Skip to main content

Wednesday Update: 10/12/05

Blessings for the day:
Matt took his first REAL steps today!! He spent over 2 hours with the physical therapist this morning and she had him standing up between the parallel bars again, then this time he took some steps. He had his brand new Nikes on and took three little walks…about four or five steps each time! He did really well and was standing up nice and tall pretty much the entire time. The best part is, that Matt really WANTED to do it! Usually when we ask him if he wants to do something, he’ll shake his head no…but when we asked him in between walks if he was ready to stand up and do it again he’d shake his head yes and get his hands and arms ready to go. He’s getting so much stronger and so much more balanced!

In OT (occupational therapy) we practiced putting his shirt on and off again, and he is getting better at that all the time as well. He can pretty much do it all by himself. He’s been helping to comb his hair and brush his teeth also. It’s these little things that we take for granted being able to do everyday, which he is learning to do all over again. His muscles are really starting to ‘fire’ up and get going. He has been working on reaching and grabbing and trying to get his coordination working again. He has made improvements on all of those things and all the therapists are thrilled with the progress that he is making! Kudos to Matt!

I met with the people from Younker Rehab this afternoon and discussed their programs and took a tour of their facility. I instantly felt at peace while I was there…I truly believe that is where he needs to be. I came back here and have asked the social workers here to send in their referral to Younker. Hopefully they’ll review his progress and approve him for admission by the end of the week. I don’t know for sure how long the approval/transfer process should take, so it could be early next week before we go…but everyone seems to agree that he is ready and they should take him without any issues! We are SO excited for that move. Of course, I’m sure with that change will come a new round of stress, but I am more than confident that it will be a much easier transition than the one here. I have been talking about it a lot to Matt and I think he’s ready to get on out of here and into an environment more suitable to him and his injury. Please keep us in your thoughts these next few days and we prepare for the next big move!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Glimpse Into Open Adoption

If you had been a customer of the Longhorn Steakhouse on Highway 19 in Palm Harbor, FL last Sunday night, you may have seen two couples walking through the restaurant, oogling a sweet baby boy on the way to their table. You may have commented on how cute he was. You may have thought he looked a lot like the woman carrying him. You may have wondered about the man in the wheelchair. But you likely would not have assumed you’d be witnessing this baby’s biological parents sit down to dine with his adoptive parents. It’s a scene I’ve been playing over and over in my mind as I recount the wonderful experiences of our trip to Florida. The magnitude of that moment, that evening, will never be lost on me. It was incredible to be a part of – and I’m so very grateful we had it. We had met up with Ethan’s birthmother, L, earlier in the day. She hadn’t seen him since he was a few hours old and was anxiously waiting for us outside a local mall. As soon as we saw each other the tears welled up in o...
3 comments
Read more

WE'RE ADOPTING!!

Bah! I said it…er wrote it…out loud. There it is, in black and white for the world to see. (Pause for a drink and a breath) Matt and I are in the very early stages of planning to adopt. We have had a few meetings with an adoption agency, we are gathering the necessary information, and we are making plans to get this ball officially rolling SOON. It has been a very long and winding road to get us to this point, and honestly I never thought we’d get here. Adoption isn’t what we started out hoping for. It isn’t where we thought we’d end up. But here we are – gearing up for what will surely be a life-changing experience for us with hearts full of hope and excitement. The topic of adoption has come up in the past, but we quickly dismissed it for one reason or another. Matt and I have had our fair share of insecurities about whether or not adoption would be a good option for us. Who would look at our family profile and pick us?? It was a burning question that we probably still have ...
5 comments
Read more

A Huge Loss

A coworker and friend of mine died tragically in a car accident last evening. I heard about it first thing this morning from his leader as he sat in my office and calmly told me face to face about our loss. I sank into my chair in shock, the waves of tears completely overcoming me. I listened to the words he told me, but couldn’t grasp their meaning. Someone I saw or talked to nearly every day was gone…just like that. I was devastated. Overcome with grief. I managed to compose myself for short periods of time throughout the day, but eventually the reality of it all floods me again and I can’t catch my breath. It’s so shocking and sudden, my mind can’t make heads or tails of it. Just two days ago, I sat on a stool next to this man, having a drink with other coworkers. Shooting the breeze, telling stories, laughing and teasing one another. And that will be the last time. I just celebrated my 11th anniversary at this job – on this team – with many of the same people. This man was on...
1 comment
Read more