As we get closer to the end of Donna's stay in Galveston, time seems to be speeding up. I'm sure it feels that way to all of you as you try to get all those last minute Christmas chores done. For us it feels very transitionary. We're doing all we have been in a typical busy week, while trying to get a good feeling of Christmas going at our house, I'm wrapping up work for a good while, and we are working to get several situations at the house ready for the lifestyle we are about to step into. Over the time we have been in Galveston we have watched a large number of people leave to go home. It has been an interesting set of emotions from them; joy, sadness, apprehension, uncertainty. Donna and I are starting to see those now. The joy is easy to understand. The others I think are rooted in the uncertainty. We'll be finally moving from a situation where professionals guide the process to a situation where professionals supplement in only a limited way. Its just what we prayed so hard for but it does have its uncertainty.
Donna continues to improve slowly. Most notable are her improvements in the walking area. Now armed with her new brace and a green light to be aggressive, her therapists have been stepping up (literally) her walking more. Thursday she was supported by the ZeroG machine (10%) and walked on the treadmill 400 feet. This week her own walker was delivered and she has been walking getting familiar with it. All of this walking comes very slowly and with assistance. It also exhausts her but the improvements are easily measurable. On Friday, I was fortunate to be there when, in the last part of her 2nd physical therapy of the day. they had her walk from the gym to her next session, which happened to be in the next building and upstairs (we use the elevator). I could tell that none of the therapists were sure she would make it all the way but in classic Donna style, she delivered.
Just a couple quickies on Donna's physical therapists (there are 3 in total and they are all great). The primary therapist that works with Donna is Jennifer and she is just awesome. Knowledgable, professional and the sweetest person you will probably ever meet. Needless to say that she and Donna get on just great. Jennifer is also expecting a child in January and my big joke with her has been that we are looked at it as a race with that baby for Donna to get better before that baby is born, and we intend to win. She always laughs and reassures me but I have to say in my mind it really has never been a joke. The other funny thing is that Donna jokes with them often about the distances she has walked because they always want more tomorrow. Donna is always happy to go the distance but her joke is that she really doesn't want them to know the truth so she can manage their expectations a little better. It never works.
Donna's mind is awesome (again). She regularly provides evidence that it is roaring back and even she has had to acknowledge how well she is doing in that area. Its a bit like a dam that only needs a little pinhole to breakthrough. Often she'll ask a tickler question geared toward remembering something and then armed with that small answer she delivers a flood of memory and knowledge. This is an area that it is so easy to smile and be excited. I'm sure this surprises none of you. Also armed with this awareness and her expanding thoughts she has become much more cerebral in her approaches to people and a bit more maternal to some of the other patients. Pretty regularly she sets straight another patient on acceptable behavior but does it in that friendly, maternal way. Several times over the last few weeks, therapists have stopped me and had to tell me about the way she protected another or challenged another intellectually. A couple of the stories are just hilarious and, as usual, the one who tells the story best is Donna. No surprise again that she is a therapist favorite.
Well Donna and I have often said that we could do anything for 6 months. We never imagined that something like this would be one of the options. We come toward 6 months next week and I realize that our staying power is good but all of the lofty expectations that Donna would race back were overly optimistic. I think the most accurate revelation came in the first few weeks when we realized Donna's recovery would be a marathon and not a sprint. Despite all of the awesome progress, we are still somewhere mid-race and everything takes longer than we expect. We have learned patience but there is still that part of us that so doesn't want to be patient. ( I know what you are thinking, Bob...Patience... no way...Well it is amazing what can be done with even hopeless cases). It will be very important to keep this all in mind as we go into our next phase.
Lastly as I run into so many of you, I can tell that I take some off guard by often asking about you and how you and yours are doing early in the conversation. I have to tell you that Donna and I have been talking about us way too much over these last 6 months. The truth is, we are both pretty hungry to know how everyone else is doing and what is going on in their lives. Hopefully hearing this from us will make you more comfortable downloading us.
Well, as we lunge into the last of our time in Galveston. It will be a week of preparation, finalization and reflection. Here we go.....
Regards
Bob
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