Taking things a day at a time

 Therapy is still going well. My OT evaluated me Thursday, and I had made improvements across the board, except for my index finger. It is taking longer to recover than everything else. She had me do a peg test a couple of weeks ago. I first did it with my good hand, and it took 17 seconds. Then trying it with my left hand, I could only get 3 out of 12 pegs in the holes in a minute. She repeated the test Thursday, and I got 6...twice as many. Still pathetic, but an improvement none the less. She gauged the strength of my grip for the first time. My good hand did 47 pounds. My left, only 18 pounds. So I still have quite a way to go!

I am getting better at using my left hand on a daily basis. I'm trying to use it normally as much as possible. Since my index finger is still essentially dead, I am pretty clumsy. I'm constantly challenging myself, though. I've started working out with weights again, just much lighter than I do with my right hand. Last week I got some chunky knitting needles and yarn and started trying to knit some. Again, it is a clumsy endeavor, but I'm doing it. I pushed a little too hard though. My therapist warned me about that when I told her what I was doing. It was already too late...my hand had a flare-up for a couple of days (intense tingling/stinging and stiffness with swelling). So I had to give it a rest all day yesterday. It is doing quite a bit better today. She instructed me to set a timer when I knit...only 20-30 minutes at a time. I'll be sure to start doing that!

I've been getting out and about more lately. (Extended riding in the car had been irritating my hand.) I'm able to drive fine now, using my left hand. I'm also back to babysitting the littles...even had them sleep over a couple of nights. Last week, we took a quick trip to Paris to see Stephen's family and celebrate the girls' birthdays. It was so good to see them all again! It had been too long. Tonight, Sheila's family is coming over for a belated birthday dinner for Caleb. It has been quite a while since we've seen them, too. It is so nice to get back into a more normal routine!

Well, that's about it for what's been going on around here. Hope everything is going well for each of you!

Mt 15:29-30 Jesus departed from there, skirted the Sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat down there. Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus' feet, and He healed them.