As the week of Thanksgiving starts, the devotional passages for Monday and Tuesday couldn't have been more perfect in reminding me about all I have to be thankful for.
"As you sit quietly in My Presence, let Me fill your heart and mind with thankfulness...Remember that nothing in heaven or on earth can separate you from that Love."
"Thankfulness takes the sting out of adversity. That is why I have instructed you to give thanks for everything. There is an element of mystery in this transaction: You give Me thanks (regardless of your feelings), and I give you Joy (regardless of your circumstances). This is a spiritual act of obedience- at times, blind obedience. To people who don't know Me intimately, it can seem irrational and even impossible to thank Me or heartrending hardships. Nonetheless, those who obey Me in this way are invariably blessed, even though difficulties may remain."
"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever." Psalm 118:1
On Monday, Natalie and I worked on transferring in and out of bed and lower body dressing. Like most things, they keep getting better each time I do them. I was happy to hear her say that through all this movement, she felt something going on in my legs. We've all felt or seen a little something going on, but I think because those muscles are so large, it's going to take a while to notice a more obvious movement.
Mrs. Lenny (my friend Molly's mom) came to visit again. I hadn't seen her in awhile because she was in Europe visiting family. (She had sent me a postcard while overseas and when I mentioned to Molly how nice it was, I hadn't realized that she didn't get a postcard...I told her I was just replacing her for the time being, haha). Mrs. Lenny also brought me prettiest angel ornament that she had gotten from one of the Christmas villages. I can't wait to hang it up on the tree (because I'll be home for Christmas!!!)
I did the treadmill again today. They had been worried about hyperextending my joints, so they tried decreasing the speed in order to have more control. This ended up helping and resulted in a very good session. The people that help with the treadmill have been the same from week to week, so they're able to tell if there are any differences. Today, they all noted how much more toned my legs were. They really had absolutely no tone when I got here and now they're actually looking like normal instead of "floppy" and very hypotonic.
Tracy had me go on the rooftop to practice curb cuts and riding on uneven surfaces in preparation of our manual chair outing the next day. It was difficult, especially going uphill onto a curb, but she thought I did well.
On Tuesday, the outing was very successful. Steph and Tracy had anticipated me needing to take more breaks or them having to push me at some point, but I think I surprised everyone (even myself). It was definitely hard work, but I think it's doable and I'd much rather be in a manual chair at home than a bulky and heavy electric chair (plus, I'm determined it'll only be short term anyways).
Natalie and Steph both agreed that instead of my transfers being "moderate-maximum assistance," they have improved to "moderate-minimum." I joke that, like with everything else I've learned, I'm just going to get really good at them and then I won't have to do them again.
Tuesday ended with a visit from one of my roommates, Christin. She had brought Christmas movies to keep us occupied, but I was more in need of a good friend and listening ear. I haven't had a bad day yet and something good happens in therapy each day, but I still find myself getting frustrated with the slow recovery. Again, it's really just slow to me. Everyone else can't believe how fast everything is coming along, but I'd like to be 100% healthy by tomorrow. As I laid in bed talking to Christin, I was trying to wiggle my toes (like how I try to move my legs when I'm just sitting still). I thought I could see a little bit of movement, so I had her look and tell me if she saw anything. She not only saw a little something, but she took a short video! The nerves are definitely healing and finding their way back to where they belong in my lower body- I just need to be patient enough to let it happen.
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