Chris Will Walk

I can't believe it's been it's been so long since I have written and I apologize. Time has gone by so fast. Since I last wrote, so much has changed. Chris' dad went back to Connecticut and we had to figure out how to survive on our own. It has been adjustment but one that we needed to work out. With Chris able to drive himself to therapy one of biggest obstacles was getting everyone ready in the mornings. To get Chris out of bed in the am, we have to warm up his legs with stretches that take about 30-45 minutes. That would not be a big deal if I weren't also trying to get two little girls out the door by 8:00, it can be a struggle. After Regan was late to school everyday for a week, I figured out a car pool schedule with friends that has made life much easier.

There were quite a few other adjustments; who walks the dog, takes out the trash, cooks all the meals, do the laundry, blah, blah, blah. Basically all the day to day chores falls on my shoulders. As much as Chris would like to help, he can't carry anything because his left hand doesn't work and the right holds his crutch. I have attempted to "not sweat the small stuff" which I find challenging. It sounds so petty to complain about these little things when really I should be happy that Chris is walking with his brace and crutches, but some days it's hard to remember that.

In early May St Jude's decided that there was not much more they could do until Chris gained more strength in his left leg. This was devastating to Chris, he felt like the therapists were giving up on him. It was a rough week when that ended. Chris continued to work out on his own at the Goodwill Gym to build up his legs and arms. About this time my father let me know he had done some research, just after Chris' accident. My father, the engineer (yes, a rocket scientist!) has always thought outside the box. I don't know how he found this Dr. but he came across what is called the Prague Institute. They work with nerve stimulation. Basically they wake up dormant nerves. My dad called the lead Dr. and explained what happened to Chris. Dr. Morris immediately told my dad he could help. He accurately predicted that Chris would plateau in late April and that St. Jude's would not know what to do with him, so they would release him. He said "Thats when I step in".

I accompanied Chris to his first appointment. Dr. Morris reminds me of Grissom (sp?) from CSI. Not a man of many words but methodical in his practice. I don't how to describe what he does other than the Dr. twists Chris like a pretzel and then applies pressure to different points on his body. When the pressure is applied, I can see tendons moving in his left leg and arm. I got excited and started to tell Chris what I see but the doctor asks me not to say anything. He doesn't want Chris to think about what is moving, just to let it happen on it's own. It's a trip, but we are open to anything that may help at this point.

Chris continues this new therapy twice a week. While I was able to finally purchase insurance for Chris, it is still very expensive for the alternative therapies. Thanks to donations made at last years golf tournament, we are able to fund these therapies. Which is why we decided to have one last fund raising effort. The second golf tournament will be held July 26th at the SeaCliff Country Club here in Huntington Beach. You can find the details on the front of the website. We are still looking for players, sponsors and anyone that would like to join us for the dinner and auction.

Thank you for your continued prayers and thoughts.

In Love and Gratitude,

Christy