Epilogue

ONWARDS AND UPWARDS

I thought that I should close this chapter by announcing that Chris is engaged and about to start a new life.

He (and his adorable & lovely Fiancée) can be found on Facebook...where he loves to leave me messages that begin and end with the word "idiot"
...still an insatiable tease.

Looking back at his journey throughout this journal, I've come to appreciate how tenuous and precious Life really is. 
Our friendships define and mold us.
We adapt and adjust to accomodate our circumstances, but our relationships will always be our the most precious gifts.

I'm so happy for Chris.
He has always been a Giver, and I believe that somehow his karmic cache of goodwill was atleast partially responsible for his second chance.

His sense of humor and compassion remain intact as his body continues to strengthen.

All in all, I've come to realise that I'm just as lucky as he was...
well, almost!  :)

SHORT TRIP ON MAY LONG

Chris is okay.

Tonight around suppertime Chris had a seizure, not another stroke. ..he was discharged just before 1 am.

His Mom discovered him on the floor and although he quickly recovered, he was sent to the hospital afew blocks away. He had a few tests to be sure... some bloodwork, a CT scan and heart monitoring.

The attending Doctor said that there was no evidence of any new damage and that seizures were not uncommon with stroke patients. His speech and newfound mobility were unaffected. Chris was prescribed some medication and shown the door.

Chris remained in good spirits throughout his 5 hour visit...his daughter and I entertained (distracted and kept him awake) until his son returned to help him in the car and take him home. 

As you can imagine Chris was ECSTATIC to get out of there, and I have to admit that it was awful seeing him back in a gown.

Onwards and upwards!

Hopefully the medication works and Chris can continue his remarkable progress.

A "NEW" YEAR

Just thought that I'd write a brief post about how Chris is managing.
I am happy to report that Chris is in high spirits when we get together.

He seems to have adjusted to his new place and routine. Chris manages to get on his Blog and Facebook once and a while.

More than anything Chris is embracing his freedom.
I think that he realises how lucky he is and that he has received a gift..
so he hasn't complained once about how different it is. 

Chris appears to be surprisingly compliant about his "rules" concerning his recovery...
he seems to sense that there isn't a magic wand to wave or some secret shortcut to his synaptic resurgence.

This afternoon he teased me mercilessly in front of my wife and youngest son..
he even made jokes about me to my oldest son on the phone...
and he loved every minute of it..
so did I.

I'm sure that there are moments when he is really struggling and like everyone else, I wish that there was more that I could do. I don't know if he understands how far he has come so far.

I do know that he obviously wishes it was further, but somethings just take time...something that he bought a little more of last year through sheer determination. So I have high hopes that his will to exceed his expectations is percolating night and day.

All that I can say is that making him laugh and goofing around is something that I treasure. One of these days he may ask more of me and hopefully I will be ready, until then, I'm thrilled to be able to spend time with him.

I have some excellent news for those of you (like me) who find themselves needlessly oversharing in the cyber-vortex of Facebook..

Chris is now oot & aboot...

and just in time for Winter! 

Chris posted on his Blog .

I hope to get him going on his Facebook page this week because it would probably be easier for everyone involved.

Click on over and say hello  :)

*SCROLL TO THE END TO SEE UPDATE

MAKING NEW MEMORIES

After six months of recuperating from a series of strokes, Chris finally made it Home.

I don't need to tell you how happy he is or point out that he has just begun a new phase of his Life. 

Chris intentionally displayed his re-acquired ability to get around and do ordinary things that most of us take for granted.

I sat back and listened to him explain how he intends to re-master everyday living as much as he can..
and then some  :)

I'd be glad to forward his new mailing address & phone number however I also intend on getting him back online this week!

Before I left, his two favorite people arrived and this picture says it all.

After some chit-chat I left so that they could start making some new memories.

There will be some new hurdles ahead, but right now, I think that we should savour the moment and be grateful.

*Well LOOK who is back online!
Forget about emailing Chris for a while because his computer will be retrieving all of his messages for a few days...
but, you could go and leave a comment
HERE

I watched him post about an hour ago.....:)

CHRIS IS BEING DISCHARGED @ NOON, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20th.

This week Chris will be doin' his thang on his own.

He will be monitored but the staff would like to see how he goes about his routine unassisted...

get himself ready and down to physio etc.

The final preparation for his release.

I told him about all of your salutations and he was tickled pink...and he wanted me to say thank you.

Here are a few snaps from his party;

Good luck this week buddy.

BIRTHDAY PRESENT

Chris will probably be released by the end of November...maybe next Friday?

Chris continues to make terrific gains in physio therapy and the reward for all of his latest efforts will mean the difference between relying more on his walker than a wheelchair.

Chris is able to walk on his own for short distances. This will make a big difference while getting around his apartment.

Chris also mentioned that he would like to get two kittens or cats to keep him company, although I don't know if pets are allowed in his apartment?

Next Sunday Chris turns 54.

I'm hoping that they'll let me take him out to a movie.

My best guess is that he'll be released the following Friday and begin the next phase of his journey.

I am going to help him get set up on his computer and make it as easy as possible for him to access his Facebook and Blog sites.

Naturally you should expect a lot of brief "hi" and "thanks"  replies for a while until he regains his stride on the keyboard, won't that be fantastic?

I'm planning to post a photographic essay on his return home and then my original mandate will have been completed.

I'll post his links & email address here to ensure that you can get in touch.

I hope that Chris will be able to look back on these pages and appreciate how far he has come..

and like you, I look forward to reading his "take" on it someday soon.

Thank you all for the encouragement.

TREATING WITH TRICKERY

Today being Hallowe'en, I thought that I would surprise Chris with a visit from Doctor McScreamy!

Make a Smilebox greeting

Scarrrrry stuff eh?

Don't worry he'll pay me back in spades when he gets back online :)

Anyway, I assured Chris that I was there to give him a routine check-up.

I told Chris that I couldn't find anything
wrong with him but just to be sure,

I was putting him on my home-made medication for the next few weeks.

Now just to prove that Chris was unharmed during the making of this posting, here he is with the treats I brought along to bribe him into playing along with my dorky  trick.

Chris assured me that he is making great strides in physio while he "patient"-ly awaits his release.

His roomate (and credible eye-witness Bob), who was kind enough to take these photos, concurred with Chris's prognosis.

Hang in there Chris.