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