My Dad

My Dad is an amazingly strong man. He has not only survived an unbelievably horrific accident but he is making progress that is breath-taking to behold. Last night he played 2 hands of Canasta with me. This in itself is amazing as just 2 weeks ago he was still in ICU. Just 2 weeks from tomorrow his trach was removed - he is talking up a storm. His speech is a little slurred but getting better all the time. It still possesses that weak, frail quality that matches his fragile condition but this is a man of incredible fortitude. He has had his moments when we all have shaken our heads and wondered how things were going to come out, but we have also had moments of immense thankfulness. I only wish I could see the end of the journey so that I could give him the proper hints along the way. He has many longings right now that I don't know how to answer. He wants to go home to Winnsboro, he wants to be able to drive a car, he wants to go visit Crossroads where he has enjoyed many evenings and "they all talk to me and are so nice". He wants to eat food and drink diet Dr. Pepper; he wants his hand to work right and his brain to get better. He still cannot sit up without getting dizzy and "throwing up. . . not quite, but almost". Oh, but he has come such a long way and we know he is "in there" - the man we love still inhabits the body he was born with. He is and isn't the same man. Right now he is more emotional than I have ever know him to be but he is also as onery and stubborn as he always was. He is fascinating to watch right now as he works through the events surrounding him - very childlike yet much more insightful. I am happy that things are going so well right now, I'm prepared for the steps backward but right now I'm enjoying the growth toward the person he will become.