monday - after a long break!

well, i'mfinally back online...our computer has been broken for awhile. it's really weird typing again. i'm very slow and keep making mistakes! i don't know if anyone still reads this, but i hope someone does because i have a lot of news. first of all, our new camera broke just after we put the youtube link on here. we just bought it for christmas, so the warranty covered it, but we missed some huge progress in therapy! my ot let us borrow her camera, so as soon as i get the videos i'll post them. first of all, my ot arranged for me to get a lap tray for my wheelchair. i have really been struggling with feeding myself, but the laptray puts the food in just the right place, so i've been eating dinner every night! it's really nice not to wait for josh to feed me, and i know it's nice for him to be able to eat without feeding me! also, i think the original goal of the treadmill therapy was for it to carry over to the floor. just before the camera broke, we started using the lite gait on the floor. from the very first time, my legs remembered the feel of the treadmill and moved forward on their own! the last time i did it, i walked about 500 feet! we have a really good video of that (on jana's camera). however, around that time, we also got some bad news. my therapy at freeman ran out. it ended the last week in march. we have been building our own gym in the basement of the building on the square, so although i was sad about therapy ending, i felt pretty confident and optimistic. the one thing i was worried about doing at home was the lite gait. the last day, we tried walking just with the platform walker. i was supporting all of my own weight for the first time in months. none of us were sure if it would work. after a few wimpy steps, my legs remembered and started moving just as if i was in the lite gait! since then, we have been doing it at home with our own platform walker. also, a little bit before the end of therapy, the computer broke, so, the last couple months i've had a lot of ups and downs. now i will have to catch up on all my emails, which should take awhile. josh will be posting new videos on youtube today. the link is just to the left of this blog. i think that's all, but if i forgot anything, i'll put it in the next blog.

gen

jenny- (i've been saving this one for quite awhile) coco... that chimp's all right. hi-five.