Tuesday Morning

Jesse did very well yesterday, sitting up more often, working to balance himself while sitting up, feeding himself (left handed), and generally tolerating me with an occaisional smile! We read through a few more emails and he was happy to hear from a professor who granted him extensions through the summer to finish a class. His right hand strength is improving slightly; he can start to push a bit with his fingers but still cannot curl, extend or grip with them. His toe flinched once again, also a good sign.

We spoke with case worker Vicki and the rehab specialist, Dr. Newman, and at lunchtime yesterday the plans to move Jesse to rehab were accelerated.... to the point that I heard this morning that Jesse will be moved today!

The options are primarily Altoona or Mechanicsburg, and there are pros and cons to both - we'll keep you posted! For those of you offering advice to my mom on rehab hospitals, please be sure that any suggested facility have NEUROLOGICAL-based rehab, not simply orthopedic-based rehab. All information and support is appreciated, but please be judicious in your efforts. (Bonus points awarded to anyone who has actually completed neurological rehab!)

Visitors today should be aware that Jesse may be on the move.... Call ahead to the hospital to find out what's going on, where he is, when he's moving.... I will update here as soon as I know as well! If you would like a text, shoot me an email (jeremiahnorthridge@gmail.com) with the number and I will text you once I know. Do NOT flood my mother with phone calls, please. You'll know when we know.

I left the hospital around 5 last evening and Jesse had a few college friends stopping in to see him after that.... His spirits were generally good through the day though the process is certainly a draining one.

Kudos to Rachel Guldin for drawing Jesse's biggest laugh of the day:

It was show-and-tell in class, and the theme was "My Religion." Three students stood up at the front of the class. The first said, "I'm Jewish, and this is my prayer hat." The second student said, "I'm Catholic, and this is my rosary." The third student said, "I'm Lutheran, and this is my casserole."

Keep the prayers, warm wishes and humor coming -- Jesse's progress has continued; "Slow and steady wins the race" remains the mantra for moving forward. Special thanks to all of the doctors, pa's, nurses and staff at the Altoona Regional Hospital, too, for their help and support!

(And special thanks to you, Subway, for being an alternative to the cafeteria....)