Hey everyone that has been giving my family all those prayers for my grandfather. Wanted to let everyone know whats been going on.
He is still in ICU and has been for the past 2 1/2 months. It continues to be 2 steps forward and one back. This week during the visits we have found out that he has not had a stroke since the heart surgery. We thought maybe something had gone wrong with him still not moving his left side. It just comes down to him being so week. Least that's the docs theory. He still is in and out of the delirium of being in the ICU so long and not being able to communicate and having so much done to his body. This past Monday our grandfather was actually the one we saw. He wanted to talk and it was hard to see him giving up frustrated because we could not understand him. By the next visit he was asleep and then after that back into that dream world. We told the docs we wanted them to find some means for him to be able to communicate. He has not strength to write much less hold a pencil. Next day the voice therapy people began working on him. For a minute they put a piece in his trach to let him try and say something. This he will have to work up to using just like anything else. They have to get his throat as well as he used to it. They said his first word he has uttered since surgery so long ago was.....water. Actually not hard to believe. Lord knows I think I would want some too if I looked as frail as he does. There has been nothing since then though. My sis and I were there yesterday when they were doing this to him and well he was in that state of mind that was not grandfather and he just sat there. The docs left and sis and I read him cards from friends. I followed his eyes and he did actually look at them. I hope and pray it sparked something to awaken in him again. We are gonna pepper this ICU room with pics and other things to stimulate his mind to work again. We are not giving up on him in no way shape or fashion.
We had a funny lil dustup with a couple of the hospital volunteers.(Which for the most part I admire them being there with no pay). Anyway sis and I had gone to lunch and had arrainged with the nurses to go back after we got back but not during normal visiting time. No big deal. We called them when we got back and they said come on back. We went and did out visit. Coming back to the ICU waiting room one of the volunteers decides to have a power trip and asks us "Are you two allowed back there anytime you want?' We were nice at first and told her the nurses said it was fine to come back. Then this ass decides to let us know that we need her approval first. WELLLLL that set both sis and I off and we still nicely let her know that we have been at that hospital going to the ICU for over 2 months and that if she must know we kinda do have liberties that have been arranged through the docs and nurses because of circumstances. If she had a problem with it we gave her the name of the person down in adminstrative who could inform her of who we were. That ended the whole thing lol. Like I said the volunteers are good people and not gonna let one bad apple ruin my opnion of the bushel. We have come to know alot of them anyway because we are there almost everyday. All the other people we have gotten to know have already come and gone with their loved ones and back home. Still we remain. I wont lie and say it does not bother me sometimes to be sitting there and listening to families being told by the docs that their loved one is going home in a couple hours and yet still we are up there praying for just to be able to hear his voice. Then I think yanno Ron..."Be thankful for them and their loved ones." I thank the lord for their good luck and focus again on my own family again.
I can't say enough for all the prayers you all have given. Tyger thanks for keeping a candle lit in your heart for my family. Your a doll suge. We keep up the faith and I ask you all to keep helping us along his journey.
With love from my heart to each and everyone of you. RON STRYKER
