Yes / No.

Early this afternoon, I mentioned to Pádraig’s senior doctor that he had to make a double extra effort to achieve two things: (1) to get rid of the tracheotomy and (2) to try really hard and ‘answer’ YES or NO when we ask him – because it would life for him so much easier. Imagine: Are you comfortable? Are you too warm? Does this hurt? Do you like this music? Have I told you this joke before (I know I did!)?

Pat and I practiced with him this afternoon. Lift your right foot for ‘yes’. Lift your left foot for ‘no’.

We asked simple, obvious questions: do you have a brother? do you have sisters? … We asked five questions and he answered five times correctly. When he did, he had the speech valve on, no additional oxygen, and was sitting in his wheel chair. – This could just have been an extra-ordinary day. But I think we’re on to something. Just think back a couple of months – none of the above would have happened.

We were also following the Dublin Women’s Mini Marathon today. Great runners. Great walkers. Great achievements. And thank you to Eileen and all who helped to organise the event, set up the Facebook site, got the t-shirts, prepared food and drinks for the Conradh, and organised the hugely successful fundraising!

An ‘old’ friend (by both meanings of the word) send a message about ‘post-mortem’, buns & sangers, pints, and some undercover ‘girls’ (self-censorship kicked in here:). – In any case: they were the beautiful people today, sheer brilliant! We have been telling Pádraig about the race and showing him the pictures. He must have felt the fun and the energy today. YES!