Hi Everyone,

Who would like a reason to celebrate this holiday weekend? Corey set a new record. She broke 100…she actually blew it away. She walked 115 feet smiling from ear to ear! As she walked the length of the gym and down the center hall, nursing staff, therapy staff and the hospital cleaning staff were cheering her on. Some of the other patients hearing the commotion came out of their rooms to watch her. When she reached the end of the hall the crowd cheered!

Corey stood holding a long staff approximately 6’ high (I called it her Moses stick). Natalie sits on a rolling stool to Corey’s left holding Corey’s hips. Natalie uses her right knee to initiate and/or prompt Corey’s left knee to take a step. A tech stands to Corey’s right side manipulating the Moses stick forward as he wraps an arm around Corey’s waist.

Natalie told me that last week she had to not only queue Corey to take a step with her left knee, she needed prompts to remind her to straighten the right leg to bare the weight through the step etc. Today, Corey didn’t need Natalie to queue or help her kick her left leg through the step. Today’s walk was all Corey!

After PT, Corey was in excruciating pain. She was so uncomfortable, I called Dr. Ruggiero. He wanted to see her right away. Corey couldn’t wait to get her “shoe off”! The right cast was removed to inspect her foot. 3 areas had incisions. Her foot looked swollen but not infected and it didn’t appear that there were any pressure points causing possible skin breakdown. We think that the cast was too tight causing her pain when her foot swells from walking. Dr. Ruggiero recasted the right foot much to Corey’s dismay; 10 more days to go! While her foot was “free”, Dr. Ruggiero asked Corey to show him any movement. Corey not only moved her right foot up and down, she rotated it side to side and in a circular motion. She had full range of motion! Her right foot was always better than her left but it never had the ROM she demonstrated today. I can’t wait to see what the left foot will do!

She was exhausted from the day’s activity when we returned to Bryn Mawr. It took seconds for her to fall asleep. Her early evening nap was well timed as she was well rested for a girl’s night with Shelly. Dinner, a movie and girl talk…doesn’t get better than that!

Corey you are steadily moving forward. The team reports progress across the board. Each therapist that works with you has written how impressed they are with your tenacity. “Hard worker”, “doesn’t slack” and “pushes through session” are just a few of their comments.

Think about this time last year. You were sitting in your wheelchair in the hallway of the low level wing, expressionless, unable to communicate showing movement with your right thumb and your lower right leg/foot only. This weekend last year Brian taught you how to move your right finger to pump a water spritz bottle spraying people as they passed by. This year we are on the upper level wing – gym side. What a difference in hallways!

Your steps are challenging and uncomfortable and even though you still have a way to go, you are on your way. You are proving that ‘Nothing is Impossible’. No challenge can stop you from moving forward in the direction of your dreams.

You’re amazing! xoxo