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Someone's knocking at the door...from the inside |
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Dear all,
Karl is a Mack truck.
This boy is barreling through therapy, and making progress so fast that we have to stand back to not get hurt.
When he arrived, he was fatigued after eating five bites, and now he is, with assistance, drinking out of a cup and eating 40-80 percent of a pureed meal. Yesterday he began to suck out of a straw.
When he arrived, he was beginning to hold his head, but making only minimal intentional movements. Now, though his head is still wobbly, especially when he is tired, Karl is holding it for longer and longer moments of time, and (with assistance) has begun to sit on his knees, and even try to initiate a roll toward someone when on his back. He can stand in a stander for 20 to 30 minutes as well, continuing work from Vogtareuth.
And regarding his eyesight, the eye doctor confirmed the Regensburger doctors that his vision seems to be just fine. The right eye, which is pulled a bit to the north, again when he is fatigued, could well correct itself on its own. "Come back in three months," he said.
Cognitively, we are convinced that he is there. I am reminded of that saying when somebody is a half bubble off plumb, or simply a bit dazed, that the lights are on but nobody's home. Well, with Karl, the lights are on, somebody's home, but he just can't get to the door. He knows what various animals say, he responds to jokes, he remembers stories, both from before the accident and after. His responses are sometimes right on, sometimes delayed, but we believe that he gathers it all.
But the talking and the moving, those are the biggies, those are where we need the most prayer and the most work. His tongue is still thick, he struggles to get basic words out, and he wants to be moving. His body simply isn't ready yet.
Karl's spirits seem to be good, in large part to the wonderful community here. Thanks to Paul Rohde, campus pastor at Augustana, we gathered a group of people who are willing to get to know Karl and develop a relationship with him. There were at least 12 there, with about a dozen more in the wings. The nursing staff and therapists are terrific with him, and Karl has already been adopted by a few Augie students and grads.
So have we. He, Else, my parents, and I know that we are not alone, and that we are very loved. That helps tremendously.
We are tired but hopeful; eager to know how this will play out but buoyed by every day's progress.
Please, then, continue prayers for Karl, specifically in regards to speech and movement. We need to help this little boy come to the door.
Also for beautiful Else, who is so smart, so catching, such a spitfire. Lord have mercy.
Last week's note was delayed because of server problems. There is, however, a last week's note on the web site if you did not get it. This is a new listserv, and I hope that it does the trick. More pics will be downloaded on the web site later this week!
Peace,
Anna
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