Balance
Nathan writes the most amazing poetry. It is colorful, rythmic and passionate. His poetic melodies are like blood running through veins to the heart, warm and with purpose. Although still private and unpublished, his works of late are rich with soulful descriptions of the emotional toll days with and without Mike take as he faces the reality of his brother’s brain injuries. Words are just as theraputic and healing for the writer as they are for the reader. We’re all healing and getting therapy with Mike.
Today was a better day than the day before. It is now clear there have been minor physical and mental setbacks from the knee surgery on Monday. Michael has about a week of catching up to do but his therapists are still hopeful that he’ll be going home just after the new year. Walking on his own in three weeks? No. Able to take care of himself in three weeks? No.
Michael will start an in-home therapy regimen and then graduate at some point to out-patient rehab at Mt. Vernon. There is every indication that Mike has a full year of rehabilitation and recovery ahead of him. We were told on Thursday that this is still a very serious situation and the slightest illness can cause another setback. A friendly reminder for everyone visiting to wash your hands as you enter the room and if you’re not feeling well, just give it a few days before your visit.
We’re not exactly sure how Michael feels about his situation. He’s not to the point where you can consistently trust what he says. When he moves, there is obvious pain still associated with his knee but if a doctor or a nurse asks him if his knee hurts “no, not particularly, it’s fine”. Knowing that a couple of people have stopped by you can ask Mike if he’s had visitors… ”no, no one has been by”, what did you eat today “I haven’t actually eaten in a couple of days”. Sometimes though if you call him out on it, he’ll smile, sometimes laugh out loud knowing that what he said wasn’t correct or what he meant to say and then correct himself. The healing brain has a sense of humor.
These are trying times for us. Michael’s accident will affect him for the rest of his life and has changed our lives as well. It changed our lives, our relationships with each other, our direction, our focus. My career, my clients, my friends have had to take a back seat to this horrible thing that happened to Michael and to our family and I honestly struggle with balancing priorities. Although I question myself, at the end of the day I know I am where I’m supposed to be. I am by his side through this journey but I will find the balance.
The decisions we make, that one reckless act, can affect you and everyone around you when it goes wrong. Your family, your friends, your career, your future is changed forever. FOREVER.