Thank you St. Jude, Thank you Bryn Mawr team, Thank you to everyone that prays for Corey and her recovery everyday…PT was approved for another 6 weeks!

To prove why we fought and believed PT was justified; Corey walked with her forearm cane over 600 feet. An accomplishment she hadn’t been able to achieve in the 2 months we’ve been working on her medication changes. She rested at the main lobby of the out-patient gym then walked 300 feet with a walker switching her mobility device back to her cane for another 200 feet. 1100 feet without a wheelchair following behind her as backup, without sinking knees, standing tall, shoulders level and only taking two short breaks. This was the moment we pushed through for.

Corey was pleased to hear that Anne, OT, was not going to make her stand or walk during her next session. Anne used an exercise ball the height of Corey’s torso to prop under her arm. She bent Corey’s arm, palm down and asked Corey to roll the ball, with a forward motion, stretching her back left shoulder muscles. Next repetition, keeping her arm position, roll the ball pushing out to the left and bringing the ball back to her side. This exercise hurt her shoulder and clavicle. Corey asked if she could extend her arm. Anne enthusiastically agreed. Corey, left arm bent, palm down, proceeded to roll the ball fully extending her arm, pushing the ball out to her left, rolling it behind her bending her elbow while keeping her torso straight, then rolling forward for full side to back to front rotation.

Anne observed Corey’s effortless motion and asked her if anything hurt? Corey said no and Anne, eyes wide open, flopped to her side on the matte laughing. Corey and I looked at her confused and curious, “why are you so surprised”?
A-I have been choosing the exercises that were subtle stretches, each building towards the complex exercises stretching the hardest muscles to target in the shoulder and Corey is doing one of the hardest stretch exercises there is and she’s making it look easy!
A-that’s it Cor, you’re ready to ramp it up.

I was telling a friend this weekend, the last 4 years I’ve leaned on the confidence and positive energy we receive from all the people that read, pray and know Corey. It’s hard to to put into words that I haven’t confidently believed Corey would get stronger because I had to; it was the only way to get through most days, but I think it’s more accurate to say I have been afraid to HOPE. I make a point to speak with confidence mostly to hear the encouraging words spoken aloud in order to silence my internal trepidation.

Since August, my instinct told me we were standing at a new threshold. If we could just find a way to open the door, Corey would start a new phase…I can feel it (if that makes sense). Now that the medications have cycled through, she is showing occasional sparks to her short term memory and her stamina is strengthening. I have to say, I’m allowing myself to hope, it’s becoming tangible. Don’t misunderstand, we haven’t walked through the door and found her ‘light switch’ to completely illuminate her direction but I think there might be a candle lit that’s flickering a little brighter today, xoxo