Filling in for Cathy....

I just re-read Cathy’s last post and can’t believe it’s been a whole week since Mike went home. Funny thing….it was raining the day he went home and it’s raining here in Mt. Pleasant right now. Cathy went to the beach for some much needed R&R the day after she got back to Fayetteville and has not had access to a computer. We’ve all talked everyday and have taken turns checking on Mike. We didn’t’ think it would be a good idea for each of us to call him everyday….he’d never get a chance to do anything but talk on the phone! I spoke with Mike a few moments ago and asked him what he would like me to tell everyone on his blog. He said, “I’m happy to be home and I’m doing a lot of activities. I’m working very hard, trusting in God and my faith to continue my healing. Everyday there are challenges and I work at passing those challenges. It’s a big change but I’m getting used to it all.” Then he told me he missed seeing me and I had to cut the call short so he would not hear how sad I was missing him too and not being able to see him as often either. He sounded just like my baby brother when he was a little boy. I immediately called Cathy because she always makes me feel better when I am worried about Mikey. She had to remind me that with a brain injury like Mike’s, they stay in what she is calling “a little boy mode” until that part of the brain heals and then he will come out of that mode. It is obvious to us that Mike is no where near ready to get on the computer and begin to communicate in that way. In fact, he told me that he wants to work on his physical challenges first because anything else is just too hard right now. He even likes for us to call him instead of him calling us because he has trouble dialing the phone. So….it is going to be awhile before Mike can write on the computer, but Cathy and I promise we will write what he tells us to write and keep everyone informed of his progress. Mike’s physical therapy at home consists of him going up and down the stairs, playing with his children, helping his wife, and, as he stated very proudly, walking on the treadmill at its slowest setting for up to 10 minutes at a time! He was very excited to tell me too that he starts out patient therapy next week. His first visit will be just before they leave for the Breeder’s Cup.

I guess what has surprised us the most is how difficult it would be to pick up our lives and try to continue as before after Mike left the hospital. Even though we had talked about how hard it was going to be, because we had all become so single-minded in our goals for Mikey, feeling closer than ever before, we still were not prepared for the emotions we have been experiencing. Especially our mother, who, in a way had to let go of her little boy again then endure the death of Dreyfuss, her beloved pet and companion for 13 years. Mom is here with me now, in SC. Dreyfuss began to founder a few days ago, not wanting to get up from lying down, or when out for a walk, just stopping and laying down and not being able to move. Mom was able to get him in her car and to the vet on Tuesday. The doctor told her Dreyfuss only had a couple of days left if that and that he had a tumor in his stomach and fluid in his lungs and around his heart. Mom is so incredibly strong. She made the decision right there that Dreyfuss was not going to suffer any longer. She called us after it was over. Cathy and I convinced her to come stay with me for awhile and we’re going to do girlie things all weekend together. As if she didn’t have enough to worry about. I found a poem for her though and thought I would share it here as well. The Rainbow Bridge

We can’t really put into words what we are feeling, but we all know and believe that everything happens for a reason. It has been over four months and we have experienced much fear, sadness, hope and joy as we have witnessed Mike’s miraculous journey towards recovery and healing. We all will continue to stand in faith, trusting in God, and take this journey one day at a time.

Cathy is trying to get internet access and hopes to be up and running and back in cyber space very soon!

WE BELIEVE IN MIRACLES
WE BELIEVE IN BARBARO
WE BELIEVE IN MIKE REA

God Bless Everyone…..

Mike At Home Now

Mike went home this morning. I talked to him while he was awaiting Rochelle to pick him up from Sunbridge. He said, "What an awful day to go home with all this rain." He had a great visit at the neurologist yesterday from what I can understand from Mike. He doesn't have to see him again for 6 months. I was suppose to go with him but things just didn't go that way. Anyways I let it be and packed my stuff and headed on home. The doctor did give Mikey the okay to go to the Breeders Cup. He said there was no reason he couldn't fly or take the trip. Mike was real excited about that. I told Mike when he went back for his recheck in 6 months he was going to WALK into the doctor's office. He also won't be going to the Christiana Physical Therapy Plus Monday. Awaiting for insurance to come through. Mike promised me that he would continue to do his physical therapy as much as he could do at home. Hopefully the insurance will come through and he can get there soon. Mikey promised we would be talking daily. Like I said I will continue to keep everyone updated on his progress. Please keep Mikey in your prayers and pray that he has made the right decision by going home so soon.

As you can tell I am now back home in Fayetteville, NC. I am going to wait awhile to go back to work in case Mike might need me. We will continue to blog, work on the Extreme Home Makeover, and do fund raisers. God bless everyone.

WE BELIEVE IN MIRACLES
WE BELIEVE IN BARBARO
WE BELIEVE IN MIKE REA
WE BELIEVE IN FANS OF BARBARO

I Am Thanking God Today (Everyday)

Good evening everyone. I was up most of the night researching on this laptop to help Mike get continued therapy somewhere. We had been told that no one would take him unless he had insurance. I just couldn't picture Mike not doing any therapies for 30 to 90 days. He has come so far in such a short period of time I didn't want him to regress back. So at 5 am this morning a found the place I thought would be the best. I had heard of it through Kernan Rehab and was told how good they were especially with traumatic brain injury patients. Well they didn't open until 8:30 am. So I just watched the clock and the news on TV. Then I looked at all I wrote down. See it is part of Christiana Care Systems. They have several offices through out this area. I was looking at the one off of highway 40 at Glasgow Springside Plaza. It is an Outpatient Physical Therapy Plus. Not knowing if this clinic would even take Mike with his type of injury, this was the one that stood out at me. Then I had a thought. I would call the Christiana Hospital information operator and she would be able to tell me if a was barking up the wrong tree. It was around 7 am now. Again I have never met such nice people. She told me that yes this was the one and could connect me right now to their receptionist. They were there but didn't open until 8:30am. The receptionist was just as nice and concerned also about Mike having to wait until the insurance came through. She knew exactly what he needed and explained to me how they do their 3 hour evaluation and give him the best of everything. They also will refer him to other doctors for any of his needs. I was ecstatic and so over come with joy. They are seeing him Monday Oct. 23rd. Can you believe it?!?!?!?! Oh there was an awful lot of praying and thanking God going on. So now Mike will be going three days a week, three hours per day to Outpatient Physical Therapy Plus. It is close to his home and if ya'll only knew how happy I am right now. It is just so amazing how everything happens and how she just knew everything that Mike will need. They are a Godsend. So of course I called Rochelle. I knew she was up, then my mother, and then my sister, and then Mike. He cried with joy. The receptionist name is Emily and she faxed me the order for Mike's doctor to sign Thursday. I just knew we were still going to be in this race for recovery.

Now we have got to get this Extreme Home Makeover to go through. I also really feel in my heart it will happen too. We're finally over 1000. I have left a couple of comments on Tim Woolley's Forum for people that had some questions about printing a petition out and for fund concerns for the Breeders Cup White Horse Award. Here I have copied and pasted exactly what this award stands for and what the statue means.

Artic White, a rare white thoroughbred stallion, is the symbol for RTCA's White Horse Award. Jesus will return to earth on a white horse, leading Christians on other white horses. Rev. 19:11-14. (Amazing that Mike wants to be a testimonial)
RTCA's White Horse Award is given annually to a racing related horse person judged to have performed the most heroic act on behalf of human or horse. It is presented at the White Horse Heroes Luncheon, held at the host track of the Breeders Cup World Thoroughbred Championships, two days before the year-end series of championship events.

The White Horse Fellowship, which elects the winner, is composed of individual and corporation partners who rank among the industry's best-known leaders. They value the contribution our unheralded workers make to the racing industry and are concerned citizens and proactive residents of racing's global backstretch village.

Each believes in the RTCA's mission to provide for their spiritual, emotional, physical, social and educational needs and have decided to take a leadership roll in not only honoring those workers, but providing direct assistance.

The White Horse Award winner receives a $5,000 cash prize, a limited-edition, white bronze statue by noted sculptress Lisa Perry and other donated gifts and prizes. The three runners-up receive $1,000 each and the final four nominees earn an all-expense paid trip to the Breeders Cup races.

The winner of the White Horse Award, presented to a horse related worker judged to have performed the most heroic act in behalf of human or horse, will be named at the White Horse Heroes Luncheon on Thursday November 2 at Churchill Downs Triple Crown Room, two days before the track hosts the $20 million Breeders Cup World Championships.

Is this Mike or what? I don't know who actually nominated him for this award but it appears to me that they sure did pick the right person. A sponser called this evening and the airline and hotel reservations are made. Mike, Rochelle and Gracie will be going if the neurologist okays the flight and trip which I think he will. If he can fly in a helicopter with a brain injury I am sure he can fly in a pressurized plane.

I came in on the visit that Mike was having with Alex, Michelle, and Alan. They were literally having a ball. Mike has this medium size kids ball that we throw to him to catch and they were all throwing it in a circle to eachother. Michelle and I starting talking and she got bonged in the head a couple of times. They are all so nice and generous. Michelle and Alan gave Mike a goody bag of mens toliet articles. That is like shaving gel, soap, deodorant, and a wash sponge. Michelle said to continue pampering him. Alex gave Mike a bobble head jockey of (oh lord I forgot) somebody Rose. Ya'll don't kill me now. Remember I'm a nurse by trade and don't know that much about horses. Hey I looked it up. Jeremy Rose is the famous jockey on the bobble head. But anyways it turned out to be a great visit for Mike. Earlier that morning Peter Alexander and Sandy also stopped in to visit with Mike. That was all he could talk about on the phone when I had called him earlier.

Nancy will be for sure flying in Friday night. She is driving from her home in South Carolina to Raleigh , NC to catch a flight here. I am go glad. We are going to fix up Mike's office in his home and help Rochelle with anything we can. Nancy is going to be riding back with me so I don't have to drive to North Carolina by myself. Do I have a good sister or what? Then I'll take her to her car in Raleigh which is only about 45 minutes from Fayetteville.

Like I said before, we are going to continue with the blog, Extreme Home Makeover, and Fund Raisers. So you haven't heard the last of us yet. The Barbaro Effect continues. We believe!!

WE BELIEVE IN MIRACLES
WE BELIEVE IN BARBARO
WE BELIEVE IN MIKE REA
WE BELIEVE IN THE FANS OF BARBARO

8 more for 1000 Signatures

Hello everyone. I was really hoping for 1000 by now but it's alright. We will all survive. Mike enjoyed his weekend overnighter very much. I have his bathroom done now. The extension bars worked wonders. They really do work. I even got his 5 year old son, Hunter to hang and swing on them and they held in place. A friend of theirs is putting in a hand rail up the staircase Tuesday. A comment/message that had been left about making Mike a bed downstairs I need to address. Believe me, we have tried to suggest this, but Mike won't have anything to do with it. He wants upstairs in his bed with his wife and family all around him. Can't really blame him. He will be only going up the stairs once daily anyways and coming down on his bottom step by step. He still needs to be spotted for anything out of his wheelchair. Like going to the bathroom, taking a shower, or going from wheelchair to bed, couch, chair, using the walker or showing off standing. Like we have said before, Mikey is very strong willed and pig headed and he is going to pretty much do what he wants to do at this point and time.

Sunbridge has been a Godsend but they have done all they can do in their area of expertise. They are just not equipped or trained for a traumatic brain injury patient to continue with his recovery there. They can and have made recommendations to his caretakers. They can't enforce what they have recommended though. Mike is following his heart. He doesn't have the intellect or cognitive skills to do or know the difference or know what is best for him. It has only been four months since his accident and two of those months Mike hardly even moved in the hospital bed and it was dead weight to move him also. He really has only been in therapies for a good two months. He is a miracle and has a very long road ahead of him. Of course Mike will continue with physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy somewhere else for a very long time. We just have to wait for the insurance to come through and for him to get accepted to another program. Hopefully that will be in the next 30 to 90 days. There are two places that we are looking at. We are hoping that he will be in a program that he goes Monday through Friday for several hours a day.

So guys it looks like a will be going home soon also. I will miss my brother so terribly much and worry constantly about him. It is going to be so emotional. I can already tell because I am crying as I am typing this. But I guess it is called tough love and you have to do it sometime or another. Believe me, I will be keeping tabs on him. Doctors insisted on my mother going home so she would be able to be there for Mikey in the future. On a good note ya'll. Mikey has an office in his loft upstairs. He wants to get it all cleaned up and set up. He wants all of his pictures of Barbaro and others up on the walls, and his other things he has collected around him put there. He also said he wanted to write on his blog and email everyone that sent him a card. I explained to him that he couldn't email them but I would give him all the web addresses that he would need. So don't be surprised when Mike Rea starts typing on Tim Woolley's site and in the forums. I know ya'll will jump with joy and respond. Nancy and I will continue with the blog, Extreme Home Makeover nomination, and fund raisers. I'll be back from time to time to see my brother. Nancy is already checking on flights to come this weekend maybe to help set up his office area. I asked her if it was just a thought or a wish and she said no that she was serious. So...........Maybe I'll get some company before I return to North Carolina. Hey, I'm about to freeze here. It is still in the 50's to upper 60's there. I had a total of 26 weeks off and I think I have only used 16 to 18 weeks. The doctor that Mike sees Thursday has to give the okay for Mike to make the Breeders Cup White Horse Award trip to Kentucky. The flight and activities might be too much for him, but we'll see. I'll let everyone know.

Just to let everyone know, seriously I have never in my lifetime met such compassionate, loving, helping, generous and (can't find the words right now) people. I also know I probably never will again either. I do know that God will bless everyone for all they have done for us and my brother. Especially Barbaro for letting Mikey into everyone's heart. Their both still in that race to recovery and I know in my heart they both will win. God bless you all.

WE BELIEVE IN MIRACLES
WE BELIEVE IN BARBARO
WE BELIEVE IN MIKE REA
WE BELIEVE IN THE FANS OF BARBARO

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you

There is just no way we could possibly thank the almost 1000 people so far that have signed Mike's petition for Extreme Home Makeover. We will always be so very grateful to you all. We all have been extremely busy lately. My Mother went to her home in Fayetteville, North Carolina. She really needed to go home. She is totally exhausted and has been here since the day of Mike's accident on June 16th. As you know my sister Nancy is in South Carolina working and trying to sell houses and still keep up with all Mike's administrative and financial things. So now I am here by myself and taking care of Mike. Of course Mother and Nancy are on the phone with me a lot every day and night. Nancy is still working on a paper petition for people to take to race tracks and every where. Hopefully before the weekend is over Mercy and her will come up with something. But please keep working on getting signatures because I have a surprise for everyone.

Mike will be going to his home next Saturday to stay. Yes that is what I said. We are all very surprised ourselves. No his home can not accommodate him and no a lot of people, nurses, and doctors don't think he is ready but they are going to release him Saturday next week. Sunbridge physical therapy said there is nothing more that they can do for him. Kinda like their saying he has plateaued. He thought he was going home today but the doctor said, "NO!" Thank God. Mikey has been wanting to go home since he could talk in Shock Trauma. When he was in Kernan he would beg us to take him home everyday, several times a day. He continued at Sunbridge also. We all know this is what he wants but just don't think it is the best thing for him right now. I have talked until I was blue in the face and told him he would have a lifetime at home when the time was right. Since the doctor didn't release him he will still gone home for the overnight visit tomorrow but be back Sunday. I really think that he'll go home and they will see and comprehend that Mike didn't just fall off a horse and get hurt, but that he fell off a horse and has a traumatic brain injury which is going to take a lot of time healing. Mikey just asked me again for the hundredth time tonight before I left, "Cathy, why can't I walk still?" I have explained it to him several times, but see he can't remember. Some days he has very bad memory loss. Some days if he is tired or stressed he slurs his words and is so very off balance it scares me. But friends we have done all we can about this. So next week they are going to do what they call restorative therapy. An aide from what I understand will take him on walks with his walker and he has to show them that without physical therapy he is not going to regress. I guess if he regresses bad they might keep him. Who knows!!

So I got him this cool walker that he has to get use to. It's blue and on wheels. It has hand breaks and hand locks to lock it. It also has a seat so he can sit down when he gets tired. He has to use the wheelchair most all the time. The walker is really just for exercise and physical therapy. I really got it for him to use upstairs instead of crawling around on all fours. Plus when he gets out of the shower he will have something to sit on while drying off, brushing his teeth, shaving, ect.. There is no room for the wheelchair upstairs and it is very heavy to carry up the stairs. They (Sunbridge) did say if he finds that it is just not what he thought it was going to be like he could come back. Also if he starts regressing badly, he may go back. We just don't want him to fall and get hurt and end up back in the hospital. So everyone pray he'll be safe at home. Please. I pray for God to wrap his arms around him 24/7.

I think I remember telling ya'll the reason that Nancy wanted to do this petition is because it appears you get better results with being nominated for the Extreme Home Makeover show. She got the 50,000 from there also. We are going to continue to also have fund raisers for Mikey and his family. We know for a fact that he will be unemployed for a year or more. The one good thing is Mike does have an appointment with his neurologist Thursday. I can't wait to see what he has to say about everything. This will be his first visit since he left Kernan. I will keep ya'll informed. I promise.

Well it is time for me to go now. I hope everyone has a great weekend. God bless everyone over and over again. Thank God for Barbaro doing so well also. He really has helped Mike so much and so have the Fans of Barbaro. We will be forever grateful.

WE BELIEVE IN MIRACLES
WE BELIEVE IN BARBARO
WE BELIEVE IN MIKE REA

Overwhelming Response

Where do we start!! The response that we are receiving from the petition is totally unreal. Now if everyone forwards their emails to all of their friends, and then they forward their emails to all of their friends and so on and so on....I really think we will hit that 50,000 mark or more. In just 24 hours after posting there were over 400 signatures. The whole family is just amazed at all the wonderful and compassionate people out there. Mike and I last evening went on line in his room and were reading all the comments with tears just a pouring. Mike is so happy about the possibility of him getting this home makeover.

I found out that when Mike and Rochelle went to Fair Hill the other day that the weather was so bad with the rain that they ended up in a vet office for the picture of Mike for the White Horse Award. So he didn't really get to see anybody. But the picture was done with a video camera and didn't come out. So Nancy and I have sent some other pictures we had just of Mike and hope they work. When you go to the White Horse Award website I think that is where the picture will be under nominations. They will have the story of why he was nominated there also.

So Mike is doing fairly well. He has his ups and downs with his emotions on his disabilities. We continue to pump him up and with the TWR site and the petition it seems to help him a lot. Physical Therapy brought a exercise mat to Mike's room for him to do exercises on during the afternoon and evening hours. We get it out and get on the floor (mat) and throw this ball back and forth to each other. You have to be on your knees but not resting back on your heels. It's like standing but just on your knees. It really makes your thighs stronger and helps with learning how to balance. Mike's biggest problem is balancing while standing or kneeling. We get to laughing so hard sometime because of the faces we make trying to catch the ball or losing our balance. They also taught him how to crawl on all fours. When I was putting in the shower head upstairs in his house a heard some noise and looked out the bathroom door and there was Mikey on all fours. He had come up the stairs with Rochelle and then at the top of the stairs got down on all fours to come into the master bedroom. It just broke my heart to see him like that and so out of breath and exhausted. I had to turn away and start messing with the already installed shower head to hide the tears. He wants to be "the man of the house" so badly again. We pray for that day to come everyday.

Well I'm off to get some more signatures and get ready to go to Mike at Sunbridge. He's with Rochelle right now for the ride to pick up the kids at school. Thank you all so much for your support. God bless everyone.

WE BELIEVE IN MIRACLES
WE BELIEVE IN BARBARO
WE BELIEVE IN MIKE REA

IT'S HERE!! PLEASE SIGN MIKE'S PETITION

Hello everyone. Well the weekend is coming to a close and my sister, Nancy has worked on the EXTREME HOME MAKEOVER PETITION all weekend and has it finished. Scroll down to the bottom of this page and just see how wonderful my sister is and sign for Mikey's sake. WE BELIEVE!! Nancy received a copy of Mercy's video (with The Fans of Barbaro) that was sent to ABC nominating Mike for the Extreme Home Makeover and it renewed her faith. She called me crying with tears of joy and so humbled by the compassion of a complete stranger. Even though Nancy has been sick and trying to catch up with her work she got the petition done.

In all honesty we all have grown exhausted, both physically and mentally. All of us have gone back through the messages that have been posted and remember the ones that would tell us to take care of ourselves too. We are trying to devise a plan for each of us to get more rest and re-evaluate our financial situations. No matter what, this family has always BELIEVED that God is first, family is second, and our careers are third. Nancy and I have time to recover. It's our mother we worry about constantly. Fortunately mother doesn't have time to read this.
Mostly we started the blog as a way to keep family and friends updated on Mike's recovery, but it has become a way to also relieve tension and someone to talk to while Mikey is on his race to recovery.

Mike did have another wonderful visit with his family this weekend. I go over on Saturday evenings to help him with his shower. He feels so much better after his shower and I feel so bad because I know if I wasn't there he couldn't shower or if he did, he would fall. I put up the new shower head which works great but I am now figuring how to get some tension bars or handles for him to hold on to so he can balance himself while standing. He can wash himself but he has to use one hand to hold on to keep his balance. Also seeing him unable to maneuver about the house, bedroom or bathroom is heartbreaking to me. But not to Mike. As long as he is able to be at home with his family he's happy no matter what.

Now I have to go to Tim Woolley's site and the forum to post so everyone will know that the petition is done. Thank you again and again and God bless everyone.

WE BELIEVE IN MIRACLES WE BELIEVE IN BARBARO WE BELIEVE IN MIKE REA

Surprise Visit From Alex

Mike was so thrilled to see Alex the other day. They really did have a great visit as you can see from Alex's post on TWR's site. Alex brought Mikey a framed picture of Barbaro, Edgar, and Dr. Richardson. He is getting quite a collection of pictures of Barbaro. Mike was especially grateful for the Fans of Barbaro bracelets that he brought all of us. We all are wearing them proudly. I sent Nancy hers. Guess she will know its coming when she reads this post! Dottie, the Director of Nursing at Sunbridge and also with the Fans of Barbaro made her donation and asked that the bracelet be sent to Mike. She received an email reply letting her know that Mike was already receiving one. Alex even thought of Dottie and left one for her. Alex told Mother, “Make sure Dottie gets one.” She’s in heaven now!!!

Mike is continuing his therapies and strives so hard to improve everyday. I really think he makes it through the week and tries so hard at everything just knowing that he gets to go home on the Saturday - Sunday visits. He loves being at home and with his family but you can tell when he returns on Sunday evenings that he is just plum wore out. This lets Mike know he really isn't ready to go home for good yet. He still has a lot of recovering to do physically and mentally. Sometimes he lets it get him down but then we talk about how far he has come in such a short period of time and it helps him. Nancy asked him how many doctors, nurses and friends would have to tell him what a miracle he was before he believed it. He laughed and said "I don't know Nancy, maybe 100!" And laughed some more. She calls him every morning and reminds him to look at the present she sent him and he says she makes him say it back to her until he has to go to breakfast. Nancy loaned Mikey a present our grandfather gave her when she was around 17. It is a stained glass picture that says the Serenity Prayer and we put it in the window next to all the pictures. Mike says he does not want to give it back. Sometimes I test Mike to tell me what it says and stand in front of it so he can't see it. He almost always gets it right.

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change.
Courage to change the things I can.
And the wisdom to know the difference.


Hopefully sometime tomorrow I am going to put up Mike’s new shower head in his bathroom at home. It is a very nice hand held shower head. But we want to also keep the one he already has up too. It is one of those new waterfall/rain forest type ones. I bought a dual divider and we’ll see if it going to work. I also bought this hand rail that vices on to a tub but I am going to see if it will vice onto the shower stall boarder. Rochelle and Mike are going to be looking at a magazine to pick out some handicapped things for their home like hand rails, a walker, and more hand rails through the physical therapy department.

We also received our t-shirts from Ernie for my sister, mother, and I. They are beautiful with the picture of Mike and the two horses. We will all cherish them forever. Let's see we have the Kisses Heal t-shirts and the Fans of Barbaro bracelets. What more could we need?!?! Continued prayers and healing for Mike. That's it ya'll.

Mike is being interviewed and a think photographed tomorrow at Fair Hill for the White Horse nomination. This will be Mike’s first trip back to Fair Hill since the accident. I hope he handles well. Rochelle is taking him there. She is awaiting a call in the morning to let her know when to take Mike out there. We are all so excited for Mike and really do hope he'll make it to Kentucky November 2nd.

Well it is time for me to go. God bless everyone and thank you for all your support.

WE BELIEVE IN MIRACLES
WE BELIEVE IN BARBARO
WE BELIEVE IN MIKE REA

Good Evening Everyone

Hello everyone. I am sitting here in Mike's room at Sunbridge. He had a wonderful visit this weekend. Mike hates that he can't do anything to help Rochelle around the house. I told him when he gets better and stronger then he'll be able to help her. So Rochelle picked up Mike on Saturday and they did their usual errands and coffee stops. Mike said home cooked meals are so satisfying and much more filling.

Mike did make it up the stairs Saturday night. But only with a great deal of help from me. He also took his shower in his own shower. Of course I was holding on to him so he wouldn't lose his balance. We got water everywhere. It made us miss Sunbridge's large gym style showers. He used his walker to get around in the bedroom and bathroom. Now let me tell you how he got down the stairs the next morning. Sitting down on his bottom, one stair at a time. I wasn't there for that one. He did also get to sleep in his own bed. He told me he was loving every minute of that.

So off to church they went Sunday morning. Sunday school and the morning service. Rochelle cooked another home cooked meal and Mike enjoyed every bite. She also baked an apple pie. Mike says he loves watching her go about the kitchen and doing everything. Then it was back to Sunbridge. Rochelle sent us some apple pie and we devoured it together. It was so good that Mike said he ought to let Rochelle have her own bakery. I told Mike I didn't think Rochelle would want to bake pies that way. Today he told me I was right, he had told her how good her pie was and did she want her own bakery. Rochelle told him no. She just liked cooking like she does.

Mike got a better shower last evening at Sunbridge. It accommodates a wheelchair and there are the bars to hold on to. Of course Sunbridge is supposed to be like this but Mike and I enjoyed the space. Today his therapies went well and this afternoon Mike rode with Rochelle to pick up Jesse after his school soccer practice. Rochelle has been jogging a lot lately. I thought she was just jogging to be jogging, or to get in better shape which she didn't need to do. The girl runs races and marathons ya'll. I didn't even ever know this about her. Mike says she has run in three and came in first twice, and second or third the other time. So this is what she has been doing. Preparing for a run which I think is this weekend at Fair Hill. What a surprise!!!!

Nancy has not been feeling well for the past couple of weeks and finally told us yesterday. Mom and I made her promise to go to the doctor today and she did. She had a sore throat for two weeks and just kept hoping it would go away. Well, its not strep but was so infected the doctor gave her an antibiotic and something for the swelling. Hopefully she'll be feeling better soon. She said she is still working on the Extreme House Makeover and a friend is editing and burning the DVD this coming weekend. I can't count how many times she has called me when she received a letter for Mike's nomination crying because it was so good and then she would read it to me and we would be just crying together!

Well it is time to go now. Thank everyone again for all of your prayers and well wishes. Remember Barbaro and the Fans of Barbaro. God bless each and everyone of you.

WE BELIEVE IN MIRACLES
WE BELIEVE IN BARBARO
WE BELIEVE IN MIKE REA