Kicking cancer's ass - day 369

I'd like to give a little update on my dad.
He still has inpatient status at a rehab center at a hospital.  He does occupational, speech and physical therapy six days a week (when he cooperates, which sometimes he doesn't).  He spends quite a bit of time sitting up in the chair, can pull himself up to stand holding the parallel bars, feeds himself (with his left hand) and recognizes my voice and my kids' voices from messages we leave for him.  All of that is GREAT.

Some is not so great, though.  He's very frustrated and down.  I'm not an expert on stroke patients, but I would think that is fairly normal as they begin to realize how limited they really are, and how much of their former selves they've lost.  Sometimes he's very testy and doesn't always want to do what they ask him to. He's also very confused sometimes.  Marion goes sometimes for his therapy sessions and he does very well with her.  I told her she needs to add physical therapist to her resume!  His right leg is essentially paralyzed, and most of the time he has a catheter because the stroke caused him to lose bladder control/feeling.

Now on to the scary stuff.  A doctor from the hospital called me yesterday.  They had done another CT scan on my dad because they want to start him on blood thinners to avoid him getting any blood clots in his right leg since he can't move it.  The CT scan showed two "worrisome" lesions, but the doctor said at this point explaining it in any way would be pure speculation.  He wants a better look at them, so he asked for my consent for a brain MRI with contrast.  So that's next on Dad's agenda sometime this week, and hopefully it will show the doctors what they need to see.

Please keep Dad in your prayers.  We know his recovery is going to be long, and maybe even limited, but with help and prayers, I have faith that we can get some of the old Opa back!  He listened to the voice mail that J & K left for him yesterday, and Marion said afterward he smiled and said, "Nice".  I'm glad we can bring even a little sunshine to his days.