Thursday, October 20, 2011

10 WEEKS TODAY

Hello friends!  I'm back!  Sorry for the hiatus in writing...

Here's the latest as we hit the 10 week mark.  Our life pretty much goes this way now...

Each week, Dan goes to a combination of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy sessions.  He also has 2 "classes" a week - one a cognitive therapy class and the other a neuro psych group.  He is being extremely cooperative and dedicated to his therapies.

A couple of weeks ago, he had a comprehensive neuro-psych evaluation in which he scored highly  in certain areas (yay Dan!) but alarmingly low in others.  His neuro doctor told him, after this eval, not to drive or work for some time yet.  He wants to do another evaluation in February.  So we're in it for quite some time yet.  I am very content being the chauffeur, especially when I think about the alternative.  And Dan is becoming adept at the bus system in Seattle, making his way to the hospital when I am working and our schedules don't align.

Physically, there is still pain in his rib areas.   Soft tissue around the broken ribs will be a problem for a while.  Also, there are new aches and pains popping up as he compensates, loses muscle tone, etc.  So as one thing may start to feel better another becomes a problem.  We are working to get answers and figure our way in, around and through the system to optimize Dan's time and therapy.  It's complex and has not quite let up yet.  But we are positive and optimistic  and more than willing to do the work this will take to get Dan back to where he was before August 11.  Dan very much wants to get his body back and be able to do what he used to do.

Work is picking up for me and I am getting busier by the day.  This is typical for this time of year.  I'm feeling quite weary but making sure to use the weekends to rest.  Hanging in there until we can take a vacation in December!  Meanwhile, looking for a little weekend retreat sometime soon...

It's been 10 weeks.  2+ months.  70 days.  None of those numbers seem huge when I think what happened to Dan. 

A couple of nights ago, I met a friend for a drink.  She was about a half hour late so I ordered a beer and sat and waited, watching the sun go down and feeling the quiet, the stillness wrap itself around me.   People were talking and laughing but not at my table....    I was alone and completely content to be so.  I thought about Dan and how glad I was that he was just down the road on the boat.  And I felt a wave of fatigue waft over me. It was almost a relief in a weird sort of way because it was so true, so uncomplicated, so lacking in any distractions.  Just plain tired.

But we are resilient and determined.

Hope to see some or all of you very soon!

Love,

Irene

2 comments:

  1. Hi Irene and Dan,
    Signing in anonymously as I never remember my passwords.Congratulations on you slow but momentous progress. I hope you can manage a wee getaway..wish it was here on SSIs. but understand how that could present challenges.We love and miss you all. Ragnhild

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  2. Dear Irene and Dan, I should read this first thing every morning. Your surrender to each new day with trust and Love is all that is asked of any of us and more than most of us, with far less in our knapsacks, can manage, at least with the same kind of Grace. Thank you. Miss you all so much more than I can say. Love Debby

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