"Attitude of Gratitude"...Day 11 at the U

  Today was a good day for Dad. Yesterday he was so sleepy and did not want to do anything, but today he did walk with Physical Therapy and had a couple bites of food. He was up more too.He also was able to tell us he was at the "University medical Center," yesterday he couldn't remember that detail. Keep in mind that when I say it was a good day, things didn't get worse and maybe only slightly better. When I say he was "up more" and talking, I mean talking more normal, because he isn't all the way with it, and still confused. With time, things will begin to come back!  We are all learning patience.
  The other day I was talking with my aunt Jill about what I call "Gratitude Journals". I told her about them a few years ago, after someone else described them to me, and she has now used one and had her patients use them before too. The concept is to make one entry a day in your journal about something you are grateful for, even if it is only one sentence or one word. Well, that conversation got me thinking and now I am going to take this "attitude of gratitude" and find one thing while at the hospital with my dad, that I (or someone there) is grateful for that happened while visiting with Dad and write it in my daily blog entries. That way we can share these fun thoughts and maybe all appreciate our lives a little more while traveling on this journey we didn't (especially my mom and dad!) expect to take. 
   Today I am grateful for the Hukilau Beach in Hawaii. Why? Well, today Dad said something I didn't quite catch except for the last word "Hukilau". This was interesting because the other day I showed him pictures from our Hawaii trip when we went to Hukilau beach. So I showed him the pictures again, he halfway watched the picture slideshow and halfway listened to me talk about it, but I think he enjoyed it. Even though he can't express it, I think he remembers that trip now. About an hour later, out of the blue he says again "I want the Hukilau" so this time Natalie showed him the pictures and he just watched and listened to her describe our Hawaii photos. Whatever this means, I think it's progress!
   That blasted infection totally set my dad back because he doesn't have much of an appetite and gets tired easily (partly from the infection and partly from the head injury). The doctors are giving him medicine to make him more awake, which compared from yesterday, seems to maybe have worked. We are thinking by next week he will be doing some rehab downstairs, floor 2, of the University Hospital. I think therapy will help with talking and remembering as well. Keep going Dad!! You have a lot of fans cheering you on!