June 19, 2006 - Mid Afternoon

Amanda had a good week last week. The pain did start returning a bit in that foot, but on the whole, it was better than prior to the first lumbar block. She is scheduled for her 2nd block tomorrow, so we're keeping our fingers crossed that we cotninue to see progress in that area.

And Christine shares the following from her day with Amanda last Thursday, "Today was the BEST day with Amanda yet!!!! She was in such a great mood all day long, and it was a very long day for her!

First hour was spent doing water exercises in the pool. She did complain about the left foot, but not as loudly as before the 1st lumbar block. Hopefully, this will continue to improve! All other therapy went well, with no negative words:) In counseling with Kay, she did say that she feels like she has her own language right now. Sometimes we understand what she is trying to tell us, and sometimes not.

My appointment this afternoon was canceled, so I was blessed with a fabulous girl day with Amanda, Lori, Jessica, Terri, & Thomas Ann. First, we took Amanda to her dentist appointment…how many of you have ever had this much support just to see your dentist?? All checked out great!

Then for the 1st time since last October, Amanda went to visit Brinker, where she has worked for many years. The visit was great! She had a crowd following her around the office, all so happy to see her smiling face. She told one guy, “You need to go home & take a bath. I can smell you from here!” Nobody else could smell him, but apparently Mandy saw a reason to say this! Another young guy (Nathan) stopped to talk to her. After he walked away, she said, “He’s hot!” She also visited with Linda Higgins, her boss. They got to visit quietly, but for a short time, as Mandy had so many others to visit. She apologized to some of her co-workers for “not being here this week.” Many folks got compliments on “what a cute outfit”, hair cut, etc.

Afterwards, she mentioned to me that she really didn’t recognize the place, but the people were familiar. Many of her friends had pictures printed from the blog hanging in their cubicle, as well as other adorable photos. It was like a big Amanda fan club!

Then as per Mandy’s request, we had dinner at Chili’s! No kidding right? She never stopped with the one-liners, constantly making jokes! Terri, Jess & I were laughing non-stop! In her own “language”, she let us know that she thinks we are all special for being so easily amused at her talking! She told Terri how she is eating like a “Piglet”, although she wasn’t… This went on for a few minutes, finishing with Mandy singing a song that was playing over the radio. It was Tom Petty “The waiting is the Hardest Part”. Amanda sang, “The piggy is the smartest part!” She leaned towards me in total Amanda fashion while singing this loudly!

Today Mandy was “on” all day, non-stop. Usually she gets tired in the afternoon, after a full day of stimulation in therapy. This day was an exception! We fully expected her to be too exhausted for dinner out, but she just kept on with the laughter & lots of conversation that she initiated!"