Yesterday was an all around busy day.  I knew we were going to have a super busy afternoon, so I insisted Marty rest all morning.  It's a good thing he did.

On the way to the Neurologist (about 45 minutes from our home) I could tell that Marty was still in a funk. He had is IPAD to speak for him.  He said he was "fine".  I said I could sense he wasn't fine.  He said he was still mad but trying not to be mad.  I told him I was sorry he was mad.  I wanted to help him to not be mad.  He said he was more confused than mad, but mad was how he was showing his confusion.  I asked what he was confused about.  He said that people he doesn't know bring him food, treats, gifts, clean our house, and come to visit.  However his own wife and children weren't doing anything to help.  I apologized that he felt that way.  I told him that the girls and I are trying our hardest to help him in every way that we know how to help him. I apologized that his needs weren't being met.  I told him I wished I was a mind reader so I could stop doing the things that he didn't need me to do and start doing the things he did need me to do.  At that point his whole demeanor changed.  It was as though he understood.  He was frustrated that I didn't automatically know everything he needs.  I suppose patience with each other is another great life lesson we are re-learning.

His neurologist is highly concerned.  Marty is young and relatively healthy.  He can't find a cause for what happened.  A stroke is caused by a blood clot or a broken vein.  They can't find either.  There is damage, but no apparent cause.  He didn't have a fall, or injury of any kind.  He wants to do another MRI tomorrow.  The place they are sending us to tomorrow has better equipment and can see things that the first scan may have missed.  He is pleased with how quickly the connections in  his brain are reforming and again gave us a high probability of full recovery.

Marty also had speech therapy yesterday.  When his speech therapist asked Marty how his weekend was, he said "mad".  I just about laughed.  She asked why he was mad.  He motioned that he forgets to eat and can't talk.  She said she wished she could forget to eat and that she will teach him to talk.  She started with giving Marty categories and asking him to name three things in that category.  Holidays:  Easter, Thanksgiving Halloween.  Streets near home:  Euston, Dartmore, Spanker  States on the east coast:  Georgia, fl. . fl.  . fl. . Maine, New York.  ( I guess Florida was too hard to say)  She then said she wanted to work on sequences that should be easy to remember.  Days of the week, counting to 10, months of year.  It is very hard for Marty to initiate his speech.  Once he gets started, he can do pretty good, but starting the word, or series of words is very difficult.  She plays a metronome while Marty speaks to help him with rhythm.  Marty concentrates so hard.  His eyes are usually shut and he is straining to think, remember, and say.  Knowing we are only 25 days post stroke, his progress is remarkable.  At the end of the session she asked if he was okay.  He said, "tired . . . good tired"  I'm thankful he can recognize that learning is tiring, but it's a good tiring.  I asked Ann if there were things that we can do at home to assist with his speech.  I told her I had threatened to throw away his notebook.  She laughed.  She said to not use the notebook as a crutch.  She told Marty he should try to say at least one word that he would normally write down every time he feels like he needs to write something.  She also asked him to repeat the days of the week, months of the year and to start singing.  She asked if there are songs that he knows every word to.  He should listen to those songs on the radio or in the shower and start to try to sing them at the top of his lungs.  When we got out to the car I told Marty that the only song that I knew he knew all the words to was "I like big butts" (it's really called baby got back).  He looked puzzled.  I told him we'd look it up when we got home.

Just to make matters worse, we went to Sam's after his therapy.  We really needed milk and just a few other things.  I had decided I wanted to fill a basket with easy snacks for Marty so when he gets hungry, he has easily accessible items to choose from.  I know this isn't the most healthy way to go, but we tried to choose healthier processed foods.

There's crackers, pudding, jerky, granola bars, rice krispy treats and Gardetto's snack mix.  I am hoping that when his alarm goes off to remind him to eat, if he's hungry, he can grab a less than 100 calorie snack and keep his blood sugar regulated. 

As I was assembling Marty's basket, I heard this from the family room:  (warning - not a child friendly song - wish I could have thought of a more appropriate song, but this is kind of funny!)




I think we'll also try this song too!  It's a lot more appropriate.




As were were getting ready for bed, I would tell Marty wanted something.  His notebook was in the family room so I asked him to say it.  After a little bit of a struggle he said, "I don't know name"  I almost cheered.  I asked him to point and I would teach him the name.  Every day are small victories.  Today were larger victories.  By the time we went to bed, we were all exhausted.  However it was a good tired.