Hi Everyone,

Corey continues to progress physically and despite her short term memory loss we are witnessing increased moments of normalcy and clarity with her cognitive development. At times we can hold fluid conversations that truly reflect her personality and her sense of humor.

This weekend we had many surprising conversations;

She was trying to convince me she hadn’t eaten breakfast (she frequently forgets).
M – “Yes honey, you did”.
C – “No, I’m sure I didn’t”
M – “You had cheesy eggs, toast and pears”
C – After a long pause she added, “Well obviously it wasn’t memorable”

We were listening to Natalie and the PT Tech discussing their confusion about who removed the straps to the Lokomat and how they were attached incorrectly. They thought it was an odd occurrence considering they were the only two utilizing the room. Corey looked at me, grinned and whispered as she moved her eyebrows up and down, “Curiouser and Curiouser”…

Today we had cooking therapy. I decided to stay in my sweatpants, socks, T-shirt and sweatshirt with an apron (a very attractive ensemble with an eclectic mix of colors that were not complimentary) Corey reassured me, “If anyone comes over, just tell them you were going for the comfort look”!

My mother always said, ‘Baker’s hate to Cook and Cooks hate to Bake’…she was right…I’m NOT a Baker. We attempted to make a candy tray. Who knew how fast sugar burned…Not me! Then we decided to try apple pies…a little of that and a little of this only works in stews. Baking is a little more precise. Corey did not stop laughing at me all morning (our 3rd apple pie was definitely better than the first!) PS – there is a reason the local grocery store sells packaged holiday cookies. It’s for all the people that can’t bake. The manufacturers should post my picture on the back of the package with a written warning label, “Do not try this at home”! (Everyone should know their limitations)

(And their strengths) Once we cleaned up the mess from baking, it was time to start dinner; Chicken Marsala with Penne pasta, mushrooms and string bean casserole.

Corey was in charge of the string beans. As I turned to check on her she was staring off into the family room. Her face and eyes fixated. I called to her, “Corey”. I’m always nervous when she stares off like this, it’s a typical look when she’s having a silent seizure. I approached her to watch her eyes. She wasn’t blinking but her eyes weren’t shivering side to side either. She blinked coming out of her trance and told me to look at the bright light. I was confused because the sun was still shining into the family room.

M – “Honey it is bright, the suns still out”? There was a long pause as she appeared to process my statement.

C – “Mom, how do you keep going”?
M – I sat beside her, “I don’t know?” “How do you keep going?”
C – “I know what I want to do and I keep trying until I do it”

Something happened in the moments prior to this question. Where did this question and answer come from?

M – “What helps you to keep trying”?
C – “I always did it in the past. You have to believe you can do it and never stop”
M – “What if someone is not like you? What if they don’t believe they can do it if they try”?
C – “You have to talk to God”. “Tell Him what you want”. “It will take a little bit of time but it will happen.”
M – “How do you know”?
C – Corey raised her eyes and said, “Jesus”. “He says ‘Keep Going’, He’s always with me”. “I know it will happen eventually; in my heart”. “It’s a Matter of Time”
M – “What if other people don’t believe or struggle with their faith”?
C – “I don’t care if other people know I believe in Jesus”. “They have to keep trying”. “He automatically hears you and will eventually come”. “He has no time limit”. “He can come whenever you’re ready”.

Staring at her face, I was speechless. She was given another message to share.

Corey broke our silence to ask “When can we give this speech”.
M – “You want to tell people about this”?
C – “I want everyone to know that Jesus is out there”. “He will be in your faith no matter what”.

I thanked Corey, “you teach me so much”.

“Mom, always believe and never stop”…

Once again I was reminded that for the last two years I’ve posted the opening salutation to this carepage as ‘Hi Everyone’. This message is for all of us, xoxo