Tuesday evening, April 15 - 11:10 PM

Hi! Today was another progressive day. Nothing really new just improvment on what has already transpired. When we say he is talking ... he IS ... yet it is not yet 'his voice' .... the muscles of the jaw, mouth etc are very weak and he has periodic issues with excessive saliva yet he is speaking well. It just sounds rather 'slurred' or like his tongue is still frozen from being at the dentist office..... .. In the mornings it is clearer and more articulate than later in the day. It is very exhausting for him. In answer to the question several have asked....he is no longer considered 'semi-coma' ..... he is at level 5 of the 10 levels of the ____________.(oh I can't remember what it is called and my book is at the hospital) In speech class this morning he did 100%.....tomorrow at 11 a.m. MST he will have the swallow test ... IF this is 100% he will begin on liquids and soft foods!!!!!!!!!!! PTL!!!! Please pray this test goes well! Also please pray the 'hiccups' not return .... the poor man had a MAJOR case of them THREE times today and it truely EXHAUSTED him .... they literally lasted about a half hour each time....and they are a BAD case ..... In speech class Jen had me use some pictures of family for him to identify .... when given the picture of him and his grandparents at his college graduation, she asked who the man was and he thinks a minute and replies, "Maurice" ... which IS his grandfathers name but we were expecting Grandaddy~what he calls him!! It was AWESOME!!! On the one of him and his sister WITHOUT hesitation he says "Denise". We even gave him a picture of me, my mother and six siblings and he identified all but my oldest three ... he got stuck there. We arrived at PT early and I sat my purse in the chair by his wheelchait, got a glass of water and returned and he had my purse in his lap. I sat down with my water and he hands me my purse and goes, "Let's go" .... He initiated the playing of 'war' with cards ... he whooped his Aunt Jane and I .... but not Jessica.... oh well!! It's all in the luck of the fall of the card, Right??? There will be an MRI scheduled in the very near future to determine the right shoulder injury. Please pray whatever is wrong with this shoulder can be corrected with exercise and physical therapy and not need surgery. and that his arm will be strong enough and usable where walking is concerned (ie: holding onto the bars, etc) He still has a major sublexation (sp?) .... (his arm is seperated from his shoulder socket ....) God is SOOOOOO merciful and gracious!!! We thank you more than we can adequately express for your prayers on behalf of Dwight, Denise, Joe and myself. This is what is getting us through this volume of our lives! I think it would be fun to write a book about these four months and the coming months ..... May God find us faithful! joan for us 4 1 Cor 2:5 ....."so that 'our' faith rest not on the wisdom of men but on the POWER OF GOD"......