you did it!



This is a very happy day for Grace.  She has been doing some form of physical, occupational or speech therapy for all her 6 years.  We have been on again, off again friends with therapy.  Early intervention was nothing but a disaster of a government program.  She made almost no progress since they sent us a new therapist almost every other week, or the wrong kind of therapist.  So we went private and what a difference!  Then being told she was ready to stop, and realizing within six months that they were VERY wrong.  This last batch of occupational and speech was the most productive therapy she's received.  And I admit, I clung to therapy and was not prepared to let go until she was well into the school year and feeling confident in what she can do, because she will probably never qualify for it to be paid for again.  But Grace had other plans (as seen in an earlier post), so after some soul searching on our part, we decided she's been doing so great consistently, that we are actually truly hopeful that this is it.

Her occupational therapist, in my opinion, was the only one that was really in tune with Grace.  Not what the evaluation results were, but who Grace was, and her unique situation (being a twin), and how that affected her self esteem.  Not just if she was 80% functional.  I will forever hate the term "80% functional".  Her plan was to help Grace be the best Grace she could be.  Amen!  She helped us keep the insurance company paying, so we didn't have to foot the hefty 3 visits a week.  We used to have to pay 100% when she was in physical therapy, and that just hurt at around $100/visit.  So I am very grateful today to Mary-Pat.  Occupational therapist extrordinaire.

Grace was so thrilled to say good-bye to Mary-Pat, Jackie and Rachael today.  She is even more thrilled with her graduation certificates and they will soon hold a prominant place in her "gallery" (The wall next to her bed).  Gracie girl, I know I'm not the type to write this down in a journal for you, so I want you to know that everyone who has worked with you loved you.  Mary-Pat always tells me that she loves having you come in because your imagination takes over and she doesn't have to even try to come up with games.  You'd tell her what you wanted to do and she just helped you do it in a way that worked with your program.  She said you are funny and easy to motivate, as long as you're not too tired.  She said she always knew the half hour with Grace was always going to be easy.

Just a quick side note to my mother and Abby too.  My mother spent most of the school year last year switching weeks with me, either taking Grace to therapy or staying home with Abby so she didn't have to go.  I know Abby in particular was grateful for that.  I am always grateful for the time you give up for us.  Abby, my love, you trudged the half hour to and from therapy and waited an hour for Grace to be done more times than I can count (particularly this summer when you wanted to be at the pool).  You are such a supportive and loving sister.  You only complained a little, and sometimes a lot, but you went anyway, and were happy once you were there.  You always encourage Grace. She is lucky to have you, and we are too.

Enough gushing...