Tonight for the first time I got to see David up and using a walker. The nurse supported him on one side, and I supported him on the other. David went about 15 feet and then turned around and came back.
It was so fantastic to see him up - hence the tears of joy! He is really making progress! It was also hard to SEE the reality of his weakness.
While he is in bed it is less evident because his right and left legs look the same, and his right and left arm look the same, so it LOOKS like he can use them both. Seeing him using a walker and working so hard to walk a round trip of 30 feet with two people supporting him really makes his weakness evident - hence the tears of sorrow.
Four days ago he went out and ran 3 miles - one of his shorter days on his marathon training schedule. I can't help but make the comparison between where he was so few days ago and where he is now, but he is taking it totally in stride :-)
(and he would appreciate that pun)
I have still not heard a single word of complaint or of worry. He is a strong man in every sense of the word. I know he will strive as hard at physical therapy as he had been with his marathon training - a shift in level but not in expenditure of effort! And I'm sure his hard work will pay off.
No further testing was able to be done today, so we are hoping he will get in for those early tomorrow morning and that we will have more significant news about what caused this and (hopefully) how to prevent it in the future.
I'd been doing SO well, but I really hit the wall today. I'm feeling a bit like I have a cold coming on - achy, sore-throatish, and I'm very tired. I think even when I am sleeping I continue to remain alert. I just can't get to a point where I'm rested at all. I think a big part of my difficulty today was because it was our first weekday. The reality of needing to keep up with life hit home. I realized I have not prepared to teach tomorrow. I feel like I've been in a different universe for the last few days, and now I have to turn my focus back to certain responsibilities.
Just as David ran 3 miles last Thursday and took that for granted as easy, I went to work last Thursday and took it for granted as easy. It looks a little daunting right now - my focus is so divided. I'm sure once a few more days have passed and the boys and I get used to a new "normal" that we too will hit our stride.
Ongoing thanks for all the support and love you are showering us with in so many ways! We feel so cared for!
Here are some of my favorite pictures of David. They are the ones I have up on my dresser, because being a Daddy is so much of who he is. (Can you tell which boy is which?)
4 comments:
Good morning H. Thanks again for the picture into your day. I share the mixture of sadness and joy at your news, but am so thankful that God has given a positive outlook to Dave and strength to you. I'll be praying for that "new normal" to fall into place well and quickly for you!
i am thinking of you, heidi, and david, of course, and all the boys.
it's tuesday night in singapore.
i was on the phone with dan last night, and we talked about you guys in california.
you have our love, our prayers, and our support although we can't be there with you physically.
peace, salaam, namaste,
rohaizad.
Thank you so much for your updates. It is so hard being so far away and not being able to help! It is nice to be able to just open up your blog and find out how Dave and all of you are doing!
Of course I know my nephews; Anthony, Caleb, & Jacob. I probably can guess where they where taking; Anthony-Nights Fairy, Caleb-Capitola, Jacob-Long Barn.
Thanks to EVERYONE who has been commenting - or reading and praying without commenting. We feel so uplifted in the support we are receiving. How amazing to have it coming from all over the globe - here near home, on the other side of the US, and from Australia and from Singapore. Wow! We are so blessed!
Amy, you sure do know your nephews! I even put them out of chronological order to make it harder.
You had good ideas on locations, but I think you need to get back out to CA and get totally familiar with it again. The first picture was at Yosemite near the base of Yosemite Falls; the second was in Point Lobos (so Capitola was very close), and the third was in Knight's Ferry.
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