RACHEL IS A STAR! (sort of)

posted by Jenn Solomon, Monday, November 4, 2013, 11:15 PM

Dear Friends and Family,

Rachel totally made it on the news! Well this is her first spot anyways...you can see her on the teeter-totter while Mayor Menino gives his speech! Don’t click on the video page…look at the kid on teeter totter with the yellow highlighter hat…that is Rachel! She was so excited about today!  What is better than that is the video of her walking on the playground http://youtu.be/SRBGl9vgN18?  She did so awesome today!! They did OT outside to so the lego set will have to wait for tomorrow.  She is dying to add to that!

She also got highlighted on the Chelmsford Patch…if you want to see that story click here. I cannot wait to show her tomorrow. She is really going to be excited.  AND I was asked to write a submission for a Cerebral Palsy blog on the Selective Dorsal Rhizotmy. They gave me guidelines on how I need to keep it factual. So I will need to figure in on how to work in all of the important items like making sure you pack detangler and comb hair, dry shampoo is a must, have a kick @ss support group, and juice smugglers. Oh and let’s not forget about the amazing party you should throw for your kid to totally sell them into having the surgery. Rule #1 get them to focus on the party and not on the surgery.

On another note Fox 25 and Maria Stephanos did a human interest story on Rachel. It was taped in early October and should air next Tuesday night at 10 and then again Wednesday morning. I will let you know if that changes.  Maria is awesome and she is keeping up with Rachel’s progress. 

I went to the office for a few hours today and then went to see the older kids. It was so hard to leave and come back here…It made me miss them so much more and I just want everyone home again. It was a hard ride back. I cannot let that detour Rachel’s progress because this is the best place for her.  It was also VERY weird to see Peter, the ex-husbands, stuff in my bedroom. But that is for another blog entirely!  

Here is the thing…I totally suck at asking for help…it’s something very new to me. Not because I am a martyr and feel the need to go it alone. Most of the time I am shocked that all my kids make it home at the end of the day and someone wasn’t left somewhere.  But really because I know everyone’s plate is totally full. Everyone has a crap load of their own stuff going on and at the end of the day I have been THAT PERSON that agreed to do something a month ago when it seemed like a good idea and then BAM that time is here and then I am like WHAT WAS I THINKING. Pretty much how brother Chris was feeling last night leading up to the concert. Rumor has it they both had a great time and there was no mosh pitting. But somehow Rachel and I are in Charlestown and there are a bunch of people helping us.  There are mom’s dropping off food for my kids (and ex husband probably the best he has eaten in the last 10 years). There are carpools driving those same children around to dance classes, karate, therapy appointments etc.  I have a bunch of people at work pitching in and doing so much extra stuff so my sales still come in and I am likely not even aware of half of it.  My sister is essentially running my house and hers…making sure we have visitors and that we have everything that we could possibly want or need all the while maintaining the dinner/visitor calendar.  My dear friends who deal with my five minute phone calls when I need support…they may come in spurts of 6-12 calls a day because I am forever interrupted by nurses and therapists but I need to hear a friendly voice at that very minute because I might just burst. Jen & Kim who come by whenever they can….even if to stay for a few minutes or a couple of hours. I keep trying to remind myself to not only talk about Rachel and her progress but it is so hard.  I have seen so much of my dad the past two
weeks and it has been awesome.  Rachel’s school friends that write or visit or send cards, text and emails and the parents that drive them here.  She LOVES it! It helps her not feel like she is missing out. I have equally enjoyed the text messages, photos and videos.   Double H friends for bringing the magic to Rachel!  This is my way of saying thank you for all of that and more…for all of the things I don’t even know about. For giving me the chance to focus on my crazy kid and how many minutes she walks a day.  I will figure out a way to thank you all properly, you don’t want me cooking for you but I will figure something out.  I know that it would be so much harder without each of you.

As a dear friend always says...we are lucky!

Hugs,

Jenn & Rachel