SOLC 4: Putting Humpty Back Together again...

I have begun to think of my son's recovery from his traumatic brain injury in terms of putting Humpty back together again. There are just too many similarities to the old familiar rhyme to not make that connection. I also feel that in order to survive all that we have been through, you MUST, keep your sense of humor or you will not survive! When he woke up from the coma he could not talk, he could not eat, he could not walk, nor could he remember how to write or read. So we began the long, painful task of putting him back together again. Some pieces of putting "Humpty" together again fell back in place rather quickly! Within hours of waking from the coma he went from not speaking, to one word utterances. It was so amazing to see how quickly some pieces of him went back together. Other pieces did not go back together so quickly so he left the trauma center to begin the long process of putting those other pieces back together at a rehabilitative center. We arrived at the center, where they evaluated him, told us what therapies he would need and what we would expect. Little did they know about my Humpty, he was going to SHOW THEM! Within hours of arriving he decided, he wanted to go HOME! He told his therapists, he wanted OUT of his wheelchair, that he wanted to walk at his HS graduation and that he WOULD be present at graduation. Graduation was a little over a week away! They did NOT crush him and told him no, they said, ok, let's go! He and his therapists worked hard, if therapy was supposed to be an hour, he put in two or more hours. He was amazing, but so were they! They were right with him every step of the way! One day before graduation and they called a team meeting and told us that Humpty had DONE IT! He was going home. He would still need to be a patient at the center, he would continue with outside therapy, but he would be at graduation. HUMPTY was almost back together. Now 22 months later we have had set backs and many more hurdles and we are still putting Humpty together, but Humpty is working hard and I have never been more proud!

On april 28^th there is a 5k race to benefit the Rehabilitation center that began the process of putting my Humpty back together! My son and I are running that race together! I don't think there is a better way to thank that amazing team of doctors and therapists for helping us put my Humpty back together again! This week my son did 2 miles on the treadmill, to others that may be just ordinary, but to me it is extraordindary! It is amazing to me how the little things in life are just so much more beautiful to me now that my Humpty is beginning to have all his pieces come back together! LIFE IS GOOD!
PS: First picture at the top is my son right after getting his diploma, the second is the standing ovation his class gave him!

Hugs,