Rainy New Year News
Greetings from the saturated, soaked first days of 2006. It has been raining non-stop in the Bay Area for the past two weeks, and shows no signs of letting up. The earth is totally hydrated, the ocean is teeming and the plants are full up. May 2006 be "filled to the brim" with wise adventure and loving connection for All of Us. And may the sun shine in as well!
These have been quiet days for Chester. After a four day long visit from a dear old friend, Chester was well rested and in good spirits when I returned yesterday. Everything seems to be stable right now, and we are continuing to work on rehabilitation and moving through the days.
At least the first two weeks of January has been approved for continuing Rehab Without Walls, which is comprised of a team of an Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist and Speech Therapist. We are hoping that the insurance angels will continue to extend therapy for several more weeks. We are also learning as much as we can so we can continue to complement his scheduled sessions and be competent to continue rehab when needed. Once again, I am finding that being in a circle of bodyworkers is a huge blessing, as so many of Chester's friends are competent and confident in assisting Chester in stretching and regenerative exercises. Each time I help Chester move his right leg I hear that little Chester voice "heel towards midline, don't hyperextend. . ." Being comfortable with bodies and motion is a huge asset in this process.
Today Chester was proud to walk the entire "circuit" of his apartment building- down to the end of the complex, up the 18 stairs, across the walkway on the 2nd level, down the front stairway and back into his apartment. This took about 35 minutes at a steady and comfortable pace. The past two weeks have brought a "sudden and dramatic improvement" in Chester's ambulation.
Tomorrow morning we go to the hospital to get a doppler ultrasound to check on the blood clots in Chester's right arm. It has now been a full months of daily blood thinner injections, and we are hoping that the screening reveals that his body has succesfully cleared the clots safely. We'll take it from there.
Perhaps the biggest frustration right now is Chester's speech, which has hit a rehabilitation plateau over the past few weeks. Communication is possible, but not consistent. Sometimes, words flow out and articulation is clear. Other times, simple words and phrases are a big struggle. Chester is actively working with the frustration that comes with not being able to say what he wants to say, and all of his companions are actively practicing patience and relaxing into silence.
The request is still open for those of you who can be of assistance in any way. Please be in touch. A special invitation to out-of-town friends who may want to come spend several days or a week as Chester's companion. Everyone who has visited him and stayed with him for several days has reported much nourishment, a strengthening of their friendship with Chester, and profound learning from the experience. If at all possible in your situation, I invite you to consider a visit in the coming months. You surely will profit from it.
Also, I know many of you are eager for regular photo updates to the blog. I have been doing my best to take pictures at least every couple of days. Right now the photo software on Chester's computer isn't working, so we have been unable to upload photos from here, and I've been trying to do so on the days I find myself at my own home. I hope to resolve the software issue soon so I can give you more up-to-date images of Chester and his daily adventures. I also realized that the photos disappear from the blog after a certain point, so I will also be working on an online archive of images (stretching back to before his operation), and will also be gathering images from Jaime, Marilyn, Cath, Jay and others who have taken photos of Chester in the past five months. I'll let you all know when that is up so that you may download or order prints of images that resonate with you.
We just got word that at least 11 participants are registered for the breathing class in three weeks. We are looking forward to breathing with you all! If you are interested and have not yet signed up, go for it!
In Breath, In Touch and In Friendship,
Chrys
These have been quiet days for Chester. After a four day long visit from a dear old friend, Chester was well rested and in good spirits when I returned yesterday. Everything seems to be stable right now, and we are continuing to work on rehabilitation and moving through the days.
At least the first two weeks of January has been approved for continuing Rehab Without Walls, which is comprised of a team of an Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist and Speech Therapist. We are hoping that the insurance angels will continue to extend therapy for several more weeks. We are also learning as much as we can so we can continue to complement his scheduled sessions and be competent to continue rehab when needed. Once again, I am finding that being in a circle of bodyworkers is a huge blessing, as so many of Chester's friends are competent and confident in assisting Chester in stretching and regenerative exercises. Each time I help Chester move his right leg I hear that little Chester voice "heel towards midline, don't hyperextend. . ." Being comfortable with bodies and motion is a huge asset in this process.
Today Chester was proud to walk the entire "circuit" of his apartment building- down to the end of the complex, up the 18 stairs, across the walkway on the 2nd level, down the front stairway and back into his apartment. This took about 35 minutes at a steady and comfortable pace. The past two weeks have brought a "sudden and dramatic improvement" in Chester's ambulation.
Tomorrow morning we go to the hospital to get a doppler ultrasound to check on the blood clots in Chester's right arm. It has now been a full months of daily blood thinner injections, and we are hoping that the screening reveals that his body has succesfully cleared the clots safely. We'll take it from there.
Perhaps the biggest frustration right now is Chester's speech, which has hit a rehabilitation plateau over the past few weeks. Communication is possible, but not consistent. Sometimes, words flow out and articulation is clear. Other times, simple words and phrases are a big struggle. Chester is actively working with the frustration that comes with not being able to say what he wants to say, and all of his companions are actively practicing patience and relaxing into silence.
The request is still open for those of you who can be of assistance in any way. Please be in touch. A special invitation to out-of-town friends who may want to come spend several days or a week as Chester's companion. Everyone who has visited him and stayed with him for several days has reported much nourishment, a strengthening of their friendship with Chester, and profound learning from the experience. If at all possible in your situation, I invite you to consider a visit in the coming months. You surely will profit from it.
Also, I know many of you are eager for regular photo updates to the blog. I have been doing my best to take pictures at least every couple of days. Right now the photo software on Chester's computer isn't working, so we have been unable to upload photos from here, and I've been trying to do so on the days I find myself at my own home. I hope to resolve the software issue soon so I can give you more up-to-date images of Chester and his daily adventures. I also realized that the photos disappear from the blog after a certain point, so I will also be working on an online archive of images (stretching back to before his operation), and will also be gathering images from Jaime, Marilyn, Cath, Jay and others who have taken photos of Chester in the past five months. I'll let you all know when that is up so that you may download or order prints of images that resonate with you.
We just got word that at least 11 participants are registered for the breathing class in three weeks. We are looking forward to breathing with you all! If you are interested and have not yet signed up, go for it!
In Breath, In Touch and In Friendship,
Chrys
posted by Chrys Curtis-Fawley at 3:56 PM
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