Journal
Dear friends and fans of Julia,
I am writing again after a long absence to inform you of an encouraging step in Julia’s long journey toward recovery. I have tried to write to you whenever Julia reached a milestone in her development and there haven’t been any in the past few months. She still struggles with walking and her speech is badly impaired. Her right arm is gaining some strength with the assistance of her wonderful occupational therapist at Mary Free Bed. But, overall, her development has been very slow and I have wondered whether she will get much better than she is now.
It is not that her current condition is not acceptable. She is pleasant and cheerful, and her wonderful personality and sense of humor continue to shine through the gloom of her physical condition. She works hard to be engaging and she loves having her friends and family around. She understands all the conversation around her even if she can’t participate as she once did. So, we continue to be grateful for all of our loyal friends who continue to visit us and keep Julia in the loop.
I am writing today because we had an encouraging first session of a new therapy program, that of water aerobics at the Mary Free Bed YMCA. My sister, who is recovering from serious back problems, has been encouraging us to try water aerobics as therapy for Julia. We inquired about the program at the Y and started working today with a capable young therapist who is upbeat and delightful. She and Julia bonded immediately and the introductory session went very well.
Julia has been nervous about this first session all week. She kept saying she was “so scared” and we had the usual pre-game jitters as we got her dressed in her bathing suit this morning. And, of course, after she had on her bathing suit, shoulder brace and cover up, she had to use the facilities which meant we had to remove everything and then start all over again. Perhaps we will invest in a modest two piece suit for her before next week’s session.
Julia’s nervousness continued until we got into the pool where Carrie, the therapist, got her to relax and get acclimated to the water, distracting her with conversation about kids and dogs and travels. Our half hour in the pool went quickly and the trip out in the lift chair went smoothly.
Julia was relieved and proud of herself after the pool experience, and kept saying, “I did it.” She did and we are hopeful that this new therapy will be the catalyst for improving her recovery in all areas. She is excited and so are we.
Thank you for accompanying us on this journey. We are grateful for your support and visits, kind thoughts and actions.
Yours sincerely,
Larry and Julia and the family
Read the latest Journal Entry
5 Hearts • 12 Comments
