Charb, the store... and Customer Service!

(With M. Zimmer in the store).

When Charb was transferred to Windsor Hospital in Feb/06, and once we started bringing him home for few hours every day, I rolled him to the store and zizaged around the movies section, the chips racks, the pop coolers, the meat showcase, the scoop icecream unit and talked to him about the time he was working in the store and the regular customers he use to serve...

He was not resposive at all as yet, and while remembering the time he was working or just going through the store built "like a tank" (as some regulars teased about him), needless to write about heart broken and tears shed!!!

Dec 06 was a good month! Charb not only showed signs ( thumb up & down), he started "talking"!

And kept improving! Meeting our regular customers, hearing their voices and names, must have brought more of the past to him... Over time, he not only wants to come to the store, he doesn't want to leave!He is excited about meeting people and socializing!

(M. Brown & R. Cottenden)

(With L. Blue)

He likes to ask about names, professions, what they are buying... He "may suggest something" or give advice! He gets a good laugh with them and asks them to stay longer ( especially the ladies!)

Sometimes he even asks personal questions about their life... their love affairs, their marriage... and so on!

( Hilarious session wit G. Redden)

(Charb is sweating around T Richard!)

If someone is in a hurry and does not respond to his call, he gets desappointed: "I was going to talk to him/ her!"

(Serious discussion wit uncle Bill!)

" Harold, you are a great man!...

I need a drink. Can you buy me

five chocolate milk?"

Harold always teases him about his physical performance!

Out to Halifax! Happy Easter!

It was a wish!

It became reality!

Charb wanted to go visit his cousins and aunty Leyla!
The last time he stoped there was on Tuesday, September 27/ 2005! He spent an hour with Guy, than headed to Dartmouth, and from there to Windsor. The accident happened on the way home, that night!

Since he "woke up" over a year ago, Charb asked million times to go to aunt Leyla's house! We all wished he could! But there was not lift to handle him, no ramp to push his wheelchair in, no accomodations for him....

Lately, he was getting more insistant in going there. "I wish you could walk", I would say. And Charb never failed to say " Yes, I can walk! Help me get off my chair!"

Well, as I mentioned before, we attempted to help him walk. He still weak and needs more time. But the will is present, so it is a matter of time and hard work!

Charb spent all morning asking what time are we going, " I can not wait anylonger, lets go now!"

We left around 1 o'clock... They were waiting for us! as excited as Charb was! Guy and Joe, Ellen and Gerald took care of lifting his chair up the stairs and fitting him into the narrow doors! For sure under the watchfull eyes of Norma and the incontations of Aunty Leyla!

Once inside the Hallellua and laughs cascaded! For the next few hours, Charb was so excited, so agitated and hyper, he was remembering the olden days, staying at Leyla's and playing games all night long with Joe and friends! " Joe, tell Ellen about that!" he was saying!

We all enjoyed Leyla's turkey and Norma's ham. Charb had plenty in his plate! ( Remember, he can chew! He can eat real food now!) But he refused to have a beer or aglass of wine! (We weren't serious about it!!!)

When it came time to leave, Charb, the old Charb, the one who does not listen anymore once his mind is set, "refused" to leave! " I am staying here! Mom and Dad, you can go, I am not coming with you!" For more than an hour, we all tryed to explain why he can not stay; are you kidding? "I am not leaving!" That was his answer!

He refused to put on his jacket and hat, he pushed away his blankets, he wouldn't let anyone fasten his seatbelt.... On and on and on...

After very generous promises of plenty of chocolate milk and all exotic fruits, he calmed a bit .... and sadly for all, especially Aunty Leyla, we drove back home!

... "When I walk, can I go there and stay with Joe and Guy?" That was the topic of the whole drive from Halifax to Windsor!

You sure can, sonny!

(Click on a picture to enlarge it).

Outing...

Charb has been going out few times the last couple monhts! He enjoys it greatly!

And he can EAT real food now!

Home Rehab!

Charb does exrcises in a daily basis. Sometimes unhappily. He started to rebuff, calling those daily routines "extremely boring!"

Norma, Ellen and myself we keep challenging him to give 110%...

AJ still comes 2 or 3 times for massages.

And for physio, Wanda Donnelle ( who actually retired from work!) agreed to offer her long time acquired knowledge and skills!

Every Thursday, Troy Harvey (Windsor Physiotherapy) adds his skills and touches to help Charb regain his motor skills.

Thank you guys!

Watching wrestling and having a BBQ!

Charb was very excited about going watching wrestling!

AJ, Ellen and Gerald took him to the arena, but he quickly despised it calling it "fake" and insisted in going to Ellen's house! There, they had a BBQ... and Charb ate a whole TBONE

topped with fries and salad!

Sorry for the picture! It was the "best" one of a series taken by Ellen!

An exciting visit!

First time in since last August 2007!

Robert and Doug came for a visit and Charb was thrilled to see them! Robert talked to Charb about recovery and asked him to do few moves. He was very responding and stayed in good mood!

Moving around a bit better ...

Now Charb is trying (with assistance!) to move from the bed to the mat, from the chair to the couch...

... Early on, I came to see him at the appartment in the evening. He was in his wheelchair. As I walked in, he said :"Dad, help me go on the couch."

--Are you sure?"

-- Absolutly!"

--Hang on tight to my shoulders, I said, "and llllllllets doooooo it!"

Helped, he pulled himself off the chair and, in mid air, started to slide! I started yelling for help to keep him from falling! Chantal grabbed his bum, Rachel pushed the chair under him... We were all screaming, but, confused, Charb never said a word! Still, we ended sprawled down on the floor, with Charb on top of me! Scared to have broken his knees or ankles, I did not feel anything but fear and cofusion! Luckily he was unharmed! Now, the girls unleashed their laughs, the scene MUST have being unreal! " Good thing Norma was not here to witness this!" they said.

--No one mentions any of this to her! Never! Agreed?"

A crucial problem faced us now: How to get Charb back in his chair or bed without the lift, wich happened to be in the adjascent room?

The flying carpet!!!

We slid the carpet from the other room, flipped Charb onto it, and dragged them both under the lift. Successfully, we put him back in the chair... He was as amused as I was anxious, and laughed with his sisters and made jokes about me being so amusingly frightened!

Lucky for us, every thing went OK, and Charb was unharmed... because few minutes later Noma asked me : "So... How was the ride?"

--What ride?"

--The Flying Carpet ride!!"

How did she know so fast? ... I still wonder!