The Luck of the Irish

I think that this post is appropriately named the Luck of the Irish. Below you will see a picture of my grandfather. If you look back into my post from October 3, 2007 you will read about the West Nile virus. In late August of last year, Grandpa was infected with the West Nile virus through a mosquito bite he got in his own back yard. It was an awful experience. He was in the hospital for 3 months. The first few weeks were horrible and the prognosis was grim, but grandpa fought through it. Today he doesn't even remember the time that he was in the hospital. He had encephalitis and what could have been irreversible brain damage. The doctors were so amazed that he lived through the ordeal that it didn't seem a big deal that he may never function the same. However, he is doing better than ever. He has been through months of physical therapy. As his therapy ended last week, he has now purchased a gym membership where he continues to work out. As he has made a complete recovery in strength and mental ability he has been released to drive again. He was even vacuuming the living room last week. We all feel very lucky to have Grandpa in our lives. He comes from a long line of Irishman and in this picture you can see him celebrating Saint Patrick's day a couple of weeks ago. Thanks again for all of your prayers that helped in getting Grandpa back to normal after enduring the West Nile virus. It truly is nothing short of a miracle for which we are all very grateful.