Holding Positive Energy
Hi all,
I spent some real quality time with Chester this morning. He feels that the radiation and/or chemo are making him feel tired. For the first time in a long time, he was in bed resting when I arrived this morning around 9:30 am. Then a woman named Bergie stopped by to chat with him. She is a survivor of a stroke that created about the same effect on her body as what Chester is dealing with right now. She could not speak for months afterward, and was also in a wheelchair. After she left, Chester remarked that she made him feel hopeful. But then he broke down and started crying. He said that he would like to know how much time he does have, and no one can tell him.
I told him that I carry a dichotomy or a conflict within myself. On one hand there are the statistics that are very scary and threaten to push me into despair. On the other hand, there is the hopeful belief that he will beat the odds. I carry both within myself, but I choose to hold onto the hope and belief that he can beat the odds. So I invite everyone to send him that energy of hope. He has beat the odds so far, in his speach, in his recovery speed, and in many other small ways. The staff cites him as a wonderful person. Bergie said this morning that he helped her more than she could possibly help him. What a testimonial!
I do believe that he will be able to teach, if that is what he chooses to do. I hold onto that belief. But that is step 946, and we are only at step 273 (this is the framework we use to keep ourselves in the present moment). I caution anyone making statements about what he will or will not be able to do. At this point, everything is possible.
So some other mundane facts. I was there yesterday when they measured him for a walking brace. They made a cast of his leg, and the brace will keep him from overextending his knee. It will fit over his leg and the shoe will go over it. Its pretty amazing what they do with braces now days. My brother had leg braces when he was a kid, and they were so big and heavy it was hard just lifting them off the floor. This will be a great help in Chester's walking. They will have the brace ready next Wednesday.
Also, two more days, and they will allow Chester to go to the bathroom (1 & 2, or poop and pee) and get himself in and out of bed by himself, without a spotter. He has been doing this for a while on his own anyway (they don't know how often he has been doing it... but he does not want to wait when he has to pee). He has been becoming more and more independent on his own in the last week. He always did walk fast, and I would complain to him about walking two or three paces ahead of me... and now in the wheelchair he wheels himself faster than me! I guess I never will catch up with him.
Be well and keep that positive energy flowing.
Love, Marilyn
I spent some real quality time with Chester this morning. He feels that the radiation and/or chemo are making him feel tired. For the first time in a long time, he was in bed resting when I arrived this morning around 9:30 am. Then a woman named Bergie stopped by to chat with him. She is a survivor of a stroke that created about the same effect on her body as what Chester is dealing with right now. She could not speak for months afterward, and was also in a wheelchair. After she left, Chester remarked that she made him feel hopeful. But then he broke down and started crying. He said that he would like to know how much time he does have, and no one can tell him.
I told him that I carry a dichotomy or a conflict within myself. On one hand there are the statistics that are very scary and threaten to push me into despair. On the other hand, there is the hopeful belief that he will beat the odds. I carry both within myself, but I choose to hold onto the hope and belief that he can beat the odds. So I invite everyone to send him that energy of hope. He has beat the odds so far, in his speach, in his recovery speed, and in many other small ways. The staff cites him as a wonderful person. Bergie said this morning that he helped her more than she could possibly help him. What a testimonial!
I do believe that he will be able to teach, if that is what he chooses to do. I hold onto that belief. But that is step 946, and we are only at step 273 (this is the framework we use to keep ourselves in the present moment). I caution anyone making statements about what he will or will not be able to do. At this point, everything is possible.
So some other mundane facts. I was there yesterday when they measured him for a walking brace. They made a cast of his leg, and the brace will keep him from overextending his knee. It will fit over his leg and the shoe will go over it. Its pretty amazing what they do with braces now days. My brother had leg braces when he was a kid, and they were so big and heavy it was hard just lifting them off the floor. This will be a great help in Chester's walking. They will have the brace ready next Wednesday.
Also, two more days, and they will allow Chester to go to the bathroom (1 & 2, or poop and pee) and get himself in and out of bed by himself, without a spotter. He has been doing this for a while on his own anyway (they don't know how often he has been doing it... but he does not want to wait when he has to pee). He has been becoming more and more independent on his own in the last week. He always did walk fast, and I would complain to him about walking two or three paces ahead of me... and now in the wheelchair he wheels himself faster than me! I guess I never will catch up with him.
Be well and keep that positive energy flowing.
Love, Marilyn
posted by Marilyn at 2:05 PM
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