Hi Everyone,
No news yet…hopefully tomorrow we’ll hear some good news about receiving another weeks grace period. We are still waiting for the Muscle Block. The Doctor and I have not connected for the approvals needed to proceed. If we don’t happen to reach each other tomorrow, it will have to be next week.
Tonight we were working on finding some form of consistent communication that would represent YES. Corey was moving her right arm so that’s where we started. The game of “thumbie wars” and Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down began. I swear I was getting thumbs up, but when I called in a witness Corey didn’t want to play anymore…”you’re killin’ me Smalls”!
Corey was also vocalizing tonight more than she ever has. She was lying in bed, pulling her shoulder forward and moaning repeatedly. We’ve never seen this much communication before. We didn’t know if it was her way of telling us she was in pain, uncomfortable or just trying to express herself? Learning what each sign, noise and motion might mean is so difficult to interpret. We’d love to know what she’s trying to say!
I have begun to visit Nursing Homes. It has not been a positive experience so far. (When I reread that sentence I laugh to myself because I hear a friend of mine say, “Marie, you’re the Queen of Understatements”) This is another difficult path on this road that we cannot ignore.
Corey when I leave you each night I look for the signs or the words we need to give us the hope, strength and perspective we will carry into the next day. One of your best friends sent us the words we need today.
The Oak Tree
A mighty wind blew night and day. It stole the oak tree’s leaves away. Then snapped its boughs and pulled its bark until the oak was tired and stark. But still the oak tree held its ground while other trees fell all around.
The weary wind gave up and spoke, “How can you still be standing, Oak?” The oak tree said, “I know that you can break each branch of mine in two, carry every leaf away, shake my limbs and make me sway. But I have roots stretched in the earth growing stronger since my birth. You’ll never touch them, for you see, they are the deepest part of me. Until today, I wasn’t sure of just how much I could endure. But now I’ve found, with thanks to you, I’m stronger than I ever knew.”
If ever there was a poem written for you Corey, this would be it. Your strength comes from your character, integrity, determination, stubbornness and humor! You’ve had these wonderful traits from the moment you came into this world. You still have them. Your growth will be the direct result of how strong your roots are! You will recover from this. Like the oak, it will take time for this growth but eventually you will be standing stronger than you ever thought you would.
Happy dreams Honey. We love you, xoxo