The wait is over. . . or is it?

Monday when Dad and I went to the hospital they moved Mom to rehab! What an interesting experience this is for me. I am learning so much about brains and how they work. I am amazed at how many processes are involved in eating. Picking up the spoon, rotating it in your hand properly, getting the spoon to the food, getting the food on the spoon, keeping the food on the spoon while you bring it to your mouth, getting the food into your mouth, closing your mouth on the spoon, pulling the spoon out and leaving the food in, then swallowing! Whew it makes me tired watching Mom re-learn all this. She has made incredible progress this week with rehab. She is awake most of the time and working hard to re-learn. She still has no short-term memory. I don't think she can read, although she can recognize letters. She repeats the same questions over and over. But she is walking with support and a walker.

This week I feel like the critical part is finally over and we are on the road to recovery! Finally! But she still has so much to learn. And so do I as care-giver. We have such a long road ahead of us. But another bit of good news. Dad is starting "blind school" this week as a day student. So, I will drop him off at 8:00 am and pick him up at 4:00 pm. While he is learning, I will go to the hospital and help mom with her therapy. We are going to have to re-figure this if Mom is released from rehab before Dad can get into the apartments and be a live-in student. But the sooner he is self-sufficient and independent, the sooner he can help me take care of Mom :)

I have a wonderful family! Lauren provided me with an opportunity to get away to play this weekend. Jessianne facilitated it. So, I went ice-climbing for the first time! In Ouray, Colorado. It was as hard as I thought it would be, but it was MUCH, MUCH funner than I thought. It was a really great weekend. Thanks girls! for giving me a respite! I love you!