Standing All Over Again

Mr. P recognized me as I came into his room for the second time today. A big smile came over his face. He has expressive apahsia, meaning he has all of these coherent thoughts racing through his head, but he can't get the words out (a common impairment for someone who has had a stroke). He remembered what I promised him earlier in the day. Having suffered a stroke a couple days previously, his right side was completely flaccid and the most we had accomplished in our therapy session from the morning was maintaining a midline trunk position while sitting on the side of his bed without my assistance. He frantically had tried to stand, pushing up from the bed and swaying to his weak side....but I deterred him. I didn't have an aide with me and there was no way this guy could stand with just me. 

So, here I came, at the end of my day... very ready to go home but I had promised this guy we would try to stand later. It wasn't pretty, but we got Mr. P standing...looking out from his room at Jewish Hospital, to the traffic on hospital curve, tears were streaming from his face and he tried to hug me and my aide at the same time laughing and crying and grumbling some sounds. It was the purest joy I have seen in a long time. He had hope...and a big challenge ahead of him, but hope. And this is why I love my job. It was SO worth working late for. I won't ever forget his first time standing all over again.