Back to Hyperbarics

Well, I have been packing now for about a week in preparation to move out of the duplex. In my life now, I try to listen and let life take me where it will. About a month ago, I found out that my roommates would be moving out. I took this as a sign that it was time for me to leave the house where Jake died. "Where Jake died", still I have to pause in misery after I write that sentence. Still, it is unbelievable and so wrong. Still, I attempt to try not to dwell too long on it each and every day. The packing has had it's moments especially when I was packing up some of the things we decided to keep that belonged to Jake. As things were being packed up and large items moved, I have had sad reminders of his sickness in the form of objects from his treatment that fell behind couches, and cabinets. There always seems to be something to remind me, be it a sterile alcohol pad used for his injections or some medicine left behind used to treat his side effects. I am hopeful that this move will help me start over and remember mostly the good times with Jake.
I was contacted by Marshall's wife Pat about a lady whose son was stricken with Brain Stem encephalitis, a condition that swells the brain and can cause nerve damage affecting motor skills and speech. Such was the case with this young 36 year old man with a 10 month old child. Pat told me that they were looking into Hyperbarics at the San Diego Center for Hyperbaric Therapy which was one of the places I initially took Jake. She was looking for people to help with his treatment by driving him to and from the center. I volunteered even though I was a little nervous about how I would feel the first time I walked in without Jake. When I entered, I was greeted by Jennifer, one of the owners with a nice hug. We talked for a moment about Jake and she told me that they were seeing more patients getting treatment for brain related injuries with a lot of success. As I left Dan, (the name of the person I was bringing to treatment) and went outside to wait while he had his treatment I was surprised at how I felt. I was a little nervous about coming back to this place after Jake had died. It has always been pretty hard for me to go back to any place Jake had been when he was alive. However, as I walked out of the building I felt that I was not alone. I felt that Jake had been standing right beside me the entire time as if to say "Dad you are doing a good thing." Once again Jake while not physically here was still having an effect on both myself and people around me. It was good to see and talk to these friends I knew just a few months ago when we were treating Jake. There is some kind of unspoken comradery by people that help or go through these trials in life. A sort of everlasting friendship.