Hi Everyone,

Corey and I have had homework while Diane has been away. We have been working with Cognitive Language workbooks. It is fascinating for me to try to discover what Corey knows, what she remembers and what she’s processing as well as speaking. We have also worked with using her Ipod music collection for music therapy.

I am intrigued by what Corey can answer one day and have no recollection of the next. Yet she can answer questions that I thought she’d never know the answers to. There is so much to learn about how she processes the information as well as what she can recall. For instance, Corey can write the alphabet and spell any word with almost perfect spelling, but she doesn’t appear to recognize or read common one syllable words. I must admit, in my spare time (I just heard a few of you laugh), I’ve begun to research the “mechanics” of cognitive rehabilitation. There are answers out there for these questions I’m sure!

Music has always had a significant presence in our home and has been an amazing addition to Corey’s daily therapies. One of Corey’s girlfriends came to spend some time with her today. This young woman has been visiting Corey throughout her recovery at Bryn Mawr and at home. I was running errands during their visit but received a text message from her friend. She wrote that today was her best “Corey visit” to date. Corey sang many of her favorite songs and her voice came through clearly with some of the words. She commented that her eyes welled up when Corey sang “somewhere over the rainbow” and signed the song’s lyrics. Her girlfriend could truly see the improvements she’s made just in the last month.

Corey as we told the fill-in nurse from this weekend, you’re in there! Just because you’re not speaking yet, make no mistake, you’re capable of expressing your self. I find it interesting that the song your girlfriend was most affected by was the theme from Wizard of Oz (one of your favorite songs). I know it feels like you’re in another world some days and I’m sure all you want to do is click your heels to come home, but hang on…we still have a little longer on our yellow brick road. Just to give you peace of mind I’ll let you in on a little secret; I’m saving the flying monkeys for the next appeal….xoxo