Josh Chandler Update

Monday, October 16, 2006

New Update! (10/16/06)

Hello to all. I know, I know, it's about time that I write an update. I want to apologize for my lack of speediness in continuing to keep you updated on Josh's condition. However, Josh is doing well. The above are pictures of the family (mom, dad, Cari & Josh) taken on Sunday morning October 8, 2006. This past month and a half that we have been home has seemed to fly by. Where to begin again? Well, we came home on August 31st but it wouldn't be for a couple of weeks before Josh got set up with all of his outpatient therapy. So, he got to rest for a little while, but in mid September he jumped back into therapy on an outpatient basis at HealthSouth. Josh was able to get a scholarship for one month of therapy (hopefully they will be extending that scholarship for another month or so - praise the Lord!). He goes to therapy from about 9am to 2pm Monday thru Thursday. Thursday is just a play day really - they go to different places in the community to help them get back into socialization. So far they have been to the museum, a fun park, a Greek festival, and next week they are going to the State Fair. On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday Josh still continues on with his Occupational, Physical, and Speech therapy, and he has little activities of daily living classes that he goes to. He isn't always thrilled to go to therapy, but he does it non-the-less because we make him and he knows it is the right thing to do right now.
Let's see, for his progress - Speech therapy. One of the things that I am most thankful for is that Josh still has his mind. Granted he may forget a thing or two, Josh is becoming very much his old sarcastic and witty self. For example, a couple of weeks ago mom was having to take Josh to therapy by herself for the first time and she was a little nervous about transferring him into the car by herself (now he does it all on his own). So she had a good friend of ours and our federal congressman's wife there for moral support. Needless to say it was raining that day, imagine that! Mom had the bright idea to take Josh down the back wheelchair ramp and wheel him around to the front to the enclosed garage to get out of the rain faster. Well, we live on a VERY steep hill/driveway and mom didn't make it into the garage with Josh. Mom lost control of the wheelchair, but she hung on for dear life!, and they both went down the hill, mom skidding in her shoes and Josh holding the umbrella yelling - heading straight for, you guessed it, a tree! Thankfully they missed both trees and ended up safely in the road. First thing Josh told me on the phone was that mom was trying to kill him! He said "I made it through the accident and rehab only to have my mom kill me!". It is a very comical story now; I don't think mom will live that one down for quite a while. Meanwhile back at the ranch ~ As far as his speech is concerned Josh is doing pretty good. He still has some volume to get back (bet those of you who knew Josh before would never have thought that would be a problem!). The louder he talks, the clearer his voice is - if that makes any sense? Sometimes he talks too fast and you have to ask him to slow down and repeat himself, but actually it is easier to carry on a conversation with him now than it was a month ago. He likes to practice by talking to his friends on his cell phone in the evening when the minutes are free.
Physical and Occupational therapy - they both work with Josh on strengthening his arms and legs. They stretch him out, because his muscles are very tight in some respects, but he is beginning to loosen up. He is not walking on his own YET, but he is very close. He has walked with a walker and with some help (mom and I cried the first time we saw him walk), but his legs are still very weak and give out on him rather easily. He has also been going through a process of serial casting to the left foot due to an inward rotation of his foot, but hopefully tomorrow he will get this cast off for good. They have been casting it the last several weeks to get it back into proper alignment. On Monday he gets the cast off, a mold taken of his foot for a brace, and then later that day he goes back to have it fitted. If all goes well, the brace will work and then Josh can really concentrate on walking again because the cast seems to throw his balance off when attempting to walk. Josh still has a little ways to go in his fine motor skills, but as with everything else it is getting better with time. He still has mild tremors to the right hand, but it is limited pretty much to his thumb and pinky finger. If he is really tired it goes up into his shoulder as well. The bad part about this is that he is right-handed so it is very difficult for him to write because of the tremors. He is standing for short periods of time and he pretty much can transfer himself from the wheelchair to car/bed/recliner - mom, dad, or I are really just there for guidance. Once he is walking steadily Josh will pretty much be doing everything for himself.
As for the rest of us - dad is back to work full time and going strong. He travels several days a week to Greenville, Charlotte, or Charleston. Mom is almost back to working part-time. She tries to work while Josh is at therapy. I work 3, 12hr days a week and on my days off I will take Josh to and from therapy or stay at the house with him. Josh has ventured out to a couple of restaurants with the family and he has gone to a few little league/high school/college ball games. I think it really helps him to get out and do things. Even though life is not quite back to normal, it much better now than it was a month ago.
I want to again express my extreme gratefulness to all of you who helped Josh in his road to recovery. I know that God has ultimately healed Josh, but he used such incredible people (the doctors, nurses, and therapists in Chapel Hill and Charlotte and now HealthSouth) to work a miracle in my little brother's life. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts; words cannot express our gratitude. Thank you to all of those who have prayed and are continuing to pray for Josh and our family. Thank you to those who sent cards and letters of encouragement in a time when it was needed most. Thank you to those who came to visit Josh throughout this journey in his life. Thank you to those who have given their time, gifts, friendship, and love to us. We love you all! You will forever be in our hearts.
With much love,
Cari