Update Friday morning 9/30

Once again, God is demonstrating that His will and His timing---not ours---are perfect.  In mid-June, my husband changed jobs.  Our old insurance under that employer ended immediately, and the new insurance under his new (now) employer could not start for three months.  We were willing to wait for the new insurance to kick in, but then Dale's accident happened.  Thank God, we were able to reinstate our old insurance under COBRA and have been seeing doctors and neurologists through MultiCare.  Of course, we were paying a healthy fee each month to use that old insurance since his former employer obviously wasn't paying any portion of the cost.  As of October 1st, we qualify for the new insurance---under Group Health.  This means that, while our out-of-pocket expenses will be (slightly!) cheaper, all of our medical care---espcially Dale's---will be handled by new doctors and neurologists.  Oh, the joys of finding new primary care physicians and neurologists and dentists and optometrists and so on and so forth!!!  This is yet another challenge our Heavenly Father has put before me, believing that I will make the decision once again to completely trust Him to know what and when is best.  This is never easy for me; I do not handle change very well.  My first instinct is to get red in the face and scream.  My second instinct closely follows the pattern of the first!  But after I take a deep breath, I deliberately choose to let the stress go.  After venting to my husband who is so good and reminding me to calm down, I am able to say, "All right, God.  Whatever You choose is what I will accept."  His sovereignty is supreme; His ways are unsearchable; His plan is perfect.  Still, please pray for us as we make the transition in insurance that all will go as smoothly as possible.

This also, sadly, means that this is our last day with Rehab Without Walls.  Group Health does not usually contract out with programs like this one, so we are not holding our breath that they will get to continue therapy with Dale after today.  I have been watching their therapy sessions with Dale so that I can learn as much as possible, knowing that a great deal of his recovery now depends on me.  I do not know what our new therapy schedule may be like, where it will be held, or how long it will take before we get it set up.  But "I know Whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day" (II Timothy 1:12b).  And that means I can trust Him to make sure Dale gets just as much medical care and therapy as he needs to be just what God wants him to be.

My husband has been saying that all along.  God is holding Dale in His hands, and Dale's accident was no accident to Him.  Dale will be exactly who God intends for him to be, and we can trust Him with that.  I am so thankful God gave me Chad for my husband.  That man is so steady and strong, so godly, committed to serving God no matter what.  Chad draws daily on God's strength; I draw strength from his strength; thus, we both are leaning on God for support and guidance.  Another of God's wonderful plans in action!

There have been a few large and several small improvements just since Dale came home from the hospital.  Sometimes it seems we trade one skill learned for another---two steps forward, one step back!  Dale is doing well going to the bathroom (even staying dry at night), but now he forgets to pull his pants down before sitting.  He has not yet had an accident; he just sits there on the toilet wondering why it feels like something isn't right!  I have to cue him to do things in proper order.  He seems to be talking less since coming home, but I think that may be because he has six other people always jumping up to do everything for him.  I have been asking him more to say what he wants rather than point or just answer yes-and-no questions.  His balance is really steady, even going up and down the stairs.  Walking outside (on uneven surfaces) is not much of a challenge for him anymore.  Standing up and sitting down is easily done as well.  He still needs to be cued when feeding himself; he'll take one bite and then sit there until someone tells him to take another bite.  Then, he tries leaning forward and attacking the plate or bowl with his teeth!  We remind him to use his spoon or fork and to chew one bite before taking another.  The other "problem" with food is that Dale is becoming a thief!  He'll walk into the kitchen, pick up whatever looks good, and walk away with it, usually with someone following him saying, "Dale, no---that's mine!"  Sometimes he gives it back; other times, it's just too late.  His sisters have not yet gotten to the point of actually being offended by this, but I'm sure that time is coming.  His mental skills are all still there (reading, writing, math, etc.), but his ability to conentrate on a task until completed is very small.  As my husband said, "He has the attention span of a gnat!"  This is why it takes him (us!) half an hour each morning to get dressed, comb his hair, and brush his teeth.  He winds up having to wait until we get back home after taking the girls to school to get any breakfast.  During the day, I work with him a bit on math or focus skills, but he spends alot of time just resting.  His brain is working so hard to do even the smallest tasks that he tends to feel spent a great deal of the time.  He has been able to attend church with us, but we sit in the overflow room because he cannot sit still.  Even at home, he is continually standing up, then sitting down, lying down on the couch, then sitting back up.  I make sure he gets a short rest break after lunch, having him lie down on the couch and close his eyes.  I'll put a blanket over him and have soft music playing to give him some downtime.  Usually he falls asleep---until the dog barks at some innocuous neighbor and wakes us both up!

Praise the Lord!  We are blessed to have our son alive, healthy, healing, and home.  I appreciate each of you who keep reading this blog and praying along with us for Dale.  Your thoughts and prayers have made a difference in our lives, and we thank you for it.  God bless you!

Romans 11:33-36  "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!  For who hath known the mind of the Lord?  or who hath been His counsellor?  Or who hath first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?  For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things:  to Whom be glory for ever.  Amen."