Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Update 132 from Linda and Rob

Hello, friends!  Our resolution for 2013 is to write more frequent updates, so please don't give up on us and please keep checking in!

Things roll along here.  Our schedule right now is two days at Willowbrook, two days at Walk the Line, OT with a hand specialist, horseback riding at Banbury Cross, swimming, and massage (each once per week).  A good, busy schedule.  Just listing these places and activities gives you an idea of where we spend our time, but doesn't touch on the emotional impact of these things.  Going to therapy has become a big part of Steve's social life (ours, too) and the people there have become his friends (ours, too).  You walk into these places and feel so welcome and feel such hope and such confidence in the people working there.  That part of therapy is hard to describe, but it's just as important as the physical work.  We are thankful for these places and these people every single day.

Besides traditional therapies, many activities that we regard as therapy go on at home...working out on the NuStep (he now does more than an hour at a time without needing any assistance), playing games, using the reading machine, using his IPad, etc.  He stays busy! 

It's always fun and interesting to be caught off guard by improvements that Steve makes.  They are small and subtle, but we are thankful for them.  For example, he might use his left hand to do something new, handle eating more independently, or speak more loudly.  All good things and wonderful moments when we notice what is happening!

He's been a bit knocked down for the past month or so with a toothache that couldn't be figured out.  It's still not completely solved but it turned out that he also had an ear infection, which was the cause of most of the pain.  Through all of that (he described the pain as a 6 on a scale of 1-5) he never missed a day of therapy and continued to work hard while popping Motrin! 

Steve always looks forward to visits and texts from friends.  Keeping in touch is so good for him in so many ways.  Please know that you are always more than welcome to stop by, even if you haven't seen him in awhile.  Even a few minutes with friends means a lot.  Just give us a call!  (two-four-eight-568-6091).  If you'd like to text him, his phone number is two-four-eight-770-6092.

A couple years ago we received a Christmas card containing words that continue to speak to us.  We wanted to share them with you:  "Believe... in the confidence within ourselves and the strength unconditional love provides... in the healing power of time and hope... in faith, dreams, and unconventional beauty... and in the importance of living in the moment."  Thank you for everything you do for us, and for continuing to believe in and support Steve!

Take care of yourselves and each other.  Merry Christmas!

Love,
Linda and Rob