Day 19 - It's Official....

It's Official!

Christmas is going to happen this year. cleo has agreement from all parties to be home from Christmas Eve till the 28th. As we have said there will need to be compromises, and we still have 2 weeks to go, for any further improvements, but at this point everyone is agreed.

The girls were ecstatic, and so was I. Arriving at the hospital cleo met me in the corridor outside the ward at 1pm, with a big smile. Her book, used for "short term memory loss" (they must be joking!) she had got Matron, OT and Physio all to write notes in, and sign to the effect that they all agree to the Christmas at home. She was holding that book so tight, nobody was going to get that away from her. Try telling her they didnt say that now!

cleo did say however that, as we understand happens with stroke patients, she had, after her tears last night cried several times this morning, when she was having various conversations with members of the care team. For no other reason than I think she was relieved to know that she was going to get what she wanted: home for christmas.

I guess thats the first part of her fight on the road to recovery.

I have pretty much organised christmas at home this week, sorting presents, and even buying the turkey, and other bits, right down to frozen yorkshire puddings. This way cleo need not worry, and we know everything is done and we dont have to worry.

At physio this afternoon james really pushed her: working muscles I don't think she knew she had. he fitted a slighly different kind of ankle support to stop her foot rolling when she tries to walk, and this improved her posture tremendously. She really extended herself, and again walked 2 lengths of the bar, about 25 feet each way at the end of which she was, although she wouldn't admit it, absolutely shattered. Of course she still has to be supported, and her left leg hardly moves, its more of a swing from the hip, but nevertheless, what she has already achieved is nothing short of remarkable.

Less than three weeks ago she had a massive stroke, was totally paralysed on her left side, and virtually lost all speech. Now you can't stop her talking, and she cant do enough to get herself better. She is fighting the whole time.

Further to that, we have agreement to bring cleo home for a few hours on Monday. This woman who has been through so much in the last weeks, having got the agreement from the hospital then gets them to agree to allow her to stay out till 10pm. Why? So that before she returns she can kiss her kids goodnight! What can one say. I am continually amazed by her resilience, and the fact that her family means so much to her that even at this time she thinks of them instead of herself.

I am in awe of what she has done, and continues to do, and my love for her is deeper now than it was before. Words cannot express what I feel, and although many times I have tried, I just cannot find a way to show that.

Christmas Spirit

As we had the confirmation about Christmas I am reminded of the wonderful Greg Lake song, the last verse of which is particularly relevant:

They said there'll be snow at Christmas
They said there'll be peace on Earth
But instead it just kept on raining
A veil of tears for the Virgin's birth
I remember one Christmas morning
A winters light and a distant choir
And the peal of a bell and that Christmas Tree smell
And their eyes full of tinsel and fire
They sold me a dream of Christmas
They sold me a Silent Night
And they told me a fairy story
'Till I believed in the Israelite
And I believed in Father Christmas
And I looked at the sky with excited eyes
'Till I woke with a yawn in the first light of dawn
And I saw him and through his disguise

I wish you a hopeful Christmas
I wish you a brave New Year
All anguish pain and sadness
Leave your heart and let your road be clear
They said there'll be snow at Christmas
They said there'll be peace on Earth
Hallelujah Noel be it Heaven or Hell
The Christmas you get you deserve.

After this few weeks cleo and the girls deserve the best Christmas ever and I will do all I can to make that come true. For me the perfect Christmas will simply be to have her at home and see her smile. Thats better than any present.