On The Road Again.....

Strange things happened today. But monumental ones, as well.

We went to the grocery store this morning and on our way home Mark was trying to tell me something. He started a sentence and then just stopped. I thought he was trying to think of the right word so I started throwing some out that I thought were appropriate. But that wasn't it. I stopped in the middle of the road to watch his physical demeanor for signs of seizure. He was producing small noises, but no words. He was looking at me while he was trying to actually speak. NOTHING WAS COMING OUT! This lasted for about 15-20 seconds, and then he said, "What the hell was that?" He said that he knew what he wanted to say, he knew who I was and that he was still with me mentally, but he couldn't make his mouth work. Needless to say, it freaked us both out.

As we pulled into the driveway, tears welled up in his eyes. He said that experience really scared him and wondered if this was how it was going to be for the rest of his life. He wondered if he was ever going to get his life back. He wondered if he was doomed to be an "unemployed, stupid talking idiot".

I thought I needed to let the doctor know about this, so I left him a message. He called me back shortly after that to discuss his driving abilities. He said he got nothing but rave reviews from everyone that drove with him, and that the OT said his mental capacity had improved greatly in just the 3 weeks between his drive test and her discussion with us on Tuesday. He asked about his visit to the hospital in February and whether or not it was deemed an actual seizure, was he on seizure medication, was he required to see a neurologist. We went over everything, including his little episode this morning, and then he asked me what I thought. He asked me if I was comfortable with him driving. After much discussion, he gave us the thumbs up. Mark is legal to drive again!!!

I found Mark playing checkers on the computer and told him I'd just talked to the doctor. I told him the doc said there's no way he's ready to drive. You could see the red moving from his neck up through his face. He wanted to know WHY he said that, WHAT he said, and declared it was "BULLSH*T!" I had a good laugh at his expense and he was not happy. But after putting up with 18 years of his teasing, I finally had an opportunity to get him back and I wasn't wasting it.

It was then that he decided to go on a roadtrip. He was gone for 3 hours, and although he had his phone with him, I was a bit nervous. He did call me a few times...not while he was driving. That is a BIG no-no. He was so happy. He was free. It made up for the emotional let-down he'd had earlier. He told me when he got home and he was exhausted that it had been a really good day. And I'm so glad. He needs a few more of these.

Blessing of the Day: teasing