Sunday 26Jan

 

The photo is a little bit to grab attention, but it is also fitting for today. I got this love knot ring in the mail earlier this week. It is a double knot ring that symbolized strong bonds and relationships. I ordered this back at the end of December from Etsy because I really loved it and what it symbolized and it feels extra special now given our new circumstances. In addition, Brian's aunt and cousins, my sister in law and my niece took me to get my nails done last Saturday as a way to help be there for me and do something special for me with all of this going on. I chose to get my nails painted in a forget me not blue (as close as they had) color since I thought that was fitting for our situation because Brian better not forget me. 😉

Now for Brian's update. This is going to be hard to put into words because today was seriously the best day that we have had since Brian's accident and I don't even know if I can fully express everything. Eric (Brian's brother) and Isaac (our nephew) got to the hospital right after I did today and at about the same time, the respiratory therapist was coming into Brian's room in order to switch him over to the trach collar. Brian was super sweaty (per usual) so I was grabbing a paper towel to wipe his forehead for him. I heard Eric say, "did he just respond to you?" but didn't really think much of it because everyone (including myself) talk to Brian when we are doing things and have the whole time, so I just ignored Eric's comment. But when I started to wipe up the sweat off his forehead and said something like, "oh man, does that feel so much better" and HE NODDED! 😭😭😭😭 

When the respiratory therapist was finished getting Brian all situated, we started to ask Brian questions to see if he would keep responding. I can't even fully express the joy we all felt in that moment. Since Isaac was back there with Brian, Eric asked if Brian remembered Isaac and Brian nodded and looked right at Isaac. 🥹 We stayed back with Brian for a while (while Lincoln was by himself in the waiting room 🙁) and continued to talk to Brian. After a bit, we swapped people out so Lincoln could come back too (because the charge nurse today was the best ever). When we first walked in I asked Brian if he remembered Lincoln and he nodded. Cue the tears (both in the moment and right now writing this). We hung out back there and talked to him for a bit, just so amazing.

Something that many people don't know is that Brian has terrible eyesight in one of his eyes, but 20/20 vision when using both eyes without any vision correction. He has been like this since he was a kiddo and his brain just adapted to only use his one eye. Both Eric and I knew this but couldn't remember which was the bad eye. A few years back I made him go to the eye doctor with me when we were still living in Fort Collins and he got some glasses to try out. The eye doctor said that he didn't really need them since he had 20/20 vision without correction, but just to see if Brian liked being able to use both eyes. Brian did not. He tried the glasses for about a week and he said he just had horrible headaches every day. But we still had the glasses in the house so I tried them on to see which one was Brian's bad eye. Well, his bad eye is the right eye which is the only he has been mainly opening. He has been opening up his left a bit more each day though which is great. 

Anyway, long story long, I brought Brian's glasses to the hospital today and I asked him if he wanted me to get his glasses for him so he could see better and he vehemently shook his head. 😅 So he is definitely responding the expected way to our questions. 

Brian also had several other visitors throughout the day and was responding to everyone a bit here and there. He was definitely getting more tired throughout the day, but was still aware of everyone who was in and around him. At the end of the day Lincoln and I went back again to chat a bit and to say good night to him. Today was the first time that I could tell Brian that we were going to go home for the night and come back again in the morning and he showed his understanding. His nurse said he had asked Brian if that was his son and Brian nodded to that also. 😭 

So in summary, today was such a massively huge step forward!