"I REALLY WANT TO HAVE A DRINK WITH DAD..."

Josh continues to perseverate about his father...  it's truly maddening!  I suppose it is not as bad as it once was, but everything seems to be a blur these days.  It is hard for me to see that Josh is, indeed, improving.  It is just so S L O W.   I can barely stand it. 

Ever since Josh turned 21, he mentions several times a day that he can now legally drink alcohol.  He said to me a few days ago, "Mom, I really want to have a drink with Dad..."  That's pretty wild, isn't it?  I tell him if he keeps it up, I will kill him and then he can have his drink with his father...   I was downstairs in the bar area the other day and came across a shot glass which read "ALCOHOL HAS MADE ME WHAT I AM TODAY".  I am sure Josh bought this stupid shot glass somewhere and thought it was funny at the time.  Not so funny now.....

On a good note, Dr. Stenehjem said that Josh will get "significantly better"  with time.  How much better is the big mystery!  No one knows.  The brain is just a stupid big piece of fat!  Did you know the brain is 60% fat, a substance known to be highly sensitive to free radicals?   It's just so bizarre. 

I am sick of seeing brain damaged people.  I know this is not a nice thing to say, but I truly prefer that Josh be around people with at least half a brain -- you know...normal people like you and me.  It just gets so depressing to see young people who have had strokes, horrible car and motorcycle accidents, aneurysms, etc.  Just last week, when we went to the "golf for the physically challenged" program, we met a kid in his 20's who just got out of a diabetic coma.  It was so sad.  It took him nearly 1 minute to stoop down and pick up his golf ball.   One minute doesn't sound like a long time, but believe me it is!  It only takes 2 seconds to pick up a golf ball from the green.  After a while I started picking up this kid's golf ball and John, the pro, told me, "Let him pick it up.  You have to be patient..."   I will say that John is a true saint, a gem of a man...so kind and compassionate!  I love that guy.  So now, I just hyperventilate and let the brain damaged pick up their own friggin' golf balls....    

Josh is getting better at golf.  His balance is improving and he is making better contact with the ball.  He still insists on using the wedge for all the short holes and thinks he can do what he did before the accident.  I am still not sure whether he knows he even had an accident....

   

Here's Josh with Christopher Blin.  They work out twice a week and practice chipping and putting at Lomas. 

Josh is still an outpatient at Sharp Rehab.  He still has occupational and speech therapy several times a week.  I have hired a great tutor named Mike Jones to work with Josh several hours a week at home.  They work on basic stuff -- math, english, science, geography.  Josh still remains a "team player" and is pretty enthusiastic.  Josh still goes to Cognition Ignition every week.  He works with David who is a great teacher and an extremely optimistic guy.  Everything is costing a fortune, but I need to get Josh better so he can live independently.   I often tell Josh that if he does not put on some speed and get better fast then one of us is going to be institutionalized!!  Josh laughs...  he definitely gets things and still has a great sense of humor.

Natalie just went to her winter formal.  Here she is!

 

Above, from left to right, Zach, Rachel, Natalie, and Ian, her date.

Love to everyone !  Thanks for keeping up with Josh's S L O W progress and reading this blog!

 

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