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Tuesday Update: 09/06/06

Well it has been a week of big changes for us! Yesterday was Matt’s first full day at home…alone! We had practiced different things all weekend, preparing for him to do them completely on his own. We are so glad we had the extra long weekend at home to work out some of the kinks and get ourselves better prepared for this new transition. I had to call him a few times during the day to check on him, of course, but he was doing fine. I don’t think I could have imagined him having this much independence just a few months ago. I had hoped that after coming home I’d be able to maybe work half a day in the office and then run home…but to be able to work all day and know that he is able to take care of himself, fix his own meals, get dressed and ready for the day, and maneuver the bathroom on his own…well, he far exceeded my expectations! I could see him gaining strength and mobility each weekend in Omaha, but it was hard to envision how it would carry over into our life here at home. But, he is already applying skills he worked on there and we’ve brainstormed lots of knew ways to try things. He is very happy to be able to be on his own and take care of himself…and it gives me such peace of mind to know that I can maintain my responsibilities here at work and he will be just fine at home.
We start up his therapy schedule on Thursday. He will go there in the afternoons…so after today he won’t have many full days at home anymore. He will be meeting with all his old therapists at Penn Medical so they can evaluate him to see where he’s at, and what they want to work on now. We should know better by the end of this week what his regular therapy schedule will be like. I’m sure they’ll have him working on exercises at home as well, so he won’t have quite so much free time! It will be good for him…though I know he’s thoroughly enjoying these few days of relaxation after three hard months away from home! It worked out really well for him to have a few days before starting up therapy again.
We also have a group of friends from church working on painting our house this week! They’ve been scraping and sanding and are coming right along. It will be so great to have that done and see the house looking so nice! I have big plans for some new bushes out front and am enjoying dreaming up plant ideas for next year. I’m so excited to see the changes!
And, last night, we decided to buy a different vehicle! We are trading in the Grand Am for a Pontiac Vibe. (Matt is thrilled to be getting another Pontiac!) We both had been thinking about getting something easier for him to get in and out of, and easier for me to get the wheelchair in and out of. We did some shopping and researching, and found a good deal here in Des Moines. It will be a great fit for our needs and we are excited to pick it up! There’s a lot of stuff going on right now for us, and it’s all good! I’m glad to be focusing on how great Matt is doing and how well things are going for us at home…with all the big anniversaries coming up, it feels good to keep focused on the future, and not dwelling on the past.

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