Life can really be stressful, right? At times I feel so overwhelmed, I want to go MIA (Missing in Action), disappear for awhile, hide under a rock somewhere. I feel like I am sinking under a huge pile of paperwork and clutter…can’t breathe. I have run into some of you recently and you have asked for an update on the eye-gaze communication device that we have been trying to get for Raymond. Well….we are still waiting on the insurance company to render a decision. It has been 7 months now and I feel like we are going around in circles, or just plain being ignored. That is one of the many things that I feel are bringing me underwater where I can’t catch my breath.
But leave it to our amazing Raymond to teach me to get over it and just keep moving forward. Today in Physical Therapy, Raymond got into the “crawler” (a creatively made contraption adapted from a special walker which gives Raymond the chance to get on all fours to crawl). We got Raymond placed in the crawler as I warned his therapist that he was having a rough day with some spasticity. He immediately started pushing forward with his knees, not using his hands, he was propelling himself forward. We started our typical cheering for him when he pulled his left arm out and forward as if to finally utilize his hand in the crawling. Caitlyn and I stared in shock at each other and began cheering because he had never done this before with his left arm, only his right arm and only occasionally. But WOW, his left arm!! But our cheers suddenly stopped as we realized he was having a seizure. Oh poor Raymond, I grabbed and steadied his head and talked him through the short 20 second seizure. We are having trouble getting his seizures under control, but he has never had one in therapy before. This was new territory for us, so as I was comforting him, he came out of the seizure and looked around. As I looked over to his therapist to see about pulling him out of the crawler, he started pushing with his knees again, and pushing more than he was before the seizure. The longer the seizure lasts, the more fatigued he is, but this was short and seemed to not affect him. He continued to push himself forward another 50 or so feet. Raymond did not let this stop him from his goal of crawling. And the best part is he did pull his right arm forward, which he has done before every once in a while or so…..but today he pulled his right arm forward 4 TIMES!!!!
Oh Raymond, thank you baby for showing me to not let life get me down, to overcome, to push forward. With God, all things are possible. Raymond, you truly teach me to have faith. From Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
I cannot let stress control me or pull me underwater. I must just keep moving forward, pushing myself as our amazing son Raymond does. The insurance company may think that if they keep prolonging this request I might just go away…..but I am just getting organized! I need to keep pushing for Raymond!
Susan
