Positive Energy, Baby

Tim is pumped! He's in a great mood, looking forward to coming home and beyond that, to becoming an outpatient.

We arrived Saturday night for a short visit - we both need to be back in West Stockbridge Sunday night - with plans to prepare for Tim's imminent departure. The first thing we wanted to do was thank the staff for such a positive experience on the 9th floor for the past four months (which reminds me that I am getting sloppy as I forgot to note the four month anniversary of Tim's accident back on November 12). So "we" baked cookies as "we" always do to acknowledge and participate in a variety of occasions. "We" also packaged them up quite nicely. With Tim's assistance, the tokens of our appreciation were distributed.

After that we spent some time just hanging out with Tim and Morgan's dad and brother, who were getting ready to attend a Dane Cook performance next door at the Garden (Morgan is the young woman who had been responsible for the comedian's visit earlier). It was very interesting to hear Tim talk about his fellow patients from an "old timer's" perspective. According to Morgan's dad, Tim has filled a valuable role on the floor as a bit of an ambassador, especially to newer and younger residents. Tim plans to stay involved with the 9th floor and will be visiting most every day while an outpatient. We also got a tutorial from Tim on the condition of his triceps - they are pretty much non-existent, but he has learned how to compensate with other muscles to get things done, such as pushing his wheel chair. You can ask him to explain that!

Tim's plans are a little more clear now. We'll drive out Tuesday night and plan to leave as early as possible on Wednesday morning. Tim will spend the long Thanksgiving Weekend with us - dinner at the Boxers, a friend's birthday party on Friday and the Homecoming Event at the (East) Stockbridge Sportsmen's Club on Saturday. Whew. Amy will take him back to Boston on Sunday to check in to his new home at the residence hotel (intelligence reports indicate a great ice cream "mecca" and great take out spot nearby). Then, it will be four, 3 hour outpatient therapy sessions each week and home to West Stockbridge for long weekends.

It was time to start cleaning out drawers and closets - clothes, gifts, notes, etc. had become a bit disorganized over the five room changes he had made. We packed all that up and will take it home. One thing we "found" at the bottom - his 12 pound shot from track days. I had brought it to him early as some sort of inspiration, but it had turned out to be a real life indication of the severity of his injury, as he couldn't even hold it back then. This night, he was able to hold it for 5 or 10 seconds before his arm gave out.

Sunday will bring some more time for planning, including a walk over Tim's next home so we can understand that part of his life a little better.