Silver lining: found another!

Yesterday I loaded up the littles and we headed to my parents house for the day.  While my Mom watched my two children I took my Dad out to do some stuff.  It was a ton of fun!  I love being with him!  He asked me if I would take him to the hospital and show him where he was in a coma.  We started to drive up and he changed his mind.  So we turned around.  Then he said he wanted to be brave and do it.  So we did!  One of the two rooms he had in the NCCU was open and the nurse let us go in and stand there a while.  It was amazing to be there again with my Dad standing up this time.  The last time I had seen him in that room he had tubes in his nose,  throat, neck, head, arms, "blah blah blah blah blah blah blah" (a Groundhog Day quote there :).  I had, in fact, been looking at a picture taken of him in that room earlier in the day and I had a really clear remembrance of what it was like spending those days in there wondering what in the world would happen.

Dad and James in their sweet hats

I really don't mean to make light of the hemorrhagic stroke, or the traumatic brain injury, or anything else.  But I have to say, that maintaining a sense of humor can make things really fun and really funny.  Dad will often say the craziest things.  Such as (and this type of thing is the "silver lining" I'm talking about) walking into the hospital he said "Now, if you see any nurses or people that took care of me here I want you to point them out."  Okay, no problem.  As we walked into the main hospital foyer, he gets a big smile on his face and starts waving at this nice looking older woman who looked like she was visiting too.  "Hi, Sharon!" he says.  Then he turns to me "She was one of my favorite nurses in here. I think.  But if she wasn't that is what I want to do when I see my favorite nurses."  It was funny.  Then in the NCCU we ran into a man there who helped coordinate things.  He recognized us and said hello, told my Dad he looked great and added "But you were pretty out of it, I wouldn't expect you to remember me."  Dad replied "Well, I do remember this real ugly guy with about your build."  I am laughing about that one as I am writing about it.  It was a good thing that man knew about the TBI, I was laughing to much to say anything.

At home later, the dog Sofie, John (my little brother) and my son were in the same room, probably where John was brainwashing Jimmy Jim about playing football for the U when he grows up.  My Dad comes in and points in that room.  He was trying to get me to help him with Sofie's name.  Here is that conversation:

Dad: What is his name?
Liz: John?
Dad: No.
Liz: James?
Dad: No, the little one.
Liz: John?
Dad: Yeah, thats it.  Come here Johnny!  Come here!  That's right!  Good dog!

Really it is pretty sad that he struggles with the names of people he loves most, but what else is there to do but try to laugh about it?  Sometimes it is just tears and frusteration, but we try to just laugh when we can.  Dad is such a good sport and usually joins right in laughing.  He is such a great man!