1) As stated in previous blog entries, Larry fell a couple of weeks ago requiring stitches in his head and a few days later was in the hospital with right side paralysis. He spent 8 days in the hospital and underwent a variety of test. The best that they can conclude at this point is that something happened to his neck in the fall. (Larry has a lot of internal hardware that limits some test so they can not verify it.) Last Monday he was moved to a local rehab that is connected to the hospital. The center is a rehab/nursing home facility that he can remain at for as long as needed. Currently he can not move his right leg but is gaining some limited movement with his arm and hand. He waved goodbye with his right hand when I left this evening. Larry's left side has been his weak side for a long time. Through the extensive testing it was determined that what we thought was degeneration to his left side due to the Epilepsy was actually a stroke at some point in the past 20 years. His inability to use his right side is causing him to use his left hand more. There is a lot that he cannot do including rolling over in bed and feeding himself. Tonight I applied a little tough love and worked with him to use his hands to feed himself his ice cream. (I have been watching the OT's at my school.) He works at operating his remote control and CD player. For some reason his speech has also been effected and he speaks with a whisper most of the time. This does make communication even more of a challenge. Larry is in a nice large room and crazy enough has a roommate named Larry, 20 years older, who fell recently and has right side paralysis. Mom is spending a fair amount of time with Larry due to the fact that he can do so little by himself.
2) Last Friday I headed out of town to visit a friend because it was a closed weekend at Peter's school. (Peter has been keeping up grades enough that he has been home most weekends this Semester.) Upon arrival I received a call that Peter had a gash at his left eye and was headed to the ER. Fortunately, mom was just down the hall at the hospital with Larry and was able to be with Peter through the receiving of 7 stitches. God was gracious and his eye was missed by a centimeter only leaving a 2 inch (maybe) scar along side the eye. The injury was the result of being pulled into some rough housing that he claims he was trying to stay out of. Basically he was pulled off a desk however he has created a more dramatic story for when he is asked about the scar in the future. Peter was home this weekend. Tonight on the way back to school, next year came up in conversation. He emphatically told me that he was not going back to Military school next year. His reasons included the uniform, the schools poor athletic performance, and always being told what to do. He concluded with the fact that I don't have the money. I chose to let him vent saying little. I did receive the registration form this week with the payment amount and he is right, I don't have the money. But I didn't have it last year either and God provided the funds. I find it a bit distressing that he doesn't want to go back. However although there has been definite progress since he began Military school, what I see when he is at home indicates that he would quickly spiral downward should he return to public school next year. I am praying for wisdom in how to handle this crossroad. And I am asking God who owns a thousand cattle on a thousand hills to sell some of those cattle to pay for another year, preferably three years. (Thanks May for teaching me that!)
3) Last Sunday night after returning to town and visiting Larry at the hospital, I arrived home about 10:00 PM to be greeted by our mostly outdoor/somewhat inside kitty. He, like Peter must have been in the wrong place at the wrong time and had a big wound on his buttocks. I was concerned about infection, overdue shots, and my inability to fit getting him help into the next days schedule so I decided to take him to an emergency pet clinic. With protest, I got Felix Adidas Kitty into a box and in the car. When I took the box out of the car at the clinic, he pushed his way out of the bottom of the box and being scared by nearby noises headed across a four lane road. He made it across and I could see him in the Mall parking lot. I jumped in the car to go get him and by the time I could get my car to the parking lot, he was gone. That is the last I saw Kitty. I have checked Shelters with no results. He does have a microchip so if found and checked for the chip, I can be contacted. At this point I simply pray that someone took him in and is caring for him. I wasn't extremely attached to Kitty but none the less it has been distressing to know he is wounded and on the lam. Every time time I pull into the driveway and start looking for him on the porch, I get that sick feeling realizing he isn't going to be there.
Three wounded. Three situations in which I feel rather powerless to change things. Three opportunities to trust God.
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