Smiles!

The morning routine around the Giles’ house is a bit different than most. If it’s a weekend, I try to give Mom a little break by taking care of Chris in the morning around seven-ish, at least getting him turned and getting his food going (of course, the dog gets us up to go out around 5:30 or 6:00 and then wants to be fed). The routine consists of repositioning Chris in bed, off his side and on to his back, telling him good morning, we love him, giving him and hug and kiss and telling him how great he looks. Chris usually does a morning stretch and then verbalizes a bit as if to say, “leave me alone. Can’t you see I’m trying to sleep!” And he usually has a little “bed-head” going on. He looks great!
We get the food going (two cans of Jevity 1.2) and morning meds, turn on NPR so he gets to hear a bit of what’s going on in the world and then we usually have a cup or two of tea while Chris is having his first feed of the day. I usually go back to bed while he’s eating and Mom takes over giving meds, shaving him, washing his face. He hates getting his face washed. If it’s a bath day, the bath comes next beginning with a shampoo and moving on from there. When we finally get Chris up, he’s fully dressed, has been fed, and looks great! Mom, mind you, is doing all of this on her own during the week!
Chris goes on his exercise bike (Motomed) every morning for an hour. We wheel him up to the machine, strap his feet into the feet pads and then off he goes on a spin class as Mom calls it for about an hour – usually about twenty kilometers worth. On weekends we’re usually having breakfast while Chris is on his bike. As a nice sidebar, I’ve gotten a full Irish three weeks running now! The works, eggs, Irish Sausages, bacon rashers, black and white pudding, fried tomatoes, toast and jam and, of course, a glass of orange juice and tea! Yum!
Chris gets wheeled into the sitting room after his motomed session and we usually put the television on, usually PBS with the beginning of the Saturday morning line up of DIY shows. Mom was off doing the morning chores this Saturday and I had left the room for something. Chris will sometimes pull his head out of his headrest and it results in his head lying forward on his chest, looking down. When I walked back into the sitting room, there he was with his head lying forward on his chest, having pulled his head out of the head rest. It was the top of the hour and as I walked over to lift his head up for him I noticed the “Create” program was just changing to a new program. As I lifted Chris’s head up I said, “Chris, what are you doing?” Glancing back at the TV I went on, “how can you watch “Sewing with Nancy” with your head on your chest?” Chris gave me the biggest smile I have ever seen! And from both sides, not just the left side that he favors when he normally smiles! I pushed a bit with, “how can you learn to sew if you’re not looking at the TV?” His smile got bigger! He was really enjoying my teasing him and it melted my heart! I gave him a big hug to show how happy he had made me (and to hide my tears), but I was absolutely overjoyed! We’re on our way to good things! That’s the normal ribbing we would have done before his accident. And it’s great to know he still enjoys it!
This Monday morning as I left for work, as I usually do, I go into Chris’s room to tell him goodbye and wish him a good day and to remind him to “practice” moving head, arms, legs, feet. This morning as I grabbed his left hand and gave him a hug and told him to remember to practice movements, he pulled my hand up to his chest with his left arm and then put it back down to his left side, giving a slight “whew” as he completed the movement! He made my day – again! He wanted to show me that he can move and has obviously been practicing, or at least, thinking about the movement. He puts me on cloud nine with the progress knowing that we’re moving in the right direction and that he’s there and trying hard! I feel like we’re on the verge of good things. Chris gives us hope when you least expect it! In the midst of his great personal tragedy and adversity, he finds the strength to gives us hope and to continue fighting! What a lovely young man and what strength of character!
Hope you all have a great day too!
We’ll get there!
Dad