Hello- Just wanted to post the latest news on what is going on.
Triumphs:
I am now able to transfer myself from the chair to the bed and back with a slideboard 100% on my own! This means , among other things, that Trevor does not need to be here when I schedule acupuncture, massage and cranial sacral therapy appointments. I can also transfer myself to the sofa w/o a slideboard and am working on the return- it is uphill so more of a challenge.
I am now able to basically do my own dressing, everything except my supertight stockings and anything with hooks and snaps elude my not so nimble fingers. But the rest, the rest I can do!
Working with my at home therapist, Michael, three times a week now (bi-weekly at the pool). One of the goals we have been working on is getting myself up from the floor to the sofa and then to the chair. I'm hoping I will have this goal met in 4-6 weeks. We bought a big floor mat so that the floor work is easier and more fun. Hard wood floors aren't very therapeutic. :-) At the pool I have been able to paddle around on my back wearing a flotation device and using my arms and left leg (right leg still a bit slow to the game). The fact that I can hold myself up demonstrates a lot of core strength.
In my out atient therapy appointments we have begun using the lite gait machine over a treadmill- very exciting. Of course we started this and then insurance ran out... BUT
Finally heard back from insurance and... they approved 24 more therapy appoinments to be used within the next twelve weeks at CPMC (where I currently go for outpatient therapy). This is a great start, but I am hoping for more because...
We booked our next trip to Kennedy Krieger in Baltimore starting Sept. 8th for 3 weeks! A big trip for us in many ways. KK is really one of THE best spinal cord injury rehab facilities and we truly believe that 3 weeks of therapy there is equal to 3 months of therapy elsewhere. We will be going regardless of insurance approval.
With this in mind, my dear friends on the east coast have been starting to work on fundraising ideas. Dana and Laurie have some great ideas and would love to share them with other east coasters. If you would like to hear more about what they are doing, please email Dana at danauhler@yahoo.com.
Trevor's doing well- still being the super husband! I did hire someone to come in once a week to help around the house. A handyman/housekeeper, etc... who is just a wonderful, sweet guy. This should help.
I'll end with a "This can only happen in a wheelchair" story. Trevor and I were on our way to a therapy appointment a few weeks ago. Since we had the time, we decided to take public transportation, even though it requires two different buses. We get on the first bus-it's a brand new bus and we discover that we can lock my new wheelchair wheels in much easier than the old buses- isn't this great. Our stop comes up and since this is a new type of lock, Trevor is unsure how to release it. "press down on the lever" the driver advises. Trevor does, it doesn't work. So he does it again and then the steps on it- SNAP! - the lever breaks. Now we are stuck on the bus with the wheel lock broken. All the other passengers have to get off and the driver calls the fire dept. Oy vey! The fire dept. arrives in about 10min (not too bad) and pries the lock open- I'm free!! AND we still make the appt. Oh, we find out to release the wheel, one needs to lift UP on the lever. Well, now we know.
Love you all! Couldn't do this without you!
Cynthia
