A MOST MEMORABLE CHRISTMAS

Well, it certainly wasn't the Christmas we had planned...

but it turned out too be a pretty darn good one, nonetheless. Thursday evening daughter Lex and I were both rubbing our hands together in glee, saying this was going to be the best Christmas ever -- she because of the very special someone she'd be sharing it with, and I because of the fabulous surprise gifts I came up with for my hubby.  The very next morning hubby woke up with numbness down the entire right side of his body.  Well, we all knew what that meant, and it's pretty much our worst nightmare, considering how his poor dad spent his final years.  We rushed him straight to the hospital over in Austin.

They did CAT scans, sonograms of carotid arteries, and finally, an MRI, which verified that he had indeed had a mild stroke.  The good news was that he was still completely lucid, could talk, and could walk around on his own.  The neurologist said there wasn't anything he could do for him, so he gave orders for a physical therapist to come evaluate him.  We sat around the hospital all day yesterday waiting for that, chomping at the bit to be home with the three kids and grand dog who were now there.  No one ever showed up though, and my hubby was one sad puppy when I left the hospital last night.

This morning we decided that, if he couldn't come home for Christmas, we'd just have to take Christmas to him -- at least the stocking part, which he loves most of all!

John scurries around, adding to the various stockings all the extra stuff that he picked up after we agreed that they each had enough, and we were done shopping!

Nothing makes that man happier than watching his loved ones open their prezzies!

Guess who showed up while we were there?  The therapist!  She made him walk all around the hallways unassisted and climb some stairs, tested the strength in his hands, arms and legs, asked him a million questions, then pronounced that he needed no therapy and had a clean bill as far as she was concerned. Woohoo!  The doctor at the hospital ordered an "echo", to make sure none of this has affected his heart.  The only problem now is getting someone in to "read" the test.  They weren't wanting to do that until tomorrow, but John's doctor is doing his best to find someone who will go ahead and do it today, so they can let that boy come home and open those super-duper presents that are still waiting for him here.  Keep your fingers crossed!