A Day of Rest -- Superbowl Sunday 2/5/06

Saturday was busy in Rehab, Joseph had some good workouts. Gretchen and Adam strapped him on a table and stood him up (see photo) Notice his grimace as he works out his left arm. He is really working to develop the muscles he has and is really making progress. He was on the speaking valve for eight hours on Saturday and all day today. They are talking about the steps to move him toward getting off the respirator. He is spending most of the days now with little support, just pressure to keep his lungs well inflated. He is building his respiratory muscles each day. Today for the first time they let him go without the respirator for an hour. Elizabeth the respiratory nurse said "I see most patients take three weeks to get to where you have come in just a few days".

He has really enjoyed the visitors, it's been great to see family and friends. The second photo is his 'big sister' from England, Sarah and her new husband. Everyone comes to see if they can lift his spirits and go away with their day brightened. He is so great to be around (the nurses are arm wrestling over who gets to be assigned). He is able to eat very nicely and isn't minding at all, the challenge of getting his full calorie count orally. (That carrot cake isn't bad) He is taking his medications orally as well. He hopes to have the tube out of his nose sometime next week.

Today was a lighter schedule with no physical therapy, he enjoyed the rest. After a shower (a bizarre affair in the "blue boat") and several visitors from the Church Hospital Branch, he got to relax and watch the Superbowl with his friend Matt Smith. The Smiths are his second family and such great friends.

Back in the Thursday Jan. 19th Update, we mentioned the topic of Tim's talk on the Atonement “The Solution to All of Your Problems”. Here is a link to the four resource documents if you are interested. http://josephtaggart.eschaefer.net/Downloads/tabid/55/Default.aspx

(Thanks to Joseph's cousin Cort Schaefer for hosting the link.)