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Sue, You are the blessing dear lady. Ten years is a long time - your love for Ray, your faith and your dedication towards your marriage vows have gotten you to where you are today. God Bless you for all you do and who you are. There needs to be declared a caregiver's day in your honor.

Fred, You and Marion are definitely in my thoughts and prayers as our all my dear cyber family here. I look to you and the rest of the gang here as family. You are a kind and dear man; hope you can get the house renovations done quickly. Enjoy that sweet granddaughter of yours.

Karen, You've definitely made your fair share of lemonade of late. As sweet as you are and with your sense of humor - it's naturally sweetened so healthy for those diabetic. Hope you can stop making it; if you bottle it up and decide to sell. let me know. Take care of your new owie - maybe that happened to help you forget about the tooth. Hang in there.

My OT and PT started this week following the first round of botox injections. I go twice a week (Mondays and Thursdays) for 2 hours (an hour for ot and an hour for pt) For PT with my affected leg, right now we're working on strengthening mostly. On Monday this week, PT was conducted first. I was started off with the nustep machine - my goal was to use the nustep for 10 minutes (piece of cake - at the time LOL). Next, with a parallel bar for support, I would step up onto a wooden box with left foot first and step down leading with right. Then I had to balance on left leg while placing right up on wooden box. Both of these box exercises have a goal to NOT hold onto parallel bar - With the PT spotting me there were a few times I did not hold on (she wanted to prove to me that it's a mind over matter - my left leg is stable enough to do this. I lost track of how many sets of 10 I did of both of these exercises. I was given a break to regroup myself then it was onto walking sideways along the entire length of the parallel bar. As my right leg is so used to functioning for both legs, if it could have talked it would have been yelling yippppppeeeeeeeeee. The left side started off rocky but did improve. The next feat was the leg press using only my left leg. The PT did have to support my left knee as it wanted to flop over to the side. I was NOT to let the weights "bang" into place - oops that too improved but man did it smart. I feel that one especially today (Tuesday) in the old muscles. PT finished off with walking round and round the room using a quad cane instead of the hemi-walker. Again, with the goal to prove to me that I don't need the hemi-walker - it's my security they are working at breaking me away from. We know how change affects survivors LOL. OT was quite interesting. The OT was working to stretch my fingers. As it was quite cool in there (their ac works great) my left hand and fingers felt like popsicles. OT/Lynn used hot pads to warm up my hand and arm. She then placed the Bionness H200 on me. The remainder of my ot session was with the Bionness. With the unit, I was able to open and close my hand (of course it was stimulated to do it). After the Bionness was removed, I was able to hold onto and carry a small paper cup to the trash can. Now getting the fingers to release was interesting. When Lynn started teasing me that I just wanted to take the cup home with me, I laughed and the fingers released. I return to therapy on Thursday. Today (Tuesday) though sore, I did do my pt exercises using my stairway here at home. I was even able to not hold onto the railing when I balanced on my left leg and placed the right on the step. I did have to put my right arm behind my back to keep it from automatically wanting to "help". With my left hand, I'm trying to hold on to small objects and release them. My child has absolutely NO SENSE OF HUMOR. I actually carried into the living room a cat toy in my left hand and released it and she thought I was being weird. I got told "leave the cat toys alone you're not a cat." Part 2 of my first week of OT/PT Today was a rougher day for PT as I think my PT (Kelly) is out for blood. When my physiatrist said intensive therapy, he was not joking. I had a jammed packed hour of pt today, building on what I started on Monday - with many extras thrown in for good measure. Wish I could afford a nustep for here at home that's for sure. Did another 10 minutes today to "warm" up. My steps per minute increased over Monday's speed too. Did the wooden box as well for a longer period of time. Walked laps using the quad cane. Today, Kelly started correcting me in my toe pointing when walking. Multitasking....heel strike first, toe pointing forward, don't lose my balance AND answer Kelly's questions Used a new machine today too - to strengthen the left hip. Climbing up on the platform of the machine was higher than that first step on the transportation van but did it on my own (of course was spotted). OT was with another gal as my therapist was at a training. Today my arm was stretched from shoulder to finger tips. No Bionness hand rehab today as Hilary is not trained to use it. Today, with Hilary, I picked up tennis balls and dropped them in a basket and a cylinder. Hilary also tested my grip of the left hand - during the eval it was 7 lb today it was 9 lb. I was set home with stretching exercises to do for the arm. When I got in, my bottle of extra-strength tylenol was waiting for me. Next week's sessions are scheduled and transportation arranged.

Ann, Yes, summer is coming to an end. When I have to get up during the night and turn off my window fan as I'm shivering, I know it's coming - and that's a low of 60 degrees LOL. Guess to some extent, my body is hanging onto the AZ climates I endured for 13 years. How cool that Bill is getting a power chair. Hope he adjusts well to it. Instead of smoking, he can go cruising the neighborhood maybe as long as he doesn't try to bum smokes from someone. I'm working at giving up the darn things. If I even smell cigs, I want one. I was bumming one off my nephew yesterday - my kid busted me and told him "Don't do it" - he then tried to tell me he was smoking his last one - yeah right LOL. After he left, I was conned to go to the store and get kitty litter by being told that if I went she'd pay for a pack of smokes. When it's convenient, it's ok for Mom to smoke. I got to cruise in my chair at least Your get together sounds like great fun. Our dear Pam touched many of us and will remain in our hearts. Stroke is definitely not fair!!!

Good for you Dean!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Way to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anne, Hope the big is gone; glad your day ended on a sweet note with that elderly couple.

Sherrie, Definitely a blessing you weren't hurt worse. Hope that does not happen again. Great that you are seeing your family doc as a follow up.

Bill, The house is GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You and Bud will have lots of room to stretch out in.

Terrific news Bill - Congratulations to you and your best pal - Bud.

Thank you everyone for your replies. Today was a better day for me; I did stand up and flush that old pity pot. Got to take it a day at a time.

August 15, 1992, 17 years ago today, I gave birth to my daughter Kristina Lynn. As I am writing this entry I am tearful. Not all the tears are joyful ones either. Yes, yours truly has plopped on the that darn pity pot and I'm not standing up off it to easily to flush the bugger. By the time I'm done, I'm going to have a major clean up operation but that's ok. The birthday girl is off for the weekend to my niece's house. She'll be home Monday evening. This time alone will give me the chance to regroup myself and get ready for the next teen onslaught. Kristi is basically a great kid; however, she lapses into moments of total stupidity - like breaking curfew on the eve of her birthday. She rolled in the house at 1:20 am. And of course I was told it's all "my" fault. The child who once told me that she was glad I had the stroke as I was such a workaholic and was never totally "there" for her. In retrospect, I see that - she does not see though that yes I was working so hard to pay a mortgage, home owner's association dues, utilities, car payment and upkeep, clothes and of course food for our tummies. I digress....last night I was told that she is now so to speak getting even with me for not being around as much as I should have been. As a single Mom I thought I was doing my best - guess not. Therefore, she's doing these stupid things as payback. Normally, her birthday each year for me is a totally happy experience as she was my miracle. This year though is different...in reflection, I wonder if she would have been better off had I placed her up for adoption after her birth. Especially now since the stroke. Last evening not only did I hear she was getting even but I also heard that I care more about people here than I do her. Once again, it's the thing where an outsider, even my own flesh, blood, and DNA doesn't "get it". Sorry to ramble gang. As Scarlet O'Hara said so profoundly, "After all, tomorrow is another day"

Hiya Bill, I too will be praying for you and Bud. He has a god Dad and friend to help him rehab after surgery. Please give him an extra hug from his friends here. Good luck on house hunting. Hope you find exactly what you are looking for.

Good for you Karen. You'll do it gal! - we've got total confidence in you.

Sue, I've not yet chosen my final song. When my Mom passed last year, Wind Beneath My Wings was her last song.

Ruth, For your situation with William, I agee small increments of him being alone will be good for him. In my situation, I was on my own once I came home as y daughter was in school. I did have home based therapy for a bit so thet checked on me. On occasion, my Mom would also visit. As I was of the mindset to "do things" for myself she basically just visited. To be honest, she was more of a hindrance one time as she overcompensated helping me when I was trying to get outside and statred wobbling. I ended up plopping on my butt in the doorway. By the time I was sitting on the love seat in my livingroom we both had tears streaming down our cheecks from laughing so hard. Will he have a cell phone with your number programmed into it so he can call you if need be?

Sheryl, Congratulations on your first game with your new ball! Your score will continue to climb. Here's to many many more festivals and maple candy tasting with your family.

In addition to being able to say "I'm somebody, I'm somebody's Mom I can now add that I'm somebody's Human GPS System. I am my child's human GPS System . As we do not have a car, Kristi walks or takes public buses. I have Port Authority of Allegheny County's website saved as a favorite to my computer so that I can access it quickly when I get text messages or phone calls from a frantic child needing bus information. Most of the time I hear "what's the time of this bus or that"; however, when she's going to an area unknown to her the GPS system kicks in - especially if she has to go into downtown Pittsburgh and transfer to a different bus to get to her destination. My most recent GPS experience was coordinating her schedule so she could attend a training yesterday for work. She had to go to another Boston Market store for the training. Initially I was told she had to be at the training at 7:45 am. Not only did I look up the bus times for the trip, I also looked at a downtown map and wrote down the directions for her to walk from point A to point B. Kristi was at work while I was doing this. When she called me after work, the first thing she asked was did I look up her info. I replied that I did and also wrote down the info for her as to where to walk downtown. You see, I did this extra work cos I know my child, I would have gotten a panic stricken phone call that she was lost. Unfortunately my work was partially for not as she informed me she needed to be there at 8:30 instead of 7:45. I did mutter to myself but did go back to square one to replot her trip. The first bus Kristi had to catch was at 6:31 am - the second at 7:30 from downtown Pittsburgh to an area called Pleasant Hills. I was teased by my dear child for doing what I did - BUT I was not woken Saturday morning by a lost hysterical child. 2 points for Mom :cheer: Fortunately for me, my directions were right on - my damaged brain cells were NOT in control as they sometimes are :dunce: Now onto the 2nd part of my title...Botox injections. I received my first Botox injections on 8-4-09. Had injections in my affected arm and leg both. As the doc and his nurse were setting up the procedure, the nurse (Janine) was asking me if I was ding ok. I explained my apprehension as I feared "pain" from the needles (yes I'm a wuss :crying: ) I was assured that that I would know everything they were doing, including the injections. Dr. Munin did the injections on the arm first - I had quite minimal discomfort. The leg injections smarted though but not unbearably. I almost laughed though - every time Dr. Munini got ready to inject, Janine looked away. I'd say she herself has an aversion to needles but was encouraging this wuss to be brave. I will begin intensive OT for the arm and PT for the leg the week of 8-17. Therapy has been ordered for 2X/ week for 8 weeks. Dr. Munin was pleased to let me know that the Centers for Rehab Services I will be going to specifically address stroke recovery. Dr. Munin did say it would take about a week for the botox to kick in. Since the stroke, my left hand has had pins and needles which worsens at night and interferes with me going to sleep. Since the botox injections in my arm. the pins and needles in my hand and fingers is more pronounced. I hope that the "kicking in" of the botox will alleviate that. Will keep you all posted - later :out_of_here:

Sue, I too keep you, Ray and your Mum in my thoughts ad prayers. So sorry to hear about your friend passing. He is now with his dear wife watching over his family and friends. Hmmmm a virtual vacation. Where would you go????

Jeannie, Hope you two have a safe wonderful trip. Will look forward to hearing about it. GPS systems are the best invention. Good thing you have someone checking on your house this time.

Ruth, Keep plugging ahead. They may be forced to stop the OT due to insurance. Sometimes, after a period of time, you can get the doc to write another script for therapy or perhaps even appeal the decision of the insurance company to stop. I was able at one point to get therapy extended when my doc filed an appeal.

Katrina, Best of luck to you with the DMV. Congrats to you on passing the road test!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I feel too you will be a licensed driver very very soon. Hope you can spend quality time with your boyfriend before he leaves for college.

Bon, I'm so glad you had a terrific visit with Bill. Your lil grandson is growing up - especially 6'5" or 6'6" Glad you got the hummingbird out of harm's way.

How sweet Lenny!!