Thursday, August 28th

Our dad is steadily improving each day. He is now starting to have a lot of burning pain in his legs that is very uncomfortable for him and makes him easily irritable. It is actually a good sign because it shows that his nerves are beginning to fire up again. However, as he becomes more mentally aware of the situation, he is realizing the severity of what he has been through and keeps saying that it all feels like a movie to him. It is emotionally difficult for him as he begins to truly realize the challenges he faces regarding his inability to move his legs. While he has gained more movement through his right foot, he has a long way to go, and that is a very scary thing for him to confront. He says it is not a matter of "if" he gets stronger, but "when" he gets stronger, so that attitude is very encouraging. We know that we have a roller coaster of a journey ahead, but we are grateful for the progress he has made over the last few days and we feel confident that each day will only be better than the last.

The West Nile Virus has obviously had a great impact on our family. Since learning that our dad was infected, we have been finding out a lot more about it. This week alone, there have been 9 new cases of the virus in California! To read more about the statistics, visit: http://www.westnile.ca.gov

It had been estimated that this summer would be an epidemic year for the virus, and it certainly has been. Sadly, there has even been one fatality: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-seal-beach-woman-dies-west-nile-virus-20140828-story.html

Please take precautions - wear insect repellant, limit outdoor activity at dusk and dawn, and empty all standing water around property to prevent mosquitos from breeding.