My daddy had to go into the hospital last week for hernia surgery. He was there early Tuesday morning and was supposed to come home Wed. morning. Around 3:00 pm we were told he was in a room and we could go up and see him. He got all settled into bed and as we began to ask him how he felt he began talking in what seemed to be a different language. We could not understand anything he said to us. We immediately called the nurse and she spoke with him a minute and turned to ask us if he spoke English. I told her he only spoke English and something was definitely wrong. The doctor was called in and he told us the pain med were too strong and he was given a shot to help break down the medicine. the doctor told us by the next morning that daddy would be back to normal. The next morning he still could not communicate with us verbally and couldn't tell us who we were. Doctors began running tests and we soon learned he had suffered a stroke. Each day I go to visit daddy. One night I spent overnight with him. He lay in bed staring at the ceiling until I spoke to him. He would look at me and answer. I could understand parts of the words he said, very few. I asked him if he knew me and he assured me he did. I asked him to tell me my name and he said five names in a row and not one was even close to my name. I just said almost daddy, it is Wendy. The next morning he sat on the side of his bed and I sat in a chair next to him and we began to talk. He would say things and I would guess at words I thought I recognized until he would say yes. I would repeat him so he could hear what I heard him saying and he would laugh at me, then say he couldn't and turn to lay down again. A few minutes would pass and he would look my way and try again. I would do the same as before until I could guess what he was trying to tell me. I laughed with him, I told him it was OK and that it was just going to take time. He never gave up. He did get frustrated but he never gave up. As others came in I would ask him who they were and he got some right, others he would say he knew but would say the wrong name. We have been going over names and numbers and colors everyday. It has been six days and he now knows blue, green, white and blacken. He calls me Wednesday. Two days ago he wanted to write his name so Dusty wrote it on a piece of paper and gave the paper to him. He struggled, then wrote his name. She took a picture of it and sent it to me on my phone. I was so happy I cried on my way home. Yesterday he wanted to write more so we have been writing the alphabet and telling him each one and the sound each makes. Some he gets right away others he says words for the letters. He said I love you to my mama over the phone and smiled the other day. Wow, he was so handsome and so very precious. I sat with him last night and we wrote peoples names. Time will tell if he remembers how to do this on his on one day. He will go to rehab soon and he will begin to learn certain things all over again. He can feed himself, walk, laugh, cry, go to bathroom on his on, and wash himself. He cannot tell you what his thoughts are plain. But I know he will one day. I know this because even as he gets frustrated and turns away, I can sense him thinking of a way to communicate, and he starts again and works through the jumble in his mind until he says it in a way we can understand. He says he has a long way to go. He says he has to get back to work. I tell him God will take care of us all and he will learn how to do everything again soon. My daddy inspires me. No matter what has been shoved at him his entire life, he gets past it. He is the strongest willed man I have ever known. I don't worry over him getting mad or sad and giving up, it is not in him, he stops for a moment rethinks and goes forward. Pray for my daddy. Everyday now I see him through different eyes. I hear him through different ears. He has taught me so very much this past week. To hear him say Wednesday, I love you, is such a beautiful sound. We are gonna make it through this. I will keep you all posted as he gets better.
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From @wendynoel