5/19/2009

Apologies for not getting on here for some time. I was in Boston last weekend for my brother in law's graduation from dental school (congrats Erin) and saw a few old friends, and they made me realize how little I have been keeping you all updated. I will also post some pictures soon. I had lost my camera and just recently found it. So an overall update on Carol and the family.

Carol first. She is doing well. We still have not got her new prosthetics. They are taking a little bit longer than expected. She is very excited to get them. They will be less bulky and a lot easier to put on, we are told. She has been putting on her original ones the last couple days getting back into the swing of things. Her pain compared to before her last surgery is greatly less. She is even trying to come off most of the pain medication she has been taking since this whole thing began. Hard to believe it's going to be a year in just a couple weeks. Carol is busy trying to plan Safiya's 1st bday party. Still no changes visually, and I think we both have pretty much accepted that vision changes are not likely, even though it is a hard thing to admit. She does seem to see shadows if say she wakes up from a nap and it's very bright in the room. So from really dark to light she gets glimpses of things, or at least her brain thinks she does. Either way, I think that means some information is getting through to the brain? Her right hand has been showing slow signs of improvement. She has been getting pain in the hand...which we take as a good sign actually. She showed me make movements in her index and middle finger last night that she hasn't been able to do. This is great as her last EMG test showed no use of her radial nerve that controls those fingers. Her hair has pretty all grown back and has been colored recently, in fact she got it cut again today. She is looking great. I was mentioning to a friend in Boston, that as I look back at the pictures over the last year, it is strange that how something like this can really "age" how you look very quickly. It is amazing how Carol is recovering in that sense.

The girls. Safiya has no teeth yet, but is all over the place. She is fearless, and smiley as ever. Chloe calls her lovey-dovey. Something she got from our nanny I think. Safiya goes to music classes on Thursday's like Chloe and seems to be doing well. Chloe seem's to be ending her hitting phase, but still is very loud when al eyes aren't on her. She got a haircut today also. Chloe is making really long sentences now, and asking really big question also. She told me tonight after closing her finger in our slider door, that she wanted to call and show her doctor, Dr. Spector, and ask him to take a look. Carol's and Chloe's relationship seems to have stabilized to what it was before this all happened, although she tries to get away with some things, due to Carol's blindness. Safiya and Carol's relationship has really grown, considering they didn't have the normal mother-child relationship. This has been one of the harder issues for Carol over the last months. It has taken some time for Carol to be even able to console Safiya is she cried or something like that. Our roles are pretty reversed with the two girls. Safiya is almost sleeping through the night again. Something that has only restarted the last week or so. All in all things are going very good at home.


I haven't said it in awhile, and I just want to thank all the people still helping us and thinking about us, and the new people just starting to think about us thank you. Thanks to our awesome nanny who stays behind the scenes and keep's everything in order..... Thanks for all the dinners, I promise I am practicing and honing my cooking skills. I even read a Martha Stewart (BBqing) magazine on the plane ride back to Seattle. Nice to see a few faces in my other home in Boston, we really miss you guys, and Carol and I will see you next time:). Pictures coming soon!!!!!!

Scott