Update for those who have been praying with us

With the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (I am sure because of all the prayers) we have started a new protocol with Arif. It seems to be making some difference. The changes are still subtle, but occasionally we see some solid reason for hope.

His toileting skills are fine during the day, but not at night. We put adult diapers (the ones that fit like briefs) on him at night, but they are still not strong enough to hold all that he produces. So, we also put an absorbant pad on top of his sheet. Lately, he has been able to awaken without the pad overflowing on the sheet. A number of times, even the pad has been dry. Now, he is managing to get up with dry briefs as well. We are so thrilled and do not have so much laundry to do.

I have put up charts and lists over and over, through the past seven years, to remind him of the things that he needs to do. Generally, he just ignores them, or if I keep up with the charting, it seems to mean little to him. A few weeks ago, I put up a chart to keep track of his bed wetting process. Last week when he woke up completely dry and I put a sticker on the chart, Arif got really excited. He carried on the excitement throughout the whole day. Of course, one of his major problems has been short term memory. So to have him remember his accomplishment through the day is an improvement, too.

He does seem more aware than he had been, but that is something that is hard to measure.

We thank you for your prayers.