kanderson

i agree elondie. expose her to as much as they can, she will succeed, i am sure. our little tootie never ceases to amaze me in what she can accomplish. we want pictures in her cheerleading outfit too. she is a special child to all of us. rah, rah,rah. you go get them tootie.

leah, sounds like a great trip planned, so please enjoy yourself. we want pictures on your return. ok be safe and enjoy.

sue i too am happy you both had a good day and pray you have many more to come. you and ray have had setbacks brfore and got thru them the best you could. this time will be no exception i'm sure. we cant worry about the future, we have no clue what to expect, just take each day as it comes and hope for the best. we all have our bad days, but you have to let them go and look forward to a new day. sounds like ray had a great birthday too. god bless you sue for all that you do. sending ((((hugs)))) your way. hopefully warmer weather will lift your spirits some.

katrina, what more could i possibly say that the others havent already said. i am surprised at you for not pulling yourself out of this funk you are in. when you have done it so many times before. if i was able to achieve what you have so far, i would always be grateful and happy every day, not saying why me, being thankful you are alive and experiencing this new life you have to live. we may not like the way we are now, you are so young and fortunate to be where you are. we have to believe there is a reason this happened to us and we will know that reason someday. god will not let us carry this burden alone. he is walking right beside us the entire time. so please get on with life with the disability's you have, you are not alone, we are there with you too with ours as well. we love and care about you so much and want to see you succeed. please don't let us down.

sue i am so happy ray is home with you again as i know hes happy to be there. whatever this new kidney diagnosis is you two will get through it together as you always have. lets hope the spring newness brings you brighter and happier days ahead sue. god bless you for all you do for your family. please take some time and care for yourself too. i will keep you both in my daily prayers. sending you both love and hugs.

bree, welcome to the blogging world. i am so glad you found this site and we have met each other. we all have found the messagener, which is alot of fun now that i understand the darn program,LOL. you and bessy both cheer me up if i am down, so i thankyou for that too. maybe we will see more of you now on site. you are a sweetheart and i enjoy you.

hi julia, interesting post. i too have problems sleeping at times, even with the meds i take to help me sleep. oh well such is life. just like this stroke. our parents always taught us," you dont know unless you try it" i tell myself that daily, i try to do alot of things just to see if i can accomplish it post stroke. some are easier than others, nothing very dangerous. i'm curious not stupid, LOL. just brain damaged. recovery is a lifelong event for the survivor after a stroke. shouldn't we always be trying to get better, i think yes we should to have the best life possible after a debilitating stroke. we cant let the stroke monster win. i know i can't anyway.

hi sweetheart, pictures look great and looks like all had a great time. it's so hard when our babies grow up and away from us, isn't it. she's a pretty girl donna with a smart head on her shoulders. as maria said don't look at the baby pictures yet it only makes it worse. just remember we all are here to help you through the transition when she's ready to leave for college.

hi kristi. you are at a very difficult age in your life, boys, parents, school, friends. its hard to manage it all. but as another 1 of your aunties, mom will always be on your side and will protect her baby girl no matter what. boys n friends will come n go. your education will always be with you and will get you far in this world today. you will be gone to college, before to long and your mom will not see you as often so spend time with her while you can. now i've said my piece and i will stop preaching. i was 16 once too and i wont even tell you where i was in my life at that age. keep your studies up and be smart in your decisions. i hope you have a great school year. remember your aunties love n care about you.

cute name marie for the store, i believe that most of those products were developed by someone who knows what we need for sure, caregivers, handicapped people, therapists, etc. i dont have all the gadgets out there but quite a few. i;m sure in time they will come out with many more things we could use. i do alot of my shopping online for these products. 'NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION" is the gods truth, huh.

katrina, bless your heart. i agree with your other aunties. our work is not done on this planet yet is why we survived god has other things for us to do yet. for you is to finish school, inspire and help others like you do. i'm sorry the doctor didn't have better news for you about the devices in the magazine but your new brace seems to be helping you which is a step in the right direction, no pun intended. i'm happy you are doing well in your driving too. the trip you took sounds like you met alot of interesting people. keep up the good work you are doing and know your aunties are very proud of you. keep us updated on how you are doing ok.

donna, i understand the times fies by. i too have not blogged in awhile now either. i bet you are excited about your get away this weekend. by gosh you deserve it too after your recent incident. i am so glad you are feeling better now, you did the right thing in reporting it. they are there to help us not hurt us for god sakes. that person was not trained correctly at all and someone needs to held accountable for what happened, i pray tomorrows trip is much better for you. enjoy your weekend and kristi's upcoming birthday. all will be handled here for you, so don't worry about nothing and just have some fun. your girls will miss you both. and might have a surprise for you when you return. as all kitties do at times. they find something to terrorize the heck out of,LOL. be safe and well tomorrow.

hi anne, i am so sorry dave is having problems again. you both have been through so much. i bet you were exhausted and needed to rest up. i hope the dr visit goes well and you get some clear answers as to what is going on with dave. i pray that you and dave have better days ahead. hang in there you are a strong woman and you are doing a big job now and have done well thus far.

hi janine, the weekend wasn't a total loss. you did accomplish a few things and its trial and error alot in the beginning to find what works and doesnt work for you. i think i got my shower chair from dr leonards.com its a rubbermaid with a stable seat and legs that don't slip and are adjustable. it has arms on it and supports alot of weight. the seat has drainage holes, it works great for me. maybe you could look into renting one at 1st, until you find the right type for larry. the survivor needs to feel safe in the shower with all of the slippery soap. i also put a rubberized liner in my shower to prevent my feet from sliding around and to keep the chair secure. grab bars are all around in my shower also to help me in and out safely. i'm sure you will find what works for you. it still the early stages of his homecoming. good luck.

katrina, i'm glad you had a nice vacation, i bet it felt good to get away. i also cover my brace when out and i never wear shorts anymore even at home. course i am alot older than you. i to wish you the best this time around with the DMV. show that review board how well you are doing. all of your aunties here are cheering for you. good luck and let us know how it goes. keep a positive attitude about your appointments.

fred, i agree with donna. you have it tough there, LOL meaning the scenery, every mans dream i would think. i don't know what to say other than grin and bare it, LOL

fred, that is great news, back to work and a raise. just take it slow and easy at first. i too hope this doesn't reoccur for you. keep us posted on how you are doing once you are back to work.

janine, give yourself a bih pat on the back, you did it and it all will be easier the more you do it. i bet larry is so happy to be home now. duct tape has a million uses i think. whatever works, huh. i'm sure there will be additional funny moments as time goes on. it takes time to get adjusted to all of this. larry is lucky to have you.

hi rich, good luck with your latest journey. we will be anxious to hear about it. be safe in your travels.

sue, you will be missed. i am praying you have a great time and alot of fun, you need this , i am sure. hopefully ray will enjoy it as well. be safe and expect to give us a full review when you return.

katrina, i am so sorry to hear of your fall. ouch!! things happen we don't always understand. but i'm glad you only had minor boo-boo's. i think a trip to the neuro is a good idea, just to check everything out,esp. the headaches. it could just be stress, but just to be sure, go to the doctor, please. the driving thing, i know you want so badly. maybe the timing is not right for you right now. don't give up yet. use other means, like your other aunties suggested. enjoy your summer and relax for awhile. don't think all you've done to get your license was for nothing. just not now. try and keep your spirits up. don't get down on yourself for something you can't control. all good things come to those who wait. hang in there sweetheart and look forward to your birthday, that will be a happy day for you and family.

jean, that was clearly rude on the woman's part. i think on your next visit together, i would go up and speak to her and explain what don was trying to do and that you found her very offensive it is therapy for him to be able to talk with strangers, he was trying to be friendly, he doesn't have the plague. my gosh you are in a class together, people should be able to talk to one another. i agree with donna, she was a biotch. maybe she didn't heard or see him clearly enough to know he wanted to talk to her. i bet don's feelings were hurt and i don't blame him. i can understand children being alittle frightened of someone in a wheelchair, because they don't understand but not grown people. just my thoughts anyway. don is a good person just wanting to reach out to others.

janine, larry sounds like he is progressing well, keep him focused in that direction. i agree that i think larry was worrying about you leaving him. he is not a stupid man by any means. just be with him and offer plenty of reassurance to him and praise on how well he is doing. have you attended any of his therapy sessions? my family came to mine and offered so much encouragement to me cause they saw how hard i was working at getting better and wanting to come home. keep up the good work you both are doing. i wish you both the best.

sherry. if thats the worse you ever do with the underwear. life will be a bundle of laughs for you. i hope your therapy and trip goes well for you. i'm sure you will get alot from it, and feel better about yourself once you come home. enjpy the adventure. i have put my underwear on backwards many times, but hey whatever works, right. have a great trip and be safe and well.

janine, i do agree with alot of what jean has said. YOU CAN NEVER GIVE UP HOPE, just keep that saying in your head. larry has to believe that to get through his rehab and the recovery journey. i as a survivor, never got tired of hearing it. rehabbing after a stroke is the hardest thing alot of survivors have ever had to do in their lives. its alot of physical and emotional thinking, i can do this to get better so i can go home and start my life again. or at least its how i thought after my stroke. i refused to believe my arm wouldn't get better and i knew about stroke already and what it is capable of doing to a person. forget about telling larry all of the things you are doing to prepare for his coming home, it just makes him feel worse, until he has accepted the stroke. his brain is still working overtime. the old larry you knew is gone. he needs to work on the new larry to be the best he can be now. recovery is a lifelong event now. i know how hard this is for you to get through, you learn as you go along when he comes home to his comfort zone that will be another phase to go through. it will be different for him and you to make a new life for yourselves together. family is very important to a survivor, they are the ones that know you best and can encourage you on when you think your life is over because of stroke. things do get better in time. alot of spouses leave when something like this happens to a marriage. i pray for you both everyday to get through this together. hang in there janine, we all are here for you.