Bill update

Monday afternoon after re-taking the census test I stopped by the nursing home to see Bill.  Marilyn was also there so I had a chance to visit with them both.

I used to hike with Bill until he fell on ice one year ago this week and hit his head.  The swelling in his brain ended up giving him the symptoms similar to many strokes.  He lost his ability to speak other than gibberish, though from his eyes he appears to be aware.  Also he is somewhat paralyzed on one side and can't stand or write.

I hadn't seen Bill since last summer and I had expected his condition to have deteriorated since then, especially since the government health care system won't provide for therapy anymore as apparently they don't want to throw 'good money after bad'.  With no therapy he hasn't improved, but even after all this time he looked good.  He didn't seem to have deteriorated any further.  Perhaps his 'good' physical condition is a result of being in  good shape from all the hiking he had done.  Then again, not exactly a good thing when one is now trapped in their own mind unable to effectively communicate with the world or do most things for themselves.

I spent three hours visiting with Bill and Marilyn.

Cheryl, Bill's niece from Wisconsin, is a 'Jill of all trades' and a photographer.  She had sent Bill three photos she blew up to various poster sizes and which Marilyn had hung on the wall in Bill's room.  They were very nice photos.  One was of the Northern Lights seen from Wisconsin, a waterfall we had seen during a hike she went on with us when she was here last Summer, and the third photo was of Lake McDonald.