It  has been 8 months today since James' accident.  He sure has come a long way!  When I get feeling down about the whole situation I try to look at where James was 8 months ago!  Who knows what he will be doing in another 8 months. 

I was amazed this week at how much smoother his walking is getting.  In physio he is walking using the rail in the hallway with the therapist doing very little supporting.  He has also been doing some work on the mat in the gym.  They have him going from laying down to up on hands and knees to kneeling and balancing on his knees.  It is a lot of hard work!  His goal for physio is to be able to walk with a walker 50 meters with minimum assistance by November!

The speech therapist is planning on a swallow assessment soon!  The goal is to have him taking enough by mouth by mid November that he will be able to replace one tube feed meal a day with a meal by mouth! 

He is working on becoming more independent with self care too.  He is working on dressing himself with minimum assistance and the rehab assistant was telling me that he is trying to tie his own shoes!

Last week the doctor took James off of his medication that helps with anxiety.  Good news was that he did not become any more anxious off of the medication.  However the tremors in his right arm have increased a lot.  The medication is known to mask tremors.  So they are putting him back on it,  and will  try cutting the dose down gradually again in a month or so.  As he becomes stronger it is likely that the tremors with ease.

This is the "I told you I could get in your truck, Mom!" smile
 I figured out how to add photos to my blog!!!!  This has been the first week that I am backing away from being with James everyday!  I came home on Wednesday and and going back to pick James up for the weekend on Friday.  I am not sure exactly what next week will look like, but I may just play taxi and come home!  It sounds like James did well without me today,  I did call him and got an update this morning and he called me this evening.  They are also taking him off of one of his meds this week!  He seems to be doing fine without it,  and the fewer meds he is on when he comes home the better.  Review date was on Wednesday too and a discharge date was set for November 10th.  It is nice to have a date for his return home rather than hearing maybe

James using the Nu Step crosstrainer at rehabanother month....                                                   

First weekend visit home