Day 47 - Settling Into a Routine

We are settling into some kind of routine now, with daily visits to the hospital for physio, and the girls back at school, there is at least some order in our lives again. Of course the weekends are here with me at work, but, having put a pc, and all the comforts of home in our bedroom, including sky TV we have opted to get cleo upstairs each evening before i leave, and she will stay there until I get home the next morning.

This means she is closer to Sarah at night, who is in the next room, and she doesn't have to sleep on the sofa bed. I have to say that while i was a little worried about leaving cleo last weekend, i am far less concerned now. She has made such good progress this last few days that while she is aware of her limitations i am far happier that she is capable of doing at least a few things for herself.

This morning, for example, while we were getting ready to go to the doctors (Sarah has an ear infection) I took cleo to the bathroom, and left her there. i went off upstairs to get something and when i came back down a few minutes later to collect her she was sat on a chair at the kitchen table: she had managed to get herself from the bathroom into the kitchen. She was beaming all over her face! "Flash cow!" I said, and gave her a kiss. Smiles all round.

Well Impressed!

I think the simplification of the walking method we found has helped no end. At physio this afternoon cleo again walked from the car, although i spend most of my time walking backwards these days holding her arm! James was impressed with the fact that she is locking her knee far less than a couple of days ago, and of course this makes each step far more stable, and cleo is far more confident about knowing she is less likely to fall or stumble. The leg is coming on well, and new muscle groups seem to be "joining in" each day. Today it was the hamstrings that almost spontaneously worked, after james had worked them a while, and as each group begins to work there is naturally more control of the leg, foot, and hip giving even more stability and confidence.
We have some exercises to try this weekend on cleo's arm and shoulder to try and get some movement back into that now. I understand that the arm and hand often takes longer to return: bigger muscles like the leg muscles are easier to work, but the smaller ones in arm and hand are far more difficult, and so it will be a time and perseverance thing for these. We will get there of course, but I doubt it will move as quickly as the leg has.

Love Is All Around

I feel it in my fingers
I feel it in my toes
The love that's all around me
And so the feeling grows
It's written on the wind
It's everywhere I go
So if you really love me
Come on and let it show
You know I love you, I always will
My mind's made up by the way that I feel
There's no beginning, there'll be no end
'Cause on my love you can depend
I see your face before me
As I lay on my bed
I cannot get to thinking
Of all the things you said
You gave your promise to me and I gave mine to you
I need someone beside me in everything I do
You know I love you, I always will
My mind's made up by the way that I feel
There's no beginning, there'll be no end
'Cause on my love you can depend
I got to keep it moving
It's written in the wind
Oh everywhere I go
So if you really love me
Come on and let it show
Come on and let it,
Come on and let it,
Come on and let it,
Come on and let it show