Hot! Hot! Hot!

Seems like it went from cold to hot in a hurry this year. I have had to watch Judi's skin closely when we go outside for any length of time to ensure she doesn't get sunburned. She has always burned easy, but she is really pale after all the time inside over the last year.

I'll go ahead and admit that last week was one of the toughest I have had in a while. July 2 was our 30th wedding anniversary. Judi and I had planned to go to Alaska this year for a 2 week trip to celebrate. She has always wanted to go and I told her that we would just delay the trip until she was a bit stronger. She seemed to understand and I pray that I will be able to take her some day. I did take her to the Mall for the first time since the accident and she seemed to take it all in and enjoyed the environment. I also hooked her up with a Starbucks Iced Coffee which she thoroughly enjoyed. For supper she had Lobster Ravioli from Macaroni Grill and ricotta cheese cake (a couple of her favorites). After I got over the tears that night, I gave thanks to God for being able to share a wonderful day with the love of my life and prayed hard for those that are not as fortunate as I am.

We also celebrated Jessica's 27th birthday on the 4th of July. I can hardly believe that our "little girl" is all grown up and taking the world by storm. I don't know what I would have done without her help and support this year. I know this has been terribly difficult for her, but she has always stepped up to support me at every step along the way. I'm awfully proud to be called Jess' Dad!

Judi is holding her head up as a matter of routine now! She does her best to hold it up all of the time, but the muscles are just not strong enough yet. She is also looking around at the things going on around her and is absorbing it like a sponge. When we had to use a restraint to hold her head up, she was forced to focus on what was directly in front of her. Now she can easily look side to side and see what is going on around her. I also believe she is reading signs. I have asked her a lot of questions when we are out and about as well as driving and she is clearly comprehending pieces of the data.

Now that Judi is holding her head up, we are planning to put her in the full body harness and get her on the treadmill next week. The system will support her body weight while she starts to take steps. There is a fairly good chance that her natural instincts will kick in and and she will start to walk. It is obviously a LONG haul to get her strong enough then to carry her own body weight, but that is a winners problem from my perspective. I have also shifted our electrical stimulation efforts from her neck to the left arm/leg which should also aid in this effort.

We have started the NF training at home (YEAH) and she is doing great with it. We have to go back to NC every week until we are sure she is stable with he sites we are training on. They are open on Saturday until 11 AM, so we are currently planning to drive up at the crack of dawn on Saturday, do her therapy and then drive back. If Judi can tolerate it, this will be the best option for us overall. She won't miss any of her traditional therapy sessions (speech, occupational and physical) that run on a Mon-Fri schedule. I won't have to take time off from work (I still have a very difficult job and it is what is paying the bills). It is also a huge effort to pack up and take everything that is necessary for an overnight trip. If we need to though, we'll go up on Friday night to make the Saturday morning sessions.

Come and see her if you can. It is good medicine for her and possibly for you as well. Thanx Ang for the goodies that came with the visit, the entire Wilkerson family enjoyed them. I continue to look for things to expose her to that may stimulate her memories, so if any of you have ideas don't hesitate to let me know. Please continue to keep us in your prayers. I am more convinced than ever that Judi can make a full recovery if we continue to be in her corner and help her along the way.

God bless,
Steve