Heading Home

What I anticipated to be a two day trip to recover from my concussion ended up lasting a week. I have to be honest, I think I was worse off than I realized. The first few days at my Mom's I did nothing but sleep and I have little memory of what else transpired.  By the middle of the week I was feeling better, and this morning I have nearly normal.  

Thanks to Mom taking care of Timmy and lots of rest, I am going to be able to go home today. I miss Robby and Scott, and I'm looking forward to seeing them. I'm going to do my best to keep resting when I can because I know that some of the effects of the concussion are lingering. Hopefully the boys will cooperate and accept a tad slower, more low key Momom for awhile.

Speech Started

Because of Robby's hearing impairment, he has a slight speech impairment. While he is still easy to understand and I find his pronunciations adorable, I know that it is starting to cause him some social angst. Yesterday afternoon we took the first steps towards remedying his speech issues by enrolling him in Skype Speech Therapy.

Why Speech Therapy through Skype? Because we have been on the waiting list for speech therapy for over three years. Since his issue isn't deemed "detrimental," he keeps getting pushed down the list. His pronunciation issues don't impact him academically, but they are certainly beginning to yield a social impact.

After a lot of research, I learned that Skype is an ideal platform to tackle mild articulation issues. Obviously in person would be ideal, but researchers have found equal to better results utilizing Skype sessions with kids just like Robby.  Since we could begin services right away, we decided that it was worth a try. 

I'm still up at my Mom's, so Scott oversaw the first session. He was impressed, which says a lot because he is a tough sell when it comes to the kids. After 20 minutes Robby was already showing improvement with his /s/ sounds, and is excited about continuing the sessions.  I'm proud of Robby for decided to work on this issue head on, and dedicating himself to the homework to improve. Hopefully by the end summer, the only time I'll hear his articulation issues is when I watch old videos.  

Crush Anniversary

Over time, the anniversaries associated with my amputation hold less importance. I remember dreading each date the first year, awaiting an impending emotional breakdown as I released 365 days worth of pain and grief during a single moment. My breakdown epiphany never transpired, and I learned that the day was like every other one, only a little more somber.

As the years progress, I no longer dread the anniversary. Instead I accept each one as a mark of survival. I am able to gauge how far I have come instead of grieving what was lost.  After all, I live an amazing life and sans phantom pain and insurance issues, I wouldn't change it for the world.  

Yesterday while curled up watching Wally Kazaam with Timmy I realized that it was the 20th anniversary of my foot being crushed.  The revelation washed over me quickly, almost with more shock at forgetting than sadness about what was lost. After all, I don't really feel like I lost anything because I can't imagine a more wonderful life.  

It is odd to remember that 20 years ago I was walking on two biological feet, without pain and little information about the amputee community. I was so young and optimistic about the future.  Thankfully I have held onto that optimism, even if I do have a few more laugh lines and a lifetime of experiences.

Happy Crush Injury to me!

Feeling better

After a few solid days of rest and sleep, I am beginning to feel like myself again. The concussion fog is lifting and I am regaining my commonsense and my intellect. It feels liberating to finally feel like me again!

I'm still at my Mom's, but I plan on going home either today or tomorrow. I could probably go home today but Timmy is having such a wonderful time playing with his cousins that I hate to ruin the fun. I know that Scott and Robby are fine with their man food and, although they claim that I am missed, they are content living with their bachelor rules.

Here's to another day of sleeping well, and of continuing to heal.  

Sleep and Play

It is amazing what a few days at my Mom's house can achieve in terms of healing. I arrived Friday afternoon, absolutely exhausted from the drive. She immediately took charge with Timmy and tucked me into bed. I slept until 9:30 the next morning. I think the last time I have slept until 9:30 I didn't have children.

I woke up, guilty for sleeping so long when I found them cuddled in her bed, eating ice cream and laughing. All of my guilt evaporated when I saw the smiles on their faces. I needed the sleep, and I think on some level she needed some quality Timmy time.  

Saturday afternoon my Mom and Timmy headed to the park, allowing me to take another nap.  I fell sound asleep for three hours. I woke up feeling stronger and more together than I have since the injury. They came home covered in sand and smiling from ear-to-ear.

Sunday was a repeat of Saturday, with my sleeping in and getting an afternoon nap while they played. I guess the doctors were right when they directed me to rest. Sleeping and taking it easy is the only thing to help a concussion.  I'm so grateful that I have my Mom to help me achieve both when I'm desperate!