Let's give a little shout-out to the Ogle Mole Standard.
Earlier this month, I shared the terrible news that our good friend Louis Fowler – The Lost Ogle's beloved food and culture critic – suffered a severe, life-threatening stroke at his home in Oklahoma City.
We quickly created a Go Fund Me to support Louis and help cover his healthcare, living and recovery expenses, and before you could say "Cómpralo ya," the Ogle Mole Network rallied to raise over $15,000 and counting...
I stay in frequent touch with Louis and his family, and I've been able to visit him several times since his hospitalization.
When I first saw him at OUHSC on the day of the Super Bowl, he was groggy but alert, was unable to move his right side, and outside of a thumbs up and a few long, drawn-out words, really couldn't communicate.
Since then, Louis has been transferred to a rehabilitation center downtown where he undergoes three hours of daily physical and speech therapy. I stopped by to see him for about 30 minutes yesterday, and the improvement he's made since that first hospital visit is incredible and inspirational.
With intense effort, Louis is now able to proudly lift both his right leg and right arm, and although the words still come to him slowly, and there is some guesswork involved, we were able to have a back and forth conversation.
We talked about the news of the world, terrible hospital food, and if it's okay to throw up on a tween's shoes at Valentine's party. I showed him a "Get Well" video my daughter made for him, talked about his condition, and asked if he had any special requests or needs. Before I left, I asked if he wanted me to pass along anything to our readers. He thought for a bit, took a deep breath and said...
"I'm... okay."
When you read that on a screen without context, it feels a bit ambiguous. But while there in his presence, it felt more like a humble and confident "I'll be fine. Thank you for all your support and encouragement."
Louis still has a long way to go. His long-term prognosis is still a bit unclear. But at the current moment, it looks like he may avoid being sent to a nursing home, and when his stay at the rehab hospital is complete, he'll hopefully be able to continue to recover at his mother's house, with a long term goal of living freely and independently; walking our city's streets, eating it's finest food, and blessing all of us with his words.
Anyway, I'd like to personally thank all the TLO readers who have donated to Louis' Go Fund Me. I've told Louis about the results, and he's humbly grateful and appreciative. If you want to contribute to his stroke recovery fund, you can do so here.
Stay with The Lost Ogle. We'll keep you advised.
