From Hope to Healing


During Marc's time at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, Ontario, following a massive stroke and brain bleed, a friend suggested I start a blog. I'd been making notes each day and updating his progress on Facebook but after some thought, I realized that this could be something that Marc could later read to follow his journey back to health.

I thought it might also serve to help someone else. If it can help even one other person to recognize the signs of a stroke or to help a family member understand what happens during this battle, then it was worth recording.

This is Marc's story. It begins with our hope for his survival and follows his healing journey.

For those of you new to blogs, you can find previous posts in the Blog Archive on the right side of the page. Each post has the date so you can easily follow along day by day. Just click the one you want to read. This story starts on Saturday, December 8, 2012.

(To see the earlier blog posts, click on "2012" in the Blog Archive section and it will open the posts from December)

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Sunday, February 3, 2013 - Home Pass, Day Two

Our second home pass day went just as well as the first. 
Marc made up for lost time with Ceilidh and treated her to a big snuggle.  She was in doggy heaven. 

Cuddles
 Marc waited to have a shower at home today so we could make sure that there weren’t any problems for him getting in and out of our tub.  He did great.  I’ve been helping my mom in and out of the shower for years now, so this was a breeze.  Marc listened to my instructions and it went without a hitch.  He transferred to the tub seat like an old pro. 
In honour of Super Bowl Sunday, we made our traditional chili.  Marc chopped the onions and we called it OT.  He even demonstrated his skill at chopping with his left hand.  Show off.  He still has all his fingers, so we declared it a success.
Chopping Onions for Chili

Our family members popped by in shifts today for visits.  It started to feel like normal life.   I can imagine family get-togethers again and that feeling of fun and love that we used to share. 
A few snowflakes started to drift from the sky before dinner and Marc said, “Boy, the weather is really bad.  I guess I’m snowed in here.” 
Oh, I wish. 
There are a few more steps that Marc needs to accomplish during therapy and then he’ll be ready for home.  We want him home safely, so we will wait. 
Patiently. 
Sort of patiently. 
As patiently as we can. 
Tap, tap, tap, tap....
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3 comments:

  1. AnonymousFebruary 3, 2013 at 7:56 PM

    Your patience will pay off down the line, but I'm sure the desire to have him home and keep him home must be overwhelming at times...

    Hang in there - you are in the "home" stretch now... :-)

    btw - I do hope that you seriously consider turning this into a book. I had no idea how much was involved after a stroke until I started reading your posts - I am so very much in awe of you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lynn Marie CaissieFebruary 4, 2013 at 3:25 AM

    Huzzah for a very successful weekend! As the comment above suggests: patience and desire together will have Marc home under the very best conditions.

    I am so looking forward to your blog this week. I can already sense a renewed motivation. It's absolutely marvelous to witness.

    Here's to a fantastic week!

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownFebruary 5, 2013 at 5:54 PM

    Superbowl...chili....Marc home for the day...what a great combination :)

    ReplyDelete

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