T Minus 4!

Huuuuuge praise- I get to go HOME on Saturday!! Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow (and I don't have to reschedule my Monday rheumatologist appointment either!)! I'm making baby steps (pun intended) of progress and slowly gaining strength in my overall muscle weakness. At times, I think I don't see lots of progress because I'm far from 100% strength regain, but when I see what I can do based on just even one week ago I'm encouraged and can't deny that God is answering our prayers.

Here are few milestones from the past few days:
*Stood from elevated chair height of 20" without help, 19" with help...started at 26" last week
*Worked on climbing steps...ok, well- 2 steps! (right leg so much weaker than left)
*Side, front and back leg lifts on what I call my "ballet bar" (we're talking not high lifts at all BUT....it's a start!)
*Took BIG Shirt on/off by self while in OT
*Pedaled on a "SciFit" today- cross between an elyptical, stair step and stationary bike...Tour De France, here I come!
*Had an ice massage...doesn't that sound relaxing! Actually, since I'm a hotbox it felt pretty good! It numbed me up so the OT could work out the knots in my neck/back.

Here are some other "memorable" funnies that have made me smile/laugh this week...
At night I've been having to wear what I call "puff boots". They help prevent blood clots, but they inflate/deflate about every 10 seconds (makes for another aspect of such a goooood night's sleep). Have you ever had someone come in at 4:45am and ask if you're ready for a shower? OR environmental services come on each morning at 6:00 and announce, "Good morning. I'm here to take out your trash." Then usually about 30 minutes later another worker comes in and announces they are there to "desanitize my room". Between all that, the rehab doctor comes in and wakes me up (again), flips the light on and asks how I'm doing. Well, since I'm not really coherent at those hours of the day, I usually don't have too much to say to him rather than a smile and a "grunt"! Oh! One more funny thing. I also have an alarm on my bed. Have you ever heard if such a thing?? It's like I'm on house arrest. I'm a "fall risk" and they won't let me up and out of bed without someone (and it can't even be David) there to assist me. Well, I got busted this morning!!! My alarm went off...OOPS!!! I wonder what happened :-) I'm really not complaining- I HAVE to look back at these types of things and have to laugh. Remember, I'm putting my time in now so I won't have to have David come visit me in the nursing home when I'm 90!

Another huge praise is that both girls got to spend some great time Sunday-Monday with their best little buddies! They were so thrilled to be with Laurel and Grace! I'm so thankful for God's provision for our girls (well, our entire family!). It's good to see smiles on their faces and and a spark in their voices when I ask them about their days with their friends. I just talked to them again just now and it sounded like they hope they had a great first day back to school today, too! Kinda bummed I don't get to see them today as planned, but daddy-ojust got called out for a quick trip. Thank goodness for sweet friends who I lined up for the girls in case this happened -yay!

Also, they've got a small little chapel that David and I spent some time in together yesterday. The stain glass was beautiful. I read this yesterday in my devotional , Jesus Calling by Sarah Young and thought it was so good. "Fill up the spare moments of your life with praise and thanksgiving. This joyous discipline will help you live in the intimacy of My Presence." Yes, it's a discipline at times...
"Praise The Lord, O my soul, I will praise The Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live." Psalm 146:1-2