My dream this morning was about Al Gore. His wife gave birth to quadruplets. I was part of the hospital delivery team and had to bathe them and weigh them - 4 girls! He came to the hospital dressed in a black and white striped shirt, actually he was dressed as a referee or umpire, and I wondered why he waited until after the babies were born to show up. He couldn't leave the game? Wasn't this more important than the game?

I've studied dreams enough to know this was about me, not Al Gore, but with wishful thinking I can see encouraging signs:

Al Gore and the number 4 - 4 years of President Gore?
wife, daughters - embracing the feminine, a softer image?
babies - new life?
late to the delivery of new life - better late than never, stayed at the game until the end?
black & white - clear cut victory?
referee - someone who makes sure rules are followed?

Since I'm no prophet, I need to examine the symbolic elements of this dream on a more personal level - father, mother, babies, 4, girls, nurse, delivering, bathing, weighing, gore, bloody, referee, black & white, late. There's enough here to chew on for a while.

The alchemists thought in terms of three worlds: the black, the white, and the red world. Black is darkness, evil, despair, ruins, the crude unconscious taking over our minds... White is the eerie, uncertain light of the moon, the twilight zone of lunacy, irrational thoughts, things changing, slippery, some hope... Red is the bright light of the sun, new life, things in order, ability to see clearly, rational, willful control, morals, growth, laughter... Each section of a dream and each object comes from one of these worlds, supposedly.
from http://www.mentalhelp.net/psyhelp/chap15/chap15s.htm

Mike has an appointment with Dr. Tipton today to try to get more therapy authorized. He's convinced that no more progress is possible without help. His daily workouts help to maintain the progress he's made, but the therapists push him to go beyond his current limitations. Dr. Tipton is not usually encouraging where therapy is concerned. He comes from the old school that believes most recovery after stroke occurs in the first 6 months. Whether he has reviewed the therapists' records as we suggested, we still don't know. He's asked me to go with him for moral support, and I don't mind, so I guess that's how I'll spend part of my day.

The neck and shoulders feel better today, the glands don't look or feel as swollen. Maybe the bug is leaving.

2:40 pm. We've decided to modify our opinion about Dr. Tipton. He was more positive, upbeat, and optimistic than we've ever seen him. He agreed that Mike should stay in therapy and was very pleased to see the progress he's made. Mike was almost giddy with excitement as we were leaving his office. He had dreaded talking with him and was actually shocked that the old man was so encouraging. He's promised to do whatever is necessary to help with getting the insurance coverage.