Mariah’s Reemergence

Wow, the week really flew by.  I should specify.  The week flew by for Clay.  As for Mariah it may have gone at a slightly slower pace.  She said she is looking forward to moving back to the Washington D.C. area Dec. 11th.  She is ready for a change of scenery.

Mariah’s terrific gains were displayed this past week, culminating on Wednesday with her first night away from her hospital bed in nearly six months!  It was a great success. I only wish I could describe the sound of comfort that came from Mariah when I helped her up on to the big plush queen size bed with Egyptian silk sheets or whatever those wonderful sheets and comforter are over at the Fisher House.

The Wednesday over-night stay which lasted through Thanksgiving up until Thursday evening was a window into Mariah’s near-future living accommodations with her brother, Clay, at Mologne House (pronounced like “Malone”) on the Walter Reed campus in D.C.  We will live together in an outpatient setting, taking care of each other (just kidding dad, I won’t make Mariah do everything for me!) and attending daily therapy and rehabilitation services at the hospital.

Mariah’s stay at the Fisher House began with an evening of Kung Fu Panda (hilarious film), followed by a comfortable rest in a real nice bed.  Upon waking on Thanksgiving morning, Mariah asked me to walk her around the oak-tree speckled walking paths behind the house during which she got up out of her chair a few times to do leg stretches and practice walking along the parallel bars supporting her own balance and weight by the parallel bars.

The rest of our day up to the fantastic meal provided by the Blue Star military moms was filled with episodes of Family Guy from a box collection we picked up at Walmart together, and several readings from “Wesley the Owl”, which I read to her while she stretched out on the reading room couch at the Fisher House.  All the family members at Fisher House enjoyed Mariah’s presence, and the food was phenomenal.  We had about forty people dining together at the house, filling the dining hall, and we all held hands and said the Lord’s Prayer for grace.  It was very moving, and Mariah and I both teared up.

Lots of stories were shared around the tables, and phone calls were made to various colonels and generals because a young lady who came from channel 11 to televise a few minutes of the event for the six ‘o clock news was trailed by a local cop who said “you can’t do that”.  I guess he didn’t have any Turkey to eat, huh? Well, the military moms can pull off anything, and after a few calls the cop left and the cameras rolled. After dinner, a tired Mariah asked to return to her hospital room for some respite.

Today is Tuesday morning, and Mariah will be going grocery shopping with Allison, her occupational therapist. I am pretty jealous, cuz I have been here two weeks and now that I am leaving this afternoon Mariah is going to the store to get ingredients for lasagna which she will bake later in the week and feed to…my dad probably.  I feel ripped off.  Oh well, I will get my share in D.C., I am sure.

Mariah and I read her recent comments on the blog yesterday and we are both ready to come to Washington and look forward to catching up with friends. Thank you all for the support since she has been here in Richmond, and please keep it coming on the home-front!

Love and Light,
Clay