[TheForge] Frosty Update, good news

[James Binnion]

There are a couple of big developments in Frosty's recovery.

Yesterday:


> "Frosty's nurse (they all call him Frosty here now <g>) thought it  
> might be helpful to go ahead and get him up into the big, padded  
> wheelchair and see if rolling him around the halls would help calm  
> his obsession with getting out of that bed. The transfer went well  
> but seemed to tire him out to the point where they weren't sure it  
> was going to be worth the effort - he was asleep in the chair.
>
> Then I remembered that I had ABBY in the car with me today. I asked  
> if it would be possible to wheel him out to the lobby where he could  
> maybe see her through the glass. They thought that was a great idea  
> so off we went. At first Jer wasn't much interested in the "field  
> trip" ... but then I asked him if he wanted to visit with Abby and  
> his eyes opened wide.
>
> By the time we got to the lobby, Jer was sitting upright (well- 
> secured, of course). He was looking out the windows (huge, almost  
> full wall windows) and then said, "just mountains" and looked  
> disappointed. The nurse asked if the dog would be ok around Jer and  
> the chair. I KNEW she would - Abby is the most polite dog ever  
> <smile>. The nurse said, "well, let me get a warmed blanket - if  
> you'll get the dog, we'll just bundle him up and take him out the  
> door for a quick visit".   !!!!
>
> I leashed Abby and brought her over to where they had Jer bundled up  
> like a mummy. She walked right up to the funny looking contraption,  
> smelled the blanket and then burrowed her nose under to to find  
> Jerry's hand. That dog's tail was swishing back and forth and she  
> had the most contented look on her face. She just stood there with  
> her head half buried under the blanket - she had found her "dad".  
> Jer looked down at her and seemed a little confused at first,  
> stroking her head and calling her "Sara" ... then he looked  
> thoughtful and ran his hand over the fur on her head again and said,  
> "you're a good girl, Abby."
>
> Oh God, I thought I was going to cry! He KNEW her. Abby heard him  
> say her name and pulled her head out and looked up at him. I  
> encouraged her to GENTLY put her feet up on the side arm of the big  
> chair so he could see her better and pet her. She wasn't sure she  
> should <smile>. Our dogs aren't allowed to "jump up" and she knows  
> it.  But when I asked her again, she gently eased her feet up,  
> licked his other hand (it was on top of the blanket) and just laid  
> her head in his lap.
>
> Frosty, OTOH, reacted to this  instinctively, I think <rueful  
> smile>. He very clearly and decisively said, "Abby - OFF".
>
> So there. No breaking the "dog rules" around here. She slithered  
> right back to a sit and just stayed there staring adoringly at her  
> long-lost "dad."






A huge step forward as of this afternoon:


> " De Frost- FROSTY SAYS (YES, I DO MEAN "FROSTY SAYS") TO SAY "HI"  
> TO EVERYONE! Oh, my GOD ... as of this morning, although he is still  
> very confused and needs to be reminded over and over - HE IS OUR  
> FROSTY AGAIN!"
>
>
> "De Frost- I'M SERIOUS ... there are huge gaps still (expected), but  
> he
>
> Frosty is LUCID. Please everyone pray he stays this way. He doesn't  
> remember lots of names, places, etc., he isn't sure what town he's  
> in or what year it is ... but he remembers events leading up to the  
> accident (not the accident itself). He can't stand yet, but that too  
> is normal after ... Read Morea month of bed rest. He KNOWS that he  
> can't remember stuff. He cried when I told him how Libby and Abby  
> had helped me find him. HE HUGGED ME and told me how sorry he was  
> that he must have frightened me so much.
>
> Oh God ... prayers DO work. Our Frosty may still have a long road to  
> recovery, but he IS going to recover ... there may be some permanent  
> or at least long-term issues to cope with - but he IS coming BACK!"
>


James Binnion
jbin at well.com