Dear Friends of Denny,

Dad has been having a good week. Although he can not stand by himself yet, he wants to walk. He has been so enthusiastic about his physical therapy, that the therapist is following his lead. The therapist brought a walker, and Dad has been able to walk with its assistance five feet at a time! It is pretty amazing.

He has been in good spirits, though he does get bored with being confined to a bed or a chair (see his enthusiasm for walking above). He has spent his time drawing maps of the family woods for the grandkids and watching the Giants' games.  Mom is also reading the classics aloud to him each night. They've gone through Treasure Island and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and are on to Kidnapped. All of us kids have had a number of excellent conversations on the phone with him. His ability to carry on extended conversations is really growing. We talk about the grandkids, current events, what we are up to, and even hear some new stories. For example, we were talking about my Environmental History class, and I learned that Dad met David Brower, the influential Sierra Club leader from the 1950s and 60s. I had no idea!

And finally, YOU ARE INVITED: Dad's birthday is next month. Mom would like to invite you to celebrate with them. The Birthday Party Open House will be on the Tuesday, May 21st from 1:00 until 5:00pm. Please drop in for coffee and cake and to wish Dad a happy birthday. He has a lot to celebrate this year!

Dad showing some of the beautiful trilliums growing on Graham Road. A sign of spring!

Dear Friends of Denny,

Dad has had a good couple of weeks. He has had a number of visitors and really enjoyed all of the company. To mention a few: His lunch group brought their lunches out one Friday to eat with him and really lifted his spirits. His godson, Mike, came by to visit before heading to Alaska for the summer. Marc Matteoli brought the news that an elevator has been installed in St. Bernard's Parish Hall, so Dad will be able to get to the Knights of Columbus meetings when he is able to get out and about again. The visits really do him good. Before the stroke, he always enjoyed running errands where he might bump into friends and catch up on all the news. It is hard for him to be homebound, and your company is a great gift. Mom also appreciates your visits. She was able to take a few days to visit her girlfriends and relax. She felt secure knowing that Dad had good company while she was gone.

During the week, he has been keeping busy with his physical healing as well. He's been regularly doing his physical and speech therapy and is getting stronger and stronger. He reports that he is sitting up by himself and has also been working on standing with the therapist. He isn't quite doing it alone, but there is only a minimum of assistance. He continues to take his daily walks on Graham Road, and has been keeping us posted on all the signs of spring. As you can see from the photo above, the flowers are all in bloom!

Dad on Graham Road

Indeed, all three of us kids have been talking to him on the phone regularly. We've noticed his voice is much stronger. He often tells us about his visitors and his walks. We talk about the Giants and the birds he's seen at the birdfeeder. He is excited about everything we are doing, and tells us that he is looking forward to having all the grandkids visit this summer.

Thanks for your patience with the slightly longer than usual time between updates. We hope all is well with your families. Thank you for keeping ours in your thoughts.

The Cahills

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Dear Friends of Denny,
Dad's sister Cathy stopped by for an Easter visit with Dad, she writes:

Stopped by to see your dad yesterday afternoon and we were  delighted with our visit!

He is SO much better now that he is home.  He was in the playroom in his wheelchair watching Titanic and immediately began telling us about the different birds he has been seeing out of the window over his desk.  He also pointed out the water fountain that Kevin had fixed.  He had us watch part of a video that showed the helicopter ride he and your Mom had taken in Hawaii.  We talked about Irene Schultz, the different kinds of birds in the bird room at EHS, and Christine and Bill's trip to Washington DC although he was unsure of the reason for the trip.  We also talked about Tammy Lindley and Marianne Lancaster, past science teachers as Mike, his caregiver knew them.  

We were so impressed with his alertness, his clarity, and his stamina in sitting up straight in the wheelchair for 45 minutes.  He also was moving the wheelchair around a little as he sat there.  He is becoming more adept at handling it. I don't think it will be much longer before he will be moving all over.

Being back home is the best thing for him.  He sat there and engaged in a conversation with us, initiating some of it while looking right at us the whole time. It is the best visit and conversation we have had with him since before the stroke.

And, last but not least, before we left he told us 3 knock-knock Easter jokes!!! He is definitely on the road to a meaningful recovery!!