Christmas Thank You

Friends,
I have been filling out Christmas cards for a month and if I may, I would like to take this opportunity to say to you all:
We would like to thank you all for you continued support in helping make Chie's recovery a success. She continues to move forward with the start of each new day, waking up in a happy cheerful positive light despite her condition. Left only with what her Japanese upbringing instilled in her, Chie remains focussed on her goal to one day walk again and will not give up. She simply does not know how to give up. It is just not in her blood.

She is truely an extraordinary person and she means the world to me. So, I say to you in my deepest sincerity, Thank You for welcoming us into you group of friends and treating us so graciously. For the smiles you put on Chie's face, for the love you give out, to see her stand up and announce to those who ran the marathon, that she would be in next year's race. ... to see that confidence and feeling of comfort and acceptance in her eyes. You will never know how much it means to her, or me. Its not something you cannot buy in a store. There is no amount of money in the world that could do what you people have done for her, and I , , I just thank you all so much from the bottom of my heart,
I thank you.

We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.

DAVE

I love Udon

Hello Everybody,
Its Chie and I just wanted to tell you about my dog, Udon. She is a very good girl. She is getting bigger and bigger. We fight sometimes , but Istill love her. She sleeps lateer than me. David and I get up and Udon still lays in bed, sleeeping. But she is good girl though. She seems like she listens to me and uderstands me . I dont know if its true or not. Isnt that very strange?? I think so very much. And udon is a lab, and nobody thinks she is a real lab. , except the vet.
I just wanted to tell you that. Ill talk to you soon ,
CHIE

The Grinch Who Stole Christmas!!

The Grinch Who Stole Christmas

A Holiday Parade

starring CHIE

as The GRINCH

Staying busy as usual Chie was the star of the parade hosted by her rehab. We were all very excited about it. She put a lot of thought into her part. She watched "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" at rehab and really enjoyed it. Then she had to study it and really pay attention to the detail, such as her face in these pictures.

She really went all out choosing her green outfit to wear and making sure she had found someone who would loan her a hat. Her lead therapist had the dog and 1 antler so they were ready to go!!

Everyone from the rehab went out to Anna Texas to their ranch there and took part in or watched the parade. Chie had a ball!! She was so excited and happy. I wish I could have been there to see her, but unfortunately I had to go have CT scans done for that kidney stone that rendered me out of commission a few weeks back. She said they had a great time out at the ranch. They had a good lunch and the parade was SSSUUUUUGGGOOOOIIII!!!!!!

Thank you to whoever got the pictures for us. We aprreciate that very much. Im sorry its just now to get them posted, but busy as usual.

Thank you to all who make it possible

Chie's Thanksgiving Message

Chie's Thanksgiving Video Message

Happy Thanksgiving

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

We would like to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving. We hope you all enjoy lots of turkey with family and friends.

I have always loved the holiday season so much. Turkey, Family, Friends, The Cowboys, Christmas Lights, Cards, Presents, Holiday Cheer, and the Chance of it Snowing. It was always such a happy time in my life and my memories. Buying presents and suprising people with something they really wanted. The holiday cheer that made me always want to do a little something extra for somebody in need like, donating gifts or old coats to those who did not have one. I took such pride in that and that of my Nana, because my mom always told me how my Nana, Dad's mother, would go to the store and pick out a cart of food and a turkey. Then she would tell the guy who worked there to make up 6 more of just what she had chosen. She would go and put them on the porches of those in need just before Christmas. I asked if she knew the people she gave them to and my Mom said that she did not and she never left a card or anything. She never wanted them to know it was from her. I always thought that was so cool of her, and I always rememberred that and wanted to be like that.

I guess this is why I find it so hard to be in my position now. never really understood words like "need" and "want" for me personally. I could tell you what you needed or wanted and how you could get them, but I was ok, didnt really need anything. Even when I was out on my own at 18, I always worked or did something to make money. There was always a means to make the money and it all seemed so easy. I had never had to ask anyone for anything and so now, in the current sinkhole I find myself submerged in, it makes me terribly uncomfortable and weak. We just found out that social security has denied disability for Chie, and I am not thankful for that. We really needed that. So lost and helpless. I feel as though I am at the bottom of a well with water pouring in and I am trying to get climb out but just keep slipping back down. I just dont see any end to it, like there is no way of getting the upper hand back. We are going to be in this hole forever, makes me wanna scream!!!!

Thanksgiving was really just, Eat a ton of turkey and watch the Cowboys day. Never really thought to much about the "Thanks" part. I guess I kind of took it all for granted. Now, I look at the hole I am in and I know it doesn't seem like we have much to be thankful for, but we do. It is a real struggle to pull something positive out of this but I am trying hard, ,, to , ,,,, always look on the bright side of life, yes! It seems like we have more to be thankful for now than ever before. I guess it takes these hard times to build your character make you more weathered. We are thankful, thankful for every little thing right now. The list is a mile long and you, Chie supporters, doctors, therapists, are at the top. Helpless, embarrassed, humbled, sad, and Thankful!

Today that thankfullness is what is going to get me out of bed and make another go of things. I somehow have to find a way to say or show that we are thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving, and Thank you

D

Chie's Bazaar Benefit, ,,, is that right? Bazaar Benefit?

A THOUSAND THANKS
TO THE
FT. WORTH JAPANESE SOCIETY

Raised: Over $1,300.00


We thank you from the bottom of our hearts and with our upmost sincerety. Chie came home beaming, excited, telling me about all the people she met, all the good foods she ate. She was just like a little kid in a candy store. It brought tears to my eyes listening to her. I was so proud her and all of you, Kaoru, and the Fort Worth Crew. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, How could I ever thank you?

It all sounded so great. She was so happy to see so many of you after such a long time. I heard that so many people came. She forgot some of your names, but I told her it was ok. I think it was pretty much overload to try and retell it all at one time, so I am letting her give me little bits at a time as she sees fit and when it comes to her. It was a very big step for her to go without me, as we were all a little freaked out after Friday with the hospital and all. Plus the fact that when Chie left I was laying the bed begging for mercy, how embarrassing. I must thank Hiroe and Bobby for filling in and getting Chie there. Thanks A Million!

I wish I could have been there to see everyone. I am sorry I could not make it. I was extremely ill. I have a kidney stone and had to go to the hospital in the ambulance Friday. I dont know much about it aside from the fact that it is extremely painful. The doctor said it will pass, but it has not, as of today. Actually, I think his exact words when he woke me up were "We have a kidney stone. .5mm. They say this is the equivalent of a male giving birth. Its going to suck, but it will pass in the next few days, just drink a lot of liquids and rest. If it hasn't passed in the next few days go to your doctor. You can go home now." OK, so I staggered into the lobby, very groggy from the accidental double dose of morphine they gave me, looking for Bobby and Chie who were nowhere in sight. I made a quick call for them to come rescue me and went back to sleep on the chairs in the waiting room until they came and got me. Dazed and confused was the rest of that day. The next day was great until about 9:30 when I found myself doubled over hollaring at Chie to eat breakfast and getting her dressed, calling to find Bobby and and get him back to the house, printing directions to Ft. Worth since the internet decided to work for and hour ( Thank You God), Call Hiroe and let her know she was now driving, and let Hiroe know that Chie would be there , ,, late, but just a little late, you know, the usual lateness (heheehee). No, I dont think I even got to the part where I called Kaoru, by that time I was already confined to the bed telling Chie, " IM fine!!! Im just gonna nap and rest like the doctor said!!!!!!" It was horrible! Ladies , full respect to all you mothers out there. I dont even think I want kids anymore. I dont want anyone to go through that!! EVER!!!! It was baaaaaaaddddd, let me assure you. The last thing I rember was Bobby and Chie leaving for the bazzar and then Kevin bringing me a huge cup of water saying, "you need anything else. I got a huge cup of water right here for ya. It's got lots of ice in it, see" To which I replied, "Go AWAY!!"

Believe me, its hard to drink a lot of water when you know it will bring on so much pain. I was just stuck starring at that big glass of water. It was like a horror movie or something, just sitting there, starring at me. I have never not wanted water so much in my life and drank it like it was a shot of tequila or something; Those of you who know me, know how gracefully I do shots. NOt a pretty sight let me assure you.

The next morning I awoke to Chie telling about all the fun she had and how great it was.
I have to go back to the doctor in the morning to find out what is next. I hope it will be fine and will let you know. I was hoping it may have passed without me noticing ,, but Chie's driver assured me, "You'll know , You'll Know," so its back to the doctore in the morning.

Your efforts are truly amazing and we so greatly appreciate it. I was happy to hear about every one seeing and meeting Chie and Bobby and Hiroe. I was happy to hear that some of you actually got the cards I sent. I am so absent minded at this point I have no idea who I got them sent to and who I did not. I apologize if I missed you. Please let me know your address so I can send you a thank you. I am already working on cards from Saturday. I know some people have gotten several, probably all saying the same thing. I dont know how, but I know I have sent someone 3 already, and then, get this, I found another one about two months ago. I know its like a year and a half old. I could not bear to send a 4th, sorry. The ICC got a couple of those 8 to 12 month old cards that elusively slipped down the cushions of our couch. I am sorry y'all. It was by no means intentional. I would never deliberately display my idiocey. Hope you can forgive me.

Some of you may have mixed Bobby and myself up, but dont worry, it happens a lot. I still have the pictures of Chie and I singing Karaoke from the very first time we met at our friends birthday party in Kobe just before New Years, 2000. Chie sang Dancing Queen by ABBA and I sang Take a Walk on the Wild Side by Lou Reed. I will post them and let you know the story of how we met for those of you who do not know.

Guys, I have to go to bed. I, again, thank you with all my heart. You are our life line in this fight, without you we would be dead in the water. I am doing my best to take care of Chie but would be nothing without your support.

We love Ya,

Japanese BBQ and the "Kaibutsu Ball"

Amazingly Chie gave a green light for a BBQ last Saturday, and we made it!!!

an hour and a half late but made it!

Chie had a really good time meeting everybody at the BBQ Saturday. We thank you all for inviting us. It was a pleasure to meet everyone and thank you for being so nice to both of us. It was a suprising to find out that some of you knew each other, so seeing you all together was strange for Chie and I. We thought, "what a small world! " We had not seen Mika in almost a year and a half! Good to see you again. It was a great day for us and nice to get out and enjoy the weather!

It was fun to kick the ball and play dodgeball. The food was oishii. We are still eating what you all gave us. Chie loved the cookies!!!!

It was a real honor for Chie to receive a ball from our Boston Red Sox Supporters Mikio and Daisuke, who signed a baseball to Chie. I think it only took about 3 minutes before she dropped it and we had it covered in BBQ sauce from the ribs while we snapped pictures of everyone in pitcher's poses and swinging the bat like we were sending it out of the park!!!! nah,, just kidding, ,,, kind of.

We greatly appreciate the support and thought that went into getting it to Chie. She felt very special. We spent the evening researching the Redsox and their Japanese Pitcher Daisuke "Kaibutsu" Matsuzaka. We hope to one day meet and thank you both in person. It was truly truly our honor to have been recognized by you.

A special special thanks to Yoshiko and Mikio for making it happen.

We love ya,

Chie and DAVE

As you know, its been about 6 months since I have gotten Udon. Udon has been helping me very much. Without Udon, I don’t know if I can get up on time. Udon helps me o wear clothes and eat. I meet her in the kitchen and she is always ready to eat. She seems like a house dog. I am always surprised because she looks like a house dog, really. Udon is becoming bigger and bigger. Udon often sleeps in the bed with me. Recently, we have tried to practice Udon sleeping outside, but at night I get up to go to the bathroom and I see Udon, I call her and then see if she is sleeping. Then I go to let her in the door and she jumps in the bed with me, and I am secretly happy,heheheheheehehheheee. I come home around 4pm and Imake sure she is waiting for me at the door, and she is waiting for me. I don’t know how to tell you how happy I am to have Udon. I always thank Striper’s little girls for giving her to me because they are Udon’s real Mamma’s and Papa. Striper is a Fisherman at Texoma and we sometimes go there and we sometimes see the girls and they are very nice to us. If you go there, please ask them. You can find them at Texoma Outfitters --- --- ----. I really appreciate Striper and his little girls and as usual, Beautiful Bobby because Bobby takes care of Udon very well. Thank you so much. I really cannot say thank you enough. Finish
Chie

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO EVERYONE

TERRIBLY SORRY FOR THE LONG ABSENCE. MY JOB HAS CHANGED AS PART OF THE D.I.S.D. OVER EXPENDITURE AND I NOW FIND MYSELF IN A KINDERGARDEN TEACHER. THE TRANSITION HAS BEEN ROUGH TO SAY THE LEAST. KINDER TAKES MUCH PLANNING AND LOTS OF TIME. UNFORTUNATELY I HAVE NOT HAD ANY TIME TO SPARE.

WE HOPE EVERYONE HAD A GOOD HALLOWEEN!! CHIE WON THE FIRST PLACE IN HER REHAB'S HALLOWEEN COSTUME CONTEST!!!!! HOPE YOU LIKE THE PICTURES.

Otsukimi

Otsukimi

Chie made it out to Otsukimi at the arboretum this year. It was a moist cool night and we looked up at the moon while listening to the Biwa music and acoustic jazz. We wrote haikus and sank a couple of beers. It was a really nice night to spend together. Thinking back at how far we have come and all we have been through in a year. It was a year ago that we raced in the car with Sheila, Keiko and Akiko trying to beat the moonrise. It was one of the very first times Chie had gone out since her accident. She has truly come a long way since then. Im very proud of her efforts, courage, and positive character that has kept not only her but me going too. I just love her with all my heart and hope to get her back somehow , someway to where she can be happy and content with her abilities.
So much has changed since then. Akiko has gone back to Japan and we miss her and her happy smilel. Her tasty pastries she would bring to Chie. We heard from her the other day and she wishes to be here as well. Keiko has just had twins and they are very cute. Omedeto Keiko and Rajit. We are here to help you with anything you may need. It was great to meet your families. Tell them we say hello and enjoyed visiting and eating the indian food. Hope your dad had a good flight home ,, and by now , your mom and sis' too. Chie has come home from rehab, changed rehabs, and she still keeps going. Good job lovey!!!

Chie's Message

Blog


Thank you David,

David has been with me this accident. I do not know how much thank for him. I made him angry and upset, but he has been with me. Furthermore, he agreed to have Udon, ‘my lovely dog’ Now I cannot live without them,and plus Bobby. What a big family I am proud of.

Chie Update / Message

Moving Right Along.....

Chie has continued therapy at her new place and she is doing very well. She really likes all of her therapists and new classmates. She has been working hard everyday with high hopes of recovery in her sights. We are going to be trying some new leg braces to see if we can get her foot working a little better to help her walk. Her goal is to walk one day and we have directed all of her therapist to put on as much muscle and flex as possible so that maybe before we leave she can accomplish her goal!

Recently Chie has had a lot of excitement in her life both at rehab and home. She has taken two outings at her rehab, no, 3 now! She has gone bowling, where in one frame she got a spare!! She said it was a lot of fun to bowl, but it was also a lot of work. She did not use her chair on that day and her therapists pushed her to work harder and harder. Next time she is going to try for a strike!!!!

Her last outing was a big one and she said she had a ball. She went to the Texas State Fair last Wednesday. She saw Big Tex and ate, ate, ate. They saw all the new cars. " Some people took pictures of the cars. They looked cool but I was thinking about food and I think thats about it. There was a big ride too. The big ride was a ferris wheel. I didnt go on it because I did not want to spend all of my money. I bought food. I bought two corny dogs, candy apple, funnel cake, and water. That was about 20 dollars. It was a beautiful day. At the end everyone was tired and they were like (she sighs). We couldnt do anything, we were too tired. But it was sosooooooooo fun!!!!! The next day I was not the only one who did not go to therapy. On Friday , I was the only one on my van to go to therapy. I guess everyone was tired. " It sounded like she had a ball and she definitely slept like she had a good time.

She recently had a few visitors who came to a BBQ at our house. We thank you for coming girls. Then she got to have a Girl's Day with her friend Saru. They went to the salon and had their nails done, eyebrows trimmed, and a fresh new haircut. Then we all had a big dinner and it was sooooo good. It was really a nice day for Chie and we thank you for taking the time to make her feel special.

We did get out to the ICC and were able to say hello and see everyong again. It was a wonderful lunch and we were happy to see old friends again. Anyways, it was so nice to see everyone again and we had a wonderful lunch and made new friends and saw baby Leo for the first time. Thank you all for having us we have missed you very much.

Our weekends have been a little busy as we are fighting with Nippon Life and their refusal to pay Chie's insurance claim. They are pretty much pretending they dont know Chie cannot walk, eat or dress by herself even though it was reported she could not by their representative. The doctor verbally communicated her situation with the rep. and then marked Chie discharge summary with the understanding everythig was with supervision. Nippon Life got the paper, looked at it, and just acted as if they had no knowledge of what was said about constant assistance and supervision, denied Chie's claim, and closed the case immediately. Absolutely dispicable!!! I do not know if they have "Bad Faith" laws in Japan, but they should.

Nippon Life, what a bunch of Schmucks.

OK, I must run for now and will update you again very soon.

Update: Getting Adjusted

3 Weeks In and Getting Adjusted

Chie has finished 3 weeks of Pate and adjusting well. It has been a while since she has had such long days and she comes home worn out more days than not, but she smiles and says "That's Gooooood, That's Gooooood." She knows the more tired she is, the harder she has worked, and the better she will get!

Chie went bowling last week with everyone at the rehab. She got a spare!!! It would have been a strike but it came on her second bowl so it was a spare. Unfortunately my left arm is not really strong, so I had to use the ramp because my left arm is really week. I didnt think I would be able to complete one game, but it was very exciting and I did well. A lot of teachers helped me and I want to say, thank you so much. I really thank you. I could not do it without your help." "I remember some people went bowling at CNS and by some people, I guess people who can walk. " (Chie did not get to go on that outing) It was her first time after the accident. she played one game. "It was unbelievable and very fun,, ,,, It was very tiring to be honest,. I felt tired afterwords. I used the ball ramp to make sure the ball went straight." Chie used to bowl a little bit at Koshien Bowl back in Japan. She and I used to ride our bikes all the way from NishiKita to Koshien Bowl right next to Koshien Stadium. We heard Koshien Bowl has since been torn down, that is too bad. We will miss it.

Speaking of Koshien Stadium,,,,,,,,, We have learned that our home team The Hanshin Tigers

Now have the Magic Number and will make history again!!

We pray for the safety of all the Colonel Sanders Statues in Osaka and all the Tigers Fans at Dottombori Bridge. Wish we could be there. Gambattemasu!!!!!

Udon update!!!!

Udon has gotten all of her shots from the vet and Chie wants to say thank you for udon, because of her Chie can get up at 7am to feed her. She has been trying to learn the commands to help Udon behave well. She says she loves udon but sometimes she has to hit her. (LOL, I dont think so. In fact she doesnt even tell the dog to stop biting her when she wants to play.) She has done well making sure to feed her , right on time, and play with her and give her all the love a growing puppy needs. " I love you sssoooo much Udon." We have heard about a lady who works at a pet store and trains dogs for free for people in wheelchairs. We are going to try and make contact with her tomorrow and see if she may be able to help train Udon for Chie. It would be really great to have her trained well to help chie with so many of her difficulties in everyday life and if nothing else just to teach her not to bite chie's arm repeatedly until it bleeds. I dont know why but she never tells the dog, NO!! We will keep our fingers crossed that this new hope will help train Udon with us.

Chie has found new inspiration for rehab in a friend. She worries about his wellfare and future, so she feels she needs to be there everyday to support him through this difficult time. In return, he looks after her at rehab and makes sure she is always ok. Chie says " As a team, we can get over it. We can get over sad feelings , pain, and anything. Together." She tells him to be himself and that helps her feel better. She vows to help him with heart, "not money" she adds "because we dont have any, so heartwise." This must be a new term she has coined. " He must be really sad and I understand because I felt the same way, but dont be defeated because we are stronger. I love him very much. He has been looking out for me for a long time. He is my good friend. We ride to therapy together. Lets enjoy therapy together as long as we are here. Thank you"

Things are going pretty well for Chie at rehab so far. She has had no troubles with anyone about anything and that is just great. She comes home telling me " I was a wanted lady today!! I did not even get a chance to relax until 1 pm. I had appointment after appointment." I am so happy for her. We are modifying bras once again with velcro this time to see if that is a bit easier for her. She has retaken up trying use a button hook to button shirts. She is attempting to use the grabber, well not really, but we are hoping she will soon be attempting to use the grabber. She has used a new One Touch Can Opener to open cans for our dinner. I have found a voice recorder with only 3 buttons; Play, Record, and light, so we are trying to see if she can use that to help her remember tasks or topics she would like to do/discuss. We miss our second family from CNS very much, but perhaps this was a change she needed to boost her spirits and get her back into work mode.

LUNCH,, I know many of you want to know about lunch at the new place. Chie has lunch at 11am and we just learned that she does have a full hour to eat. If you would like to take her food I believe you just have to check in first at the office and all Japanese food is welcome!!!!

UPCOMING NEWS-

Chie will soon see our ataxia doctor about her shaking and tremors as they are again agitating her. We hope to find something that will calm them down and give her some relief. The eye doctor or low vision specialist will be sought out since our previous one is not currently seeing patients. We will again see if we can get her vision a little better than what it is now as it constantly bothers her. I do not know if it is due to her fatigue or dirty glasses from the dog licking them, but she complains a lot about not being able to see well. We will have a home evaluation tomorrow to see if we can better prepare the home to be more "Chie Friendly." She has only fallen once in recent weeks, but is getting more and more bold, so we must be on constant watch to prevent her from taking a spill. Decifering between safe and dangerous is one of her major faults after the accident so we really have to watch her when she begins to get fatigued. She recently learned that her friend takes naps everyday when he is tired and I hope this will encourage her to do the same. She did not fight to stay up over the weekend after learning this, so that is good.

Recent Doctor Visit-

We were able to see the dentist finally. Chie had complained about her teeth being sensitive to hot and cold things, so we put the dentist on the schedule. I cringed when she told me, remembering her in the hospital. She had not had her teeth or the inside of her mouth cleaned in over five weeks when I saw what I thought was her tooth come out of her mouth when the nurse was brushing the outside. I thought , "OH MY GOD, her teeth are rotting out!!!!" The nurse told me it was dried saliva and that nobody brushed the inside of her mouth because she would bite down when they tried. I was shocked to think that her teeth had not been brushed in 5 weeks!!! Chie had just woken up and was not speaking yet. I came in the very next day and told her that she had beautiful teeth and we needed to keep those pearly whites white. She would soon be talking and eating again so we had to get them cleaned up and ready. I told her that we had work to do. We could go slow and we could take breaks, but now it was time to go to work. Open up! She opened her mouth for me and to work I went. It was a pretty horrid sight as her mouth was coated and looked like a scab. I tried softening it up with a liquid the nurses used and then tried in whatever way I could to get that gook off, at time sticking my fingers in her mouth and literally pulling it off leaving her bleeding a bit. The nurse watched one time and saw me do it. He stepped back and said I was a braver man than he. We got it done though, after 3 days and a total of 6 hours!!!!! She only bit once and released promptly as I screamed under my breathe "iiiiiIIIIITTTTTAAAAAIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!" Anyways, the dentist said she was right and was missing a layer of her filling, so he fixed her up and got them clean and beautiful again for her. I too had no cavities, but have to go back for second cleaning. Apparantly, once every 9 years is not quite the frequency the dentist would like to see his patients. Amazingly, no cavities!!

Dr. Cannada, the great Dr. Cannada. We made our final visit to our orthopedic surgeon who straightened out all of Chie's twisted bones over the last two years. We thank you a thousand times over for all your work and all the hope you gave us. Most of all, we will miss your big smile you always had when you came into our room, "There he is, I was just talking about you." She would tell me every time she came in. She always told me I should be Oprah's husband of the year. Well, I never made that but I did try my best. Thank you Dr. Cannada, for fixing my wife's bones. We're gonna miss you.

We are still surviving at home. I have had our mortgage put on automatic pay so we dont get foreclosed on. I figure if we start losing things, the house is one that we want to go last, lol. Fortunately Bobby has been staying and helping us in every way possible. We are very greatful for not only his, but everyone's help. The gift cards, the borrowing of the juicer (Chie really likes the juicer, probably be best to sneak it out when she is not looking, hehehehe), the late night swims, the tiramisu, the mending and on and on the list goes. It has been such a long and hard struggle for us. I go to bed every night and hope to wake up the next morning and everything will be back to normal, but it's not. -that sucks.

I gotta go ,

Thanks again,

Excited About Rehab!!!

from Chie;

"I first want to thank Margo. Thank you very much for margo
because she found the best place for me. Without her, I wouldn't have known this place and I wouldn't have met nice friends and nice teachers. Today I had a family conference for the first time, and what was funny was the PT teacher, she said, "Bitchcakes!" I was very suprised because at CNS nobody would have said that, but here PT teacher said that. I heard it , you heard it (David), and everybody heard it and it was funny!" I like PT teacher and I like OT teacher, and well, when I talk about it I like everyone. I like speech teacher. Conference was good because six months is my limit but the lady said it isn't decided yet.
My new rehab is different from my old rehab. I have more free time, but also more responsibility. That is what the require from you. Do you know why? Maybe I should give you example, You can do anything, you can sleep if not appointment time. You can really sleep. Or, you can talk, you can play game or you can read comics if you have or if you want to. Nobody really checks. Responsibility comes when teacher comes to you and educates you. You cannot say "Im tired" because you dont want to go, which hasn't happened but you cant say it.
At 3:00pm I like to go to the big room and discuss current topics. Sometimes I listen only, sometimes I talk. Its everyday, we talk about recent things and that is good for us. Sometimes its brain training. Not only brain but also thinking in different ways. I like that.
One day seems shorter. Everyday seems shorter somehow. It is a little shorter but I think I learn the same, I guess. My leg is getting strong, but this is just starting training, so I think it is going to get even stronger. I dont know if half a year is enough but I will try.
Tomorrow I am going bowling and I am excited about that. My friend Kevin from CNS came to my new rehab and I was sooooooo Happy to have a friend there. I have met many friends but he is my old friend and he moved near my house so we can hang out sometimes. My lunch buddy is a new friend. He is an american guy but like an australian native but he looks like and aborigini. Of course I didnt ask but I thought he was aboriginal.
One more thing is my new driver Issetta. She always gives me a ride and she always takes me home and I feel safe. I thank her for that. Oh and Margarita is myneighbor at the desk next to me. I dont know how old she is but she is my neighbor. She is very nice. I like her.
Thats about it. Im sleepy
goodnight,
Chie

Back to Rehab!!!

BACK TO REHAB

WELL, It looks like summer is over for Chie too. We received a call the other day that informed us all the paper work was complete and in order, so we are set to begin at Pate Rehabilitation on Tuesday the 2nd, YEA!!!! It kind of caught us off guard with school just starting, the party, setting up a home therapy routine for Chie etc.... We have been saying September 1st is when the funds will be dispursed and we are at the top of the list, but we did not know at what speed the process would move from when the funds were given out. We had heard some horror stories of people having to wait more than a month. We had some other distractions that kept us from realizing , its September already!

We are very happy to have been able to get into this rehab and we will receive 6 months of treatment thanks to DARS (disabled Assistive Rehabilitative Services). We have already toured the facility and Chie is very excited to go there. She knows many people who have gone to Pate. The schedule and program looks really good. Chie will take part in making her own schedule, planning activities or tasks that interest and pertain to her, managing her time to do such things, and planning outings. When we went to tour the place, Chie had worked out her own little test with Sheila to see whether or not this place was alright. I did not know about it since Chie went directly to Pate from Sheila's house where she had her first sleepover!! Anyways, Chie tells Sheila, "If this lady takes me to the bathroom when I ask, then they alright." Thankfully the lady did not even hesitate when Chie asked to use the restroom during the interview. That's all I needed was to have to have to go through a round of battling over who takes her to the bathroom, but I have to admit, I was proud of her. It seemed like valid test to me after some of the rotten things we have been through by some of the laziest, least inteligent people on the planet. I cringe just thinking about them and I pray I never run across them on the street.

So, now with Pate passing with flying colors we will begin Tuesday. I will be off this week getting her admitted and meeting with therapist, counselors, etc... As soon as we get settled I will find out the lunch procedure for those of you who bring food and eat with her. I do ask that everyone please wait a couple of weeks so that she can get settled into the routine without any distractions and focus on her work at hand. I'll be sure and update you all to let you know how she is doing and when she is ready to have visitors. I will be making sure she has a good breakfast, as I am sure she will be talking to her new found friends, a lot.

Would like to thank everyone who helped us through this little transition period. Bobby, I dont know what I would have done without your help. We are forever in your debts brother. Bobby got a real taste of what it is like to be with Chie 24/7 since he stayed for a total of 6 weeks to help out during summer school and until Chie got into Pate. He left with a whole new respect for the word patience and probaly one he has not had since raising kids. He didnt get a chance to meet everyone at the party, but he was responsible of all the good food coming off the grill. Thank you to the Junko, Akiko, and Megumi for making that long drive from Keller to check up on Chie in the Afternoons while I was at school.

It was no small task, but with all of your help we were able to keep Chie working over the summer and hopefully somewhat ready for Pate. She continued with her walker, making all the way to the stop sign and back, she used the grabber, finally, for the first time while playing with Udon in the yard, she has been reading a story a day from her Japanese folk tale book that Keiko sensei gave her, she beat both Bobby and me at Othello repeatedly, practiced piano (if you thought you were tired of hearing The Star Spangled Banner from the Olympics, you ought to drop by our house these days), treasure hunt, categories, boggle, family feud, Jeopardy (well, that was mainly Bobby and I), sorting medicines, washing the car, folding clothes, and whatever else we could think of that could be seen as therapy, she did it. We even got her to use the computer, FINALLY!!!! I have been trying for six months to get her to use the computer but she just hasnt had any interest in it. Now, after some minor repairs, we have it hooked up to the huge TV, as she calls it, and she can see it! I am guessing that was the problem with the other one we have. We played some games on the internet to keep her mind sharp and then she got a call from her old friends Shochan, Nagurian, and Nichan. I had the big keyboard out, the giant Mouse ready, and showed her an email with great big monsterous type that she could read with ease, and then came the words Ive been waiting to hear, "I want to write them back , on the computer" Finally! and so she did. Thank you girls for calling. Chie didnt mean to cry, but wanted to let you know she was just so excited to hear from you. Its been a while since anyone has contacted her from Japan. Anyways, We tried to make it a working holiday so to speak.

Well , I will keep you updated frequently as we make the transition, but I am going to stop now because Chie wants to TYPE her first blog entry right after this,,,,,,YEA!

Thank you all for making her recovery a success!

Thank You for Coming

Thank You for Coming

to our

Party!!!!!!

We just wanted to say thanks to everyone who came to the party , and to those who could not make it, we hope to see you at the next one. It was great to see and meet everybody. Its been such a long time since we last saw some of you. It was nice to catch up again. I know Chie enjoyed seeing everyone. She was "sooo happy" and it was "sooooo nice off everyone to come", and she wants to thank everyone "sooooo much." I think the day was a success. We hope everyone enjoyed themselves. It was truly our pleasure having you and we do hope to do it again soon.

I really want to thank Keiko for suggesting it and setting it up. Megumi for your endless help with our situation, Kaoru and the Ft. Worth crew, and last but not least, Beautiful Bobby for manning the Grill.

Thank you

Vacation At Last

GALVESTON VACATION

We did finally get to take a little bit of a vacation. Chie was longing for the beach and so was I. Aunt Pammy had a few days open for us to stay at the beach house so we took 'em. Fortunately for us, Beautiful Bobby was already down there and agreed to stay to help me out with Chie. It can be a bit, just a bit tedious managing Chie along with everything else going on. We are ever greatful for you both.


We somehow made it to the beach house in right around 4 hours, and we stopped twice! I guess we were just both excited to get back to the beach and the ocean water. Everybody needs that. A quick stop by the beach house to put on suits and pick up some fishing poles and right to the beach. We had a nice suprise when we got there and saw Keithly, like a big brother to me, making an appearance to celebrate his birthday.


When we got there it was just a bit cloudy, which is great seeings how it has been so hot these days. The water was unusually cool due to the cloud cover, yeah! I know some people think it unimaginable that we could take Chie swimming in the ocean, but I think the ocean water is some sort of cure all, it makes you feel alive, and heals mind body and soul. Nobody should be denied that and we havent had it a very long time.

We drove out onto the beach, unloaded the wheelchair, strapped on Chie's life jacket, rolled her right out into the water until it got to deep for the chair, stood her up walked her right out into the waves!!! Like it ain't no thing, Piece of cake.

As you all know, we are not too big on people telling Chie she cannot do something. We played in the waves for a couple of hours trying to body surf Chie in the waves on her back with the life jacket. It was fun and she was so excited, repeatedly saying "FEELS GOOD!!! FEELS GOOD!!!" We we would tell her "Go Find Balance Danielsan" like Mr. Miagi in Karate Kid. Then we got a little shallower so she could get on her hands and knees and balance against the littler waves. Nobody wanted to get out, except for more beer, but it was getting dark already so we had to call it a day. It turned out to be a pretty good day of therapy for Chie as she was working quite a bit out in the water. She also got a little work out climbing up and down the stairs of the beach house.

The next day the weather was turning so we only went to the beach for a little while and then down to the strand to see what was shakin'. We visited the stores and then went to get a little dinner and relax. It gets a little blurry after that, haha, but at some point, we weathered hurricane Eduard, which should have been called "light wind Eduard." It turned out to be nothing despite the hype of the news stations. Unable to take anymore news coverage of the "rain" and "no injuries, no calls to police or fire departments" we decided to head down the beach for a drive and see what was going on. Its hard to believe they could fill up 8 hours of constant broadcasting with so little to work with. Down on the strand, we saw the news reporters asking people what the thought about the weather and when we got home, we saw Chie on TV four times!! That was pretty cool.

We went out that night to our Mardi Gras watering hole, Slices. Didnt take long to make friends there,, I think it was all of about 15 seconds before Chie had two drunken pachanguerras at our table, Roslyn and Heather. They were both very kind to us and it was nice to meet them as the made the night fun and exciting. Found our hook Freddy in no time as well and also really great to have made his aquaintance, appreciate the hospitality (thank you Jason). It was probably one of the best nights we have had in a long time.

There were just a couple of things left that Chie wanted to do for it to be a perfect vacation; Stay at a hotel, Catch a Shark! Seemed easy enough, and probably would have been, but apparantly its the standard business practice of the hotel COMMODORE ON THE BEACH to cancel all reservations without letting any of there cusotmers know, when there is a hurricane or tropical deppression. I called to check our reservation and the lady informs me that they are closed??!!???!! How weird is that? I cant imagine if we had just driven 1,000 miles to get there and then the hotel says " oh sorry we are closed, we cancelled all reservations" Where would we go stay? What kind of hillbilly business practice is that? The lady said they made every attempt to contact all customers to let them know,,But "every attempt" does not include dialing all 10 digits of a phone number, as I held my phone up showing the call log asking "how hard did you try to contact me? Did you pick up the phone but forget to dial? or like maybe forget that there are 3 numbers prior to the seven of a phone number known as an area code that you need to dial as well?" I dont even think she could understand me as she stood there twirling her tongue around her only front tooth and asking me if we wanted to stay that night. I asked her if that was a rhetorical question to which she responded "what?" I just said "never mind" and walked out. Surely she didnt think I was gonna spend any money there. I want to take this moment to encourage all the kids on the island to stay in school.

We booked a room on the flagship over the water and it was great! We had a balcony and could watch the dolphins and surfers and feed our Honeycomb cereal to the seagulls. It was a lot of fun and made for a change of scenery appeasing Chie, who got to have a long hot bath like she wanted. They also had a great pool for us to swi m in.

Now we only had to catch a shark. We catch sharks all the time in the surf by Aunt Pammy's but this time we wanted to go BIGGER! Though we were all on vacation, it is sometimes work trying to manage Chie all the time and we all needed a break, so I figured if you gonna do somethin, do it right! I felt like my father as I looked at Chie and said "What say old Dabito blow a little coin on a kick ass drag boat? eh Chie, a little "eat my wake" sharkin trip? I rememberred Dan Akroyd saying that in the Great Outdoors. Chie was clueless. Never the less, We would like to thank Captain Chad and First Mate Brad of Extreme Island AdventureThanks for cutting us a deal on a SHARKIN' TRIP!!! I called Aunt Pammy just to let her know that if they got a wild hair, that we had chartered a 32' scarab to go shark fishin in the morning just in case Mr. McCrea wanted to go. She called back about 20 minutes later saying 'David, Mr. McCrea is coming." and so they did. Right ON! I knew he wouldnt get soft on me. It was a blast! We caught 7 Sharks in under 3 hours and all the sharks were 5 feet or bigger!! How great is that!!! After the seventh one the captain looked at me and said "you wanna catch another?" to which I replied "Nope, its hot as hades out here, I think we are all good. Lets get out of here." 7sharks in 3 hours, its like a dream . I dont want sit out there all day trying to chase that, it doesnt get any better! Thank for a great trip guys. We will see you next time down, and for anyone reading this who may want to go get on some sharks in Galveston , its;

Captain Chad

Extreme Island Adventures

281 827 0740

That was the icing on the cake for our summer vacation and I cant believe the summer has already come and gone, so sad

See you all soon