Touched

We were so touched tonight to open email and find that a comment had been put up on the last post - a reminder that David (and family) is still being prayed for. That means so much!

The fact that I haven't posted in over 4 months doesn't mean that everything's back to normal. It's just that if I were to post I'm afraid at this point it would sound very repetitive (and perhaps worse than repetitive?).

As we near the 2 year mark from his stroke, David has gained back so much, yet he is not where he and his doctors thought he would be by now. They were predicting 98% to 99% recovery and that he probably wouldn't notice what was missing. Though encouraging words are nice, it's a little hard when they aren't fulfilled.

I'd put him somewhere between 75% and 85%, with it quite noticeable (to David especially) what is yet missing.

As I've shared in earlier posts, David has all the major elements necessary for work and life. He works full time. He is able to be very involved in church - leading Sunday School and up front singing with the praise team. Things could have been much different, and he very well could have permanently lost the ability to do these things as well, but he didn't, and we're so thankful!

He does still have issues with balance, with sensation, and with knowing where the left side of his body is (arms and legs) if he isn't looking. We just bought a new home, and it is a 2-story house. The stairs are a bit of a challenge, especially when he is barefooted, and especially coming down the stairs. I hope that this may end up being good therapy rather than being a hindrance.

David has a strong and positive spirit, but this constant "visitor" that he doesn't want is always with him. He has a passion for running but really can't engage in that as he would like. In fact, since I last wrote he has developed some problems related to trying to run. He's developed some leg/hip/back pain, which seems to me to be related to overuse of a body that doesn't cooperate with itself like it used to.

The running is the big issue. There are more minor but constant reminders as well. I'll have to ask him why he does this, but he still puts things in his left pocket and then has trouble getting them back out since his left hand can't feel to make things out - what they are or where they are. This can be rather comical (or not) when he has put his cell phone in his left pocket and it starts ringing! There remain sleep issues as well and just other things that don't work the way they used to. Although this has been nearly 2 years he's also not quite at a point where he's just totally acclimated to this "new" body.

As we near the 2-year mark it seems strange. It seems it can't have been 2 whole years ago, but it also seems like it's been far more than 2 years ago! I guess many things in life are like that, huh?

So, as with so many recent posts I've put up, overall things are far better than they could have been, and we are truly deeply grateful for that. Yet it is hard not to be disappointed about what has been lost as well.

To those of you still reading and praying, THANK YOU SO MUCH! We trust a God of miracles, and it sure would be great to have the miracle of David being able to run again as he would like to - and whether he ever is able to or not, it would be a great gift to be able to be at total peace no matter what the final status is of his recovery.