Hi Everyone,
Over the course of the last year several dozen people, including our nurses, have shared a dream they’ve had about Corey. It’s always the same; she’s in her room, in her bed or wheelchair, she stands and begins to walk away from them. When the person looks at her in disbelief, she looks confused and asks, “What? What’s wrong? Why are you staring at me like that?” Then she proceeds to walk away perfectly fine, as if nothing ever happened.
I don’t dream. Some of my closest friends tell me that’s because you have to sleep in order to dream. If I do dream, I never remember them. This morning I did! Corey and I were out at an appointment. My mother was with us (I never dream about Mom). We were meeting JohnPaul and Caitlin. As we walked through the halls of the building, there were other kids wearing the Avon Grove Senior Ty-Dye T-shirt in the halls. I couldn’t see anyone’s face as they walked by but I knew it was Corey’s classmates. Corey was not paying attention; she was rubbing her eye as if something was caught in it. One of her classmates walked past us, paused because she recognized Corey, stopped to alert the girls that were with her and came back towards her to greet her. Corey looked up from rubbing her eye. She took a moment to focus on her friends and then stood up, greeted them with a smile and started talking as if a light switch went off; she was speaking clearly. She turned to my mother and me and excitedly said, “I’ll be right back”. She ran off with the girls to catch up with more friends. I turned to my mother but she was gone and I ran off to find the kids to tell them what happened ~ I don’t know what Dream.com would say about this but when I woke up I thought my dream was real.
Corey was up at 5am this morning. I came down to her room as I usually do except this morning she greeted me with “good morning”! Normally I just get a “Hi”. I was so surprised I had to tell her about my dream. When I finished sharing the details, Corey was laughing and said, “Weird”! The nurse and I laughed out loud and repeated, ‘Weird’? ‘What’s weird’? Corey’s reply was “My Mom”. We laughed out loud!
It was also only the beginning. Corey didn’t stop talking all day! She was responding to questions and initiating new speech. She was Chatty Cathy and we loved every syllable!
She had a busy day today and has an even busier day tomorrow. Corey had a follow up CT scan because of her seizure activity. Tomorrow we see Dr. B, have blood work to check her levels since we’ve raised her seizure medication and then we head to Bryn Mawr to meet with the physical therapist and the company that designed her braces and new sneakers. We need to make sure that her braces and her sneakers have the proper setting and wedge height to help with her “drop foot” position. She may still need surgery (especially on her left foot) but we are trying to do everything we can to avoid that hoping to try to help her regain her range “naturally” through PT exercises as well as utilizing her braces/sneakers and air casts.
Corey had two therapy sessions this afternoon; PT with Jen and OT with Alice. Jen had her sitting on the large exercise ball. Christa was our assistant. She moved her hand in varied positions, high/low, left/right etc and Corey had to balance on the ball as she tried to reach to tap Christa’s hand. She did a great job. The exercise is not only developing balance but core strength as well. This young woman is developing AB’s of steel.
Alice worked with Corey on the IPad today. This tool has been amazing for Corey. She is getting more proficient with her fine motor skills as well as learning how to compensate for her vision deficit to her left side.
Corey the word “Dream” actually has multiple meanings. One meaning is something that we experience when we sleep, something that loses its sense of reality as soon as we wake up; an image of something that is not real. The meaning I like best is ‘a dream relates to a lifetime goal, vision or purpose, something that is treasured but not yet fulfilled’.
Dreams have a power that can change our reality. Someone once told me the difference between a dream and a wish is how hard you work at making your dream become part of your reality. If you don’t work hard to make it happen, it’s just a wish. Your dream and desire to walk and talk again provides the energy you need to work hard every day. There is no reason we can’t make your dream come true. With your determination and commitment you will make it your reality.
Keep dreaming because those Happy Dreams will come true, xoxo