Of course, I knew all along that Chris could handle driving and he was just chicken to get behind the wheel. Okay, that is a total lie, I was really nervous about him driving. Especially once one of the therapists told me that he would have to be extra careful not to get into an accident because he could very easily damage his spinal cord permanently if there was some type of impact. All worries set aside, it has quite a boost to Chris to be able to drive himself to therapy twice a week. I like to go with him once a week, when he is in pool therapy plus, he needs a little help once he is out of the pool.
On the road in another way, Chris took two road trips this month. The first was a visit to my parents in my home town of Santa Maria. Chris drove both ways, about a four hour trip with no problems. We enjoyed a relaxing weekend with the "rents, as we say. The girls love to visit Grandma and Grandpa Alarid. This was a test to see if he could sit in the car for longer periods of time and he passed with flying colors.
The following weekend Chris had his first "Guys" weekend since the accident. Chris and his buddy Dan traveled up to San Jose to catch a San Jose Sharks game in style. Fourteen friends joined them in a suite to watch the game courtesy of the Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov who donated his suite after he heard about Chris' accident through a mutual friend. They ate, drank and had a great time catching up with one another. I don't know if they really ate but I know they did plenty of the other two.
Chris came home happy, tired and announced he was ready to get rid of his wheelchair. He did not need it all weekend and decided he was through with it. The chair has been sitting in our family room for about two months, collecting dust except for when the girls take it for an occasional spin. It took Chris another few days to call the rental company to have them come pick it up. He carried the phone number in his pocket for two days, discussing the idea with his therapists, it was not an easy decision but a momentous one. He made the call today and they are coming to pick it up tomorrow. 6 months in a wheelchair..........I am so grateful to be able to write that sentence. 6 months ago, past tense, history, remember when. On to the next chapter of Chris' recovery.
The highlights of the last month are, we returned the hospital bed (since Chris is able to sleep upstairs now), removed all the ramps inside our house and now the chair is gone. Little momentous steps all towards healing, growing stronger and staying happy.
Love and Gratitude,
Christy
