December 21

John and his niece Sydney

Sydney, John, Holly and Rayray

Paulette and John

Hudd and John

Sydney is raising a goat as a FFA project. His name is Johnjohn and here is a photo of his namesake!

So, only 4 more shopping days until Christmas! I hope that everyone is avoiding the last minute hustle and bustle or if you enjoy that sort of thing, I hope you are getting into the spirit!

I thought maybe I should share a little about nuts and bolts of how John is doing. Sometimes I realize that I talk about the more esoteric aspects of what is happening with him and there are times when I get asked..."But Melanie, How is John REALLY doing?" The simple truth is that it changes from day to day and sometimes even in increments of minutes. There are times when John is extremely clear in what he says and he conveys deep gratitude to us and those around him. During these times, his awareness of his condition is staggering and at times it brings him to tears. It's as if he knows how he used to be and he is able to deliniate where he is now and he is fearful that he won't get back to the "old John". It is during these times when we try really hard to let him know that we are here for him and we are patient and we know he will be okay. The best way to describe these moments is that a window opens and a breeze of insight blows between John and those around him and then as suddenly as it opened, it shuts again. We don't know the key to keeping that window open but it is the thing that gives us constant reassurance that every possible avenue in John's journey is being explored and he is being given every opportunity to thrive.

His body movement is at times fluid and at other times, very rigid. After receiving the Botox treatment some weeks back it seemed to help with the rigidity but John requires help with walking and all other activities of daily life such as eating, bathing, etc. He is able to feed himself and has been for some time however it is a lengthy and tedious process. His caregivers are exceptionally patient as you might imagine and I can only say that folks who perform jobs in rehabilitation and nursing settings are true angels. They are underpaid and overworked and yet somehow manage to remain joyful and positive about the work they do. If you have ever cared for an ailing loved one you know how difficult it can be and for them to be able to work with strangers in this capacity leaves me awestruck.

John makes progress daily. Although it isn't the same type of progress as going from coma to awake or nonverbal to speaking full sentences, it is just as miraculous. There are subtle changes and each day raises that healing bar up another notch and our level of hope continues to soar.