We've all heard that cliche so I thought I would use that as a title since it kind of applies here. Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. They were both really good for us, although I have to admit, I could not stay awake to see the New Year in. This is Jon back with you, by the way.
On January 1st, we actually celebrated a pair of milestones. First of all, we welcomed in 2012 and said goodbye to one of the most interesting years we've ever experienced. Secondly, New Year's Day marked exactly six months since I left the rehab hospital. Still have a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that I've been home six months. In many ways, that time in Waco seems like a lifetime ago.
So here is the update on therapy. In occupational therapy we continue to make slow, steady progress with my arm, hand and fingers. We will continue twice-a-week appointments through the end of the month and then re-evaluate the plan from there. More than likely, there will be more of an emphasis on home exercises and work. The best thing I can do is to just keep trying to use that arm, hand and fingers in day-to-day activities and force it to do more work. Today was a very good and encouraging day.
The news is not quite as encouraging in physical therapy. We have stopped our weekly appointments and already made the move to more home work. I will go back every two weeks until the end of the month to see if there is some progress, but after plateauing (is that even a word?), we've backed off a little and there is now more of a focus on me committing to work on my own. I'm wearing a pedometer now to measure just how much I actually walk in a day and will be spending some time on the elliptical machine in the fitness center at work.
It has been a bit of a discouraging time and I was a little down for a while over the break, but then I got to thinking. I have no reason to be upset or discouraged. In my first 41 years, I reached my career goal of doing sports on television (along with weather and news), played guitar in a rock band, acted in a major motion picture (Okay, that may be a bit of a stretch: it's only my back and the movie was Action USA), married the love of my life, had two incredible children that I am very proud of, hopefully made my parents and family proud of me, publicized a national championship team and worked with five national runners-up, met some amazing people and made many good friends, and now made a remarkable recovery from what could easily have been a fatal stroke. All in all, I'd say its been a pretty good and full life, with much more to come. And I'm certainly not ready to call the recovery over. The work will continue, whether I'm in therapy or not.
Thank you for letting me get some of those thoughts out and thanks again for continuing to follow the blog. We'll be back again soon with another update. Take care and God Bless.
