Sunday, August 14, 2005 Wow! What a summer! Amanda and her family have been very busy! First, Dad and Cynthia got married in June in the backyard of the old house. Friends, relatives, and neighbors came to help celebrate.
Grandma Josie and Grandpa Arnie, down from Ohio, took care of Amanda while the newlyweds were on their honeymoon. Mom checked in everyday, and all went smoothly.
Soon afterwards, the Big Move took place! Dad, Cynthia, Amanda and Zach (and Tiger and Anna-the cats) all moved into a new house on Turkey Hill Road in Winston-Salem. The house needed a great deal of work, mostly painting and yard work. Dad and Cynthia have been hustling and bustling and are finally getting the family settled in.
The move has been worth the effort. The new house is a ranch-style with all the main living space on one level, plus a basement and attic. A driveway pulls right up to the kitchen-perfect for bringing Amanda in and out to the van. Hardwood floors and spacious rooms make wheelchair movement easy. The neighborhood has nice streets, with (mostly) gentle hills, that are good for taking Amanda on strolls. The house is minutes away from shopping, doctors, and therapy appointments, and is also closer to Amanda’s mom, who comes over regularly to help out.
Amanda recently spent two weeks in Asheville,
staying at her Aunt Lisa and Uncle Dan’s house. Her little cousins, Katie and Audrey, gave Amanda a lot of attention and love while she was there. In Asheville, Amanda received acupuncture treatments almost everyday, and had several sessions of cranial sacral therapy, as well. Now, back in Winston, Amanda will continue these treatments, about once a week, with local therapists.
Speaking of therapists, Amanda has received in-home physical and 
occupational therapy twice a week, since coming home from the hospital last June. Her therapists, Wendy and Debbie, are like members of the
family now! Amanda also has been visited twice a week, this summer, by a speech therapist, who is working on increasing Amanda’s swallowing abilities.
Keeping Amanda in good shape and good health can be challenging. The family has been fortunate to find two wonderful Certified Nursing Aides who do an excellent job helping take care of Amanda. 
Katie helps with Amanda every day during the week, and 
Karen provides some respite on the weekends. Their warmth, kindness, and efficient ways have certainly contributed to Amanda’s state of well-being. Luckily, Amanda is so sweet and adorable, that it is a pleasure to tend to her needs.
Another exciting outcome of the move has been the ability to move forward on equipment needs. We had held off on some equipment purchases until we knew exactly what space we would have to work in. Fortunately, we now have plenty of space to store her (rather large) equipment! We have her wheelchair, special-needs stroller, stander, massage table, and exercise ball, and now we will be adding a shower-transfer chair and a Hoyer Lift. 
Folks came out from Healthcare Equipment, several times this summer, to show us various equipment choices.
Last week, Mom and Cynthia took Amanda to a local therapeutic riding stable. Amanda loves animals and was becoming quite the horsewoman before her accident. At the stable, Amanda had a chance to pet some horses and she really seemed to enjoy stroking their noses. We tried sitting her on a modified saddle, perched upon a barrel, but Amanda did not tolerate this very well-it seemed to aggravate her hip. It is possible that she may not be physically able to ride safely upon a horse, but we will continue to explore this as an option for Amanda.
All in all, Amanda is doing very well. She is in good health and on only a few medications. We can see very subtle changes occurring, such as increases in eye contact, eye tracking, and awareness of her surroundings. Amanda would benefit from more interaction with friends-please come by and visit her at her new house. Just call us at 760-0639 and let us know when you can come by!
May your kindness, Lord, be upon us; we have put our hope in You. -- Psalm 33:22
