almost 5 year old. It was Coleman's turn to have cold feet at this last swimming adventure, He was super nervous to see me or his "Pampa"(grandpa)go under water. He also came up to me, as I was swimming in the pool, and stood at the edge of the pool with his hands out, asking me if I was alright. After I told him that I was more than alright and having fun, he got a serious look on his face and shrugged as he told me, "there's no sharks." Come to find out that Uncle Mike, to get the kids to wait for their slow dad cautiously coming down the stairs told the kids that there were sharks in his pool. That he needed to clean them out and send in an adult first. Apparently my Coleman does care about me and did not want me to be sacrificed to the sharks. It is good to know that you are looking out for me.
When I first got home from the hospital and still on pain meds to be able to sleep, I was having some crazy, funny dreams. I got to the point that I was looking forward to what outrageous adventure I would experience when I would doze off. Here are a few of my favorites: I dreamed that I was an Aborigine in Australia with my twin brother we ate weird things like our own earwax, that we had to harvest and protect from the notorious,giant,earwax-eatting-insects.
I dreamed that I was the seven brothers and that Lex was all of my seven brides in the musical. That is just a taste, Lex logged them all on our blog.
My Coleman loves to mimic me coming down the stairs and hangs on tightly, even dangles from the handrail, that comes to the top of his head. He will find anything that looks like my hiking pole and walk carefully around the room with it.
Maxwell will cheer for me when I stand or walk.
Abby's life is a musical and I love it until she needs to be asleep.
I have elastic shoelaces that Lex got me, the idea is that you do not have to tie them as long as they are laced up they keep my shoes snug. This means that I have what looks like untied shoes, every time I am around my Pa he inches them up to the point that my foot falls asleep, but he is not the only one who does it, Matt Hansen, another amazing PT at Neuroworx will not let me venture a few faltering steps with such a hazard. It is so nice to have people who care about me and look out for me, I do have a TBI after all.
Abby another one of my PTs at Neuroworx, not mt daughter Abigail, Was working with me and a mirror to help me get the visual feedback that my brain needs to recognize and claim my left side, while doing so, she kept coming over and adjusting the mirror.After about 5 to 6 times adjusting, she laughed and said, "Curtis it is you and not the mirror that is crooked." I laugh and told her that was the best compliment I have received at therapy.
Shanea is my 'person' at Neuroworxs now, she gets my sarcastic attitude and is a fellow Psychology undergrad degree holder. One time as I was resting on the tredmill on a folding chair, she decided to turn the treadmill on which set me flying. I still give her a hard time about that one, it is all good, she knows me well enough to call me out on all my compensation- she calls it 'cheating.'So I get back at her with jokes about her boy that she is dating and how he needs to have his mom drive them places, again, it's all good, I'm almost 32 and look like i'm 20, with three kids.
Lex and I were running around with the kids getting things ready to go to St. George with my family. I did not take my wheelchair and was doing well with my newly adjusted leg brace, Lex stood by my as I got enough courage to try to step up a curb with only my hiking stick and not holding onto her. I made it with her there beside me, reassuring me that she was there and she would catch me if she needed to. I smiled at her when she asked me if I was alright and was quick to add, "life is therapy, after all." She thought that I had said that my wife was therapy. We laughed about that for the rest of the afternoon. You are my best therapy Babe and I want more of you.
Speaking of having my leg brace adjusted, I told my PT Jan Black that I had to have the calf muscle part expanded because she/they at Neuroworx were pushing me to develop it more. She quickly smiled and said, "Your welcome Curtis." Thank you Jan and Neuroworx.
Down in St. George my family and I went to a bounce house for the kids to wear themselves out at and get out of the sun/heat for an hour or so, as I walked up the steps to go in my left foot wrapped itself around the railing, my sister Lace was right beside me to let me know what had happened and mentioned that she, "didn't know a lot, but could tell that was not right." The same day, we went to see 'The Man of Steel,'and were joking that it would have been a brother thing, but Lacey came along with us. As I got out of using the bathroom, I noticed that I was going to have a problem tying my swimsuit trunks and asked her to help me. I told her that was the reason she had come with us, to make sure I wasn't streaking at the movie theaters.Thank you my Lacer for always lookin' out for me. I love you.
Also while in St. George, My younger brother Kevin was being Mr. Mom to his two older boys. One night he could not find one of them and came in asking if anyone had seen him?We found him rolled up right next to his brother.
For Father's day, my Abby gave me a note that said, "I love you more than Uncle Mike's pool!" I love being your father my Abby girl.
An old friend left me a Note in my door, just to say 'Hi'
With everything that Lexy is doing and doing well. I have started saying that her brilliancy just overflows and that I hope that I can get some by osmosis. Today she was fixing our dryer and she yelled up the stairs"Brilliancy strikes again"
My Abby has one great memory, all our kiddos do, hers is just put to more use than the boys super hero/villan & now Harry Potter trivia. She can recite her favorite picture books Zombie in love and I need my monster from memory.
Coleman being a problem solver and stacking stools on top of one another to be able to get what he wants
Lex laughing and crying at the same parts that I do in a movie
Aunt Jen helping me out her garage door with a push, it was much needed to get me off the wall
"Talk was cheep, before I started talking to professionals"-BNL
Abby reading Harry Potter and teaching Maxwell to read.
Maxwell saying, "Harry Potter" in a British accent
How happy it makes Coleman to vacuum
A -day card from Grandma Morgan
A visitor at church telling me that, "You smile more than anyone here."
Getting my Colester to wear undies by saying, "It is your super bum!" oh, the things you say as a parent.
Lexy picking the first zucchini of the season and offering me her gardening advice.
My lawn looking the best that it ever has! Thanks to my Pa helping with fertilizer and sprinkler adjustments, a nephew and brother in law's care
when I was in the hospital, a coworker stopped by to see me and brought a stuffed germ that we used in our germs workshop. It is MERSA and Maxwell calls it "super poop."
How are you doing Kev? "We'er hanging in there, just not by our necks."
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