A good day!

Today was a good day! Michael passed the swallow test and ate his first meal today. He enjoyed blackened fish, mashed potatoes, mac-n-cheese, and ice cream. He had'nt eaten in 6 weeks. The therapists and nurses on the rehab floor seem to have a soft spot for him. It might help that we tell them alot of details about who he really is. We are mom and pops. He was active all day, walking, doing his therapies, smiling, flirting with the nurses, and tossing a ball with me and the O.T. I feel like he is mimicking us at times, possibly, while he works on retrieving his own speech patterns. For a long time his affect was flat and honestly, it was disturbing. Now he is making funny faces and hilarious sounds, so we just go with it and join in. I could be wrong, but, I think he is exercising his vocal cords and facial muscles after having not used them in so long. He is entering a difficult stage of wanting to leave again. He said very clearly, " I need to leave " and " I want to go to my place" We explained like we always do, his situation and that he can't go yet. He still has a long way to go, but today was a very good day! Mom