May 21, 2008

• We will be on our way late this afternoon and Mommy, Uncle Alex and YaYa will be there for your program tomorrow. We are very excited. 

  I hear every girl needs a little Botox before she hits the road for a vacation, but Hillary nor I think standard treatment for a Botox party is in the arm.  However, that’s exactly where our girl is going to get her trendy injection.  Her left arm and hand are really coming to life with the increased e-stem and great OT work from Katherine Mueller.  Therefore, Dr. Rommelman has ordered the small dose of Botox in one area to loosen up the tone she has in her wrist.  Though her movement in the wrist is much better, the treatment should assist in increased leverage capacity.  That said, this weekend she reached to the floor with her left hand and picked up a tissue she had dropped.  Her movement was just automatic which lets us know the brain is really connecting with her hand now.  We can remember the days (weeks/months) her arm was drawn up and incredibly tight.  Now she will open and close her hand and is even working on getting one finger up at a time.  What mother doesn’t need that when sending that extra little validation that she is serious about how she feels on a subject?  I’ve often felt the reason my own index fingernail never grows as well as the rest is because that finger was over exercised as I discovered the benefits of its use when lecturing our four very strong willed kids. Isn’t that what toenails have to sacrifice for marathon runners?   Well believe me…my index finger worked overtime raising our clan!

  When we watch Hillary respond to emails with one hand –shifting when uppercase letters are needed– our hearts just break for her.  But then we realize what a blessing it is she is able to type her messages in any form and how happy she is to have that independent forum for connecting with “the real world” (as she calls it). She received one note questioning her ability to respond to notes for herself; giving her all the more incentive for getting those left hand individual fingers moving independently! Though she is not quite ready to point her finger as quickly and as aggressively as she’d like, it is coming with great resolve.  ZOOM ZOOM!

  Yesterday Sammie, Hillary and I met with Dr. Nicholas, Neuro Psychologist–and an important professional for every trauma patient.  In proceedings yesterday, I heard Dr. Nicholas referred to as a “Psychiatrist” and though seeing one on a regular basis would be great for any of us if we could afford it, a Neuro Psychologist obviously has a very different role for a trauma survivor. We are especially fortunate to have Dr. Nicholas’s expertise and background in rehab; having spent several years in practice at Frazier Rehab Hospital in Louisville.  The exciting part of our visit was that shortly after we arrived Sammie and I were dismissed and Hillary and Dr.Nicholas conducted their first private session; an important piece for allowing Hillary to share her feelings and challenges with the doctor and to ensure her empowerment in taking her life back into her own hands.  As we left, Hillary and her psychologist were talking about an expected time line for when she would be ready to drive again; both acknowledging she is not ready yet, but the time is coming quickly.  ZOOM ZOOM!

  I’m sure we will have much to share as we arrive in Northern Kentucky to see Max’s final school performance and take him home on his last day of school.  She will have the chance to say “Thank you” to a couple of people she has never met who have been very important in Max’s life while he has been away from her.  Then we will head out to Cardinal Hill where she will be able to not only visit with the staff there, but also with families who have loved ones who need the sign of hope our injured angel can offer them.  I will be on conference calls as we travel and Hillary will be listening to her many “new” CDs she has purchased on her shopping excursions with her girlfriends.  She is trying to discover that first one that will bring her beautiful singing voice back to her—to all of us.  She said last night she believes Max will find the music in her with the added flexibility for time together now that school is no longer in session.  Our first chance of increased time together comes this weekend with Memorial Day.  We expect that’s just the beginning!

  Thank you for your important prayers through this week and every week.  There is no way to describe the strength they give our family.  We’ve never felt them more than yesterday.

  XOXOXO

  –Shawn

   

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