First Week at Sheltering Arms

As I sit by your bedside watching you sleeping peacefully, I am so grateful for your life, your unique sparkle, your youthful resiliency, and your undaunted spirit. You have attacked every task put before you with grace and determination and continue to make friends and followers with your quick smile and characteristic thumbs up approach to every hurdle. When your new speech therapist asked you what YOUR goals were you quickly responded, "I want to practice speaking and work on my wit and knowledge"! We all laughed because we know and love your wit!

To be honest Forrest, after the first rough day of your nausea, fighting to keep you from sliding down in a heap on this rental hospital bed, managing your 6'3" frame in this tiny bathroom, your glazed expression at unholy hour you had to face the day...I fell into bed thinking why in the world did we leave the comfort and familiarity of home? But you reminded my why over the next two days, as you greeted each new therapist with a smile, walked 865 FEET on their Zero Gravity treadmill, worked your shoulders until they trembled with the effort, and bravely said "more" each time your therapists asked if you needed a break.

And yes, you get terribly frustrated. Your growl will stop us in our tracks. But now more often than not, you will follow that primal sound of displeasure with a quiet, "I got it." Or "wait a minute". You are working so hard to share your own thoughts, feelings, and opinions on just how things should be done! Sometimes it's a gargantuan task to find the word you're searching for. Sometimes the wrong word comes out, but you are finding increasingly complex and subtle ways to express yourself. And after so long waiting and praying for you to find your voice, we cherish each message you have to tell us.

As the sun comes up today we are eagerly packing to return to BrightWood, for the week-end. We will miss our new friends here, but have lots of homework assignments to complete before you charge back into the program again on Monday.

With your bring it on attitude, the Medical Teams diligent nursing care, and Tami to keep us all organized AND laughing, we CAN do this . And you WILL rebuild your life and future, one day at a time. With love & gratitude, Mum

Check out the pictures below and the following YouTube link for a video of PT from Sheltering Arms:  http://youtu.be/9iO4Af9y-qU