May 17, 2008

• As Mommy says, “I’ve heard this card a million times but I just have to play it.”  (That’s some pretty wonderful short term memory.)

  We decided to get out early this morning and run our errands before heading back home for yard work and house cleaning.  Hillary had been expecting Max this weekend, and when that didn’t work out, we all decided to refocus on home improvement to get ready for our summer weekends at the lake.  As we sat in the corner of McDonald’s, (that’s right….she’s all about McDonald’s breakfast, too), Paul saw a smile on the man sitting immediately next to us.  Of course Paul felt like he knew exactly what the man was going to say.  Perfectly normal and happy John had been in a car accident suffering traumatic brain injury years ago. And now, there he was, ready to breathe more life into our beliefs for the beautiful future ahead for Hillary and Max.  We had a million questions… (OK…I had the most)… and on so many levels he was able to put all three of us at peace.  He was able to confirm so many of Hillary’s feelings–not only for Paul and me, but more importantly, right to Hillary.  He assured her that so much of what she was experiencing such as the fairly wide spaces of missing memories will continue to flesh out for her; evidenced by how much of the frame work of those memories is swiftly returning now. Having said that, he also reminded each of us there may be blocks of time she never will remember.  Particularly those days–maybe years–closest to the time of her accident.  It was wonderful to sit and talk with John–our newest friend, who only moments ago had been a stranger to our family.  Our time with this kind (and “normal”—I hate that word!) man also illustrated the importance of peer support for trauma families and patients as each of them travel their various paths for recovery.  I wished for Max so he too could have that important validation for his future with his mom and their life together.  We will find John again and let Max have his time for questions with this wonderful man. I hope John is up for even more questions than I can throw out.  When Max gets started with his inquisitions, there is no stopping him.  (Hmmm, maybe he will be an attorney and a LifeFlight pilot. Not a bad combination for a career)

  We rarely look back on our journey through Hillablog unless we need the reminder of how far our girl has come in one of our own emotionally down moments.  But last evening we began looking back for different reasons.  We are reviewing videos, pictures, journal notes and logs of daily details around Hillary’s journey for very different reasons as she prepares for a big week ahead. There will be important decisions about Max at the first of the week and a very long trip with two back to back exciting meetings at the end of her week.  One part of her trip will allow Hillary the chance to say, “Thank you” to Max’s teacher and meet his Northern KY classmates.  She will also be “meeting” (or re-meeting) those wonderfully special people at Cardinal Hill who pulled and pushed our injured angel through excruciatingly difficult, and at the end, sad days when she began shutting down emotionally.  Hillary called her Cardinal Hill nurses this week and after 45 minutes on the phone together I bet they are ready to tell her lots more stories.  We can’t wait and we sincerely ask for your prayers of support for God’s plan and safety for all. 

  In the mean time….here is one million and one and just the next play of Max’s Mother’s Day card.  This proud mother totally remembers each play, but just enjoys it so much she has to hear it quite often. The envelope is ragged but that makes it all the more special.  After viewing for herself one of the many videos we have in a collection of “Hillary moments” we need, she asked me to tell you that her slow speech  (quote) “does not mean I am stupid.  I am very smart. I just can’t get my words out quickly”.  In light of her progress, we believe her speech pattern will someday be fully restored as well.  In fact, we think she is unbelievably close! 

   

  XOXOXO

  –Shawn

  . 

  • 3:49 pm
  • 1 Comment