Yay!!

We got the Saebo and the Ultraflex approved by Brain and Leslie and they are going send a letter to my insurance to say that I need both of them!!! Thank you! So many people have prayed for me!!

I heard about some news from my therapist....

This week I haven't been good at journal writing! I haven't written about strike for strokes! We had a good time of it! Chris and my mom and Chris's mom went! Chris won. We still had bumpers on but I beat my mom!  Even though I bowl with my left hand now and even though I am slower I beat my mom!

I heard about the Saebo device from Leslie, my occupational therapist. I looked at it, but that device needs to be okayed by a saebo technician. It's been two weeks and she has tried to get ahold of saebo in Orem but no luck there. The next step will be to get ahold of the main office, so cross your fingers and pray!

I put a video here if you would like to look!

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gIzDsKSEZOw

Hindsight + Foresight

I wanted to take some time and express some feelings of mine on the blog.  So many people have reached out in love and concern, wanting to help Cassie and I regain our footing.  Now that is has been more than one year again, hindsight serves us best in recognizing that all is possible through Jesus Christ and His proffered Atonement.  I am a witness of His mercy and power.  Though this has befallen my wife and I, I would not want it any other way.  She is a sweetheart and a joy to be with.  I consider myself fortunate and quite richly blessed.  It's so wonderful to hear all the good news about our friends, those that are married and having their first new additions, to those who struggle just like me, etc.

I cannot believe that it's almost time for my brother to come home.  He has been out since August of 2012, so time is waning.  I am thankful that he decided to serve a mission.  It has been fun too share my experiences and insights with him.  I enjoy looking back on my own times in Pennsylvania, to see how my testimony grew and the lovely friends and people that I met.

Cassie is looking to start school again.  The plan, after meeting with the accessibility workers at UVU, is for her to audit a class first.  To audit means that we unfortunately still have to pay while not worrying about the grades.  She is in her upper division classes so nothing is going to be simple or easy.  I know that she will work hard and that no matter what she is still intelligent and strong.  So though I graduate in May, I will still be very much involved in classes and homework!  We hope that she is comfortable enough with the audit that she can return slowly to obtaining that degree she wants.  Unfortunately, because summer semesters offer less than the mainstream ones, she won't start to audit a class until the fall. That will give her time to continue to heal, develop her communication and understanding, and her schooling processes. I am amazed at her determination and grit in recovering and regaining what would be deemed a normal life. I don't think that things will ever be normal, because I think the story is too extraordinary for that. 

Anniversary

Today is my one year anniversary of my stroke. I have gotten this far with my family and friends! We still have a long way to go!!

Major accomplishment

I have been doing my arm lifts with my moms or sisters help. I found out that I can do it on my own! I have been doing my arm lifts for a total of one years straight!! And if I can do my arm lifts standing up, and it takes me one year, then so be it!

This year I have been accepted to the BYU speech clinic!

Encouragement

Today my therapists were very encouraging, particularly about my hand and my arm. I go to therapy hoping that someday I will be healed. But I can't see it, but my therapists can see it. It was a good day, but it was a good day because my therapist made me feel like I was going in the right direction! And to keep it up!

It was my brother's birthday! I am so proud of him! 

     

Bloopers

I do like to beat up on Shane - not really! 

I had my leg on Shane's chest, I was stretching. And I kicked him in the ear! (unfortunately this video is not working right now).

I was balancing on a ball with my right foot, and I lost my balance and I put my hand on his head!

School makes me really nervous....

November 4, 2013

Dr Fong let me know that summer was the time to start auditing a class and if everything looks ok then I can start fall semester. I'm not ready right now but six months from now she thinks that I will be ready. I don't know it makes me nervous to think that I could be ready...

November 9, 2013

My goals this week will be to do all of my speech homework everyday; next I will find out why my Bioness is making my hand numb; and I will work on my steps being a 1/4 of a inch shorter.

I will make my goals shorter because I was thinking that it will be so far away... But every step closer that I take to my goal means that I will make my goal! 

Our appeal for therapy!

We have some great news! We appealed multiple times to have our insurance grant coverage for more therapy. Each time they said no. In the morning we were about to go up to Salt Lake and meet with them in person. About the time we were getting ready to leave, we received a phone call, where the insurance said that as a one-time event they would grant the additional therapy sessions like we wanted. We are greatly that we were so persistent in this process and that Heavenly Father is still looking out for us. It's going to be a tight schedule getting all of these appointments scheduled before the end of the year, but that is overshadowed by the extreme blessing that it is.  So I'll be working hard until the end of this year! 

General Conference

Elder Dube talked about never looking back but looking forward; to me it means don't look back to last year I will only be disappointed. But only look forward to today, like when I walked up stairs like normal or my next therapy session, or tomorrow went I get to go to the last session of general conference.