Sunday is a day of rest

     Sunday, the day we spend with family, relax, usually have a nice dinner and just chill.  What do you think this is 1954 or something get a grip.  Not in our worls,  (if the stars align that is) we are out of the house by 8:15 heading to church. Unless Miss M or The Son have to work 2 services that day we are heading home by 10:30.  At 12 we are getting them ready to meet their ride to YQL rehearsal (thank God for Jamal as rehearsal is 45 minutes away) which means packing 3 lunches usually of Pizza Rolls snacks and drinks.  We have to leave around 3 to be in Ponte Vedre to pick them up from YQL at 4 so that Miss M can be at church for rehearsal at 4:30 (never make that on time).  BETA for all starts at 5:30, thankfully with dinner.  That ends at 7:00 so 3 of us head home only to have 1 of us head back to pick up The Son who stayed behind for youth which ends around 8:30.  There is that small window in there from when the kids leave with Jamal until we have to leave to get them but really Sunday a day of rest....I don't think so. 
     Consiering how laid back my Saturday was here at Rehab I was expecting Sunday to be the same...can you guess where I'm going with this.  9:00 AM I had to be on the first floor (I'm on the 3rd) for 45 minutes of recreational therapy.  Ok I have soo much to pick apart on this one.  First off recreational, recreational really!! The main goal behind this therapy is endurance, standing for a period of time playing a game.  We were to play a modified version of 301.  The idea being to throw bingo chips onto a dart board in the middle of the table and deduct your sore from 301.  What is almost as boring as watching paint dry? 6 stroke patients playing 301 with varied vocal abilities.  I was gracefully saved from this by a surprise visit from my sweet friend Cassie.  Back to that in a minute.  I need to address the fact that they wanted us to be recreationally motivated at 9AM.  I'll tell you what motivates me at 9AM my pillow!! Anyone who barely knows me knows that I am NOT a morning person.  Recreation Therapy at 9PM sign me up! 301 not so motivating...I'll play Texas Hold 'Em while standing..I'll gladly throw my chips instead of pushing them.  Ok I think I am onto something here.  Poker as Therapy.  This could work! No seriously, it could work.  The dexterity required to shuffle and deal...right there serious fine motor skills required.  Holding those cards close.. upper arm and elbow flexibility.  Never mind all of the cognitive skills required to keep track of your cards and those on the river.  And the chips... oh let's not forget the chips.  Stacking and unstacking.  Pushing and pulling.  For ultimate therapeutic benefits you could stand or for those teeth clenching rounds pace!....Oh wait snacking would involve those with swallowing issues...though soft foods at poker doesn't seem encouraging but hey you can't have it all at once now can you. 
    Well as I mentioned I was surprised by an early morning..God Bless her, visit from Cassie.  She actually was on call here at Brooks for the weekend.  It was so nice to see her (and to be resuced from therapy).  Visiting with Cassie was recreational and definitely therapy :0)  What totally caught me by surprise was how her visit hit me.  While in Orange Park Medical Center I had visitors daily.  While no one looks their best in a hospital gown lying in a bed I was ok with that.  BUT.  I had a mild melt down when I saw Cassie.  There was a realization to my conidition that hadn't hit me before.  THIS IS MY LIFE!  Somehow the first time having a friend seeing me shuffle behind a walker hit me mucher harder than I had expected.***  Poor Cassie was so sweet and understanding as well as being extremely supportive.  Reality, there it was standing right in front of me.  With the arrival of reality came of course its cohort stress.  Trying to figure out all of the things that have to be rearranged, adjusted, rescheduled and so-on.  Well sweet Cassie gifted me with a mug that had the  perfect encouragement.... Don't worry about tomrrow God is already there.  Now convincing myself and embracing that truth isn't easy but this sweet reminder will most definitely help.
Realilty, man it is coming hard and fast.  Leaving the walls of therapy, that self-centered world, is almost here.  Even now it is almost paralyzing to think of the impact this has in my world.  Simple activities that I took for granted aren't going to be so simple, at least for a while.  Going to have to ponder on this for a while.....

So any backers for Lady Bren's Texas Hold 'Em and Rehab?

3 days and counting

***point of clairfication Brooks Rehab is well over 45 minutes from where I live as opposed to OPMC being 5-10 minutes away