A Good Report!

This is going to be all good news.  It feels so good to be giving good news!

Oksana has been home now for almost 2 weeks!  It has been going SO well!  I'm in shock at how smooth things have been.  She has had 2 rough moments since she has been home.  Not 2 a day, or 2 an hour, or 2 that lasted 2 hours, but 2 moments in 11 days!  She is so happy to be home.  She is so happy to have accommodations to meet her physical needs.  She is so happy to be experiencing some of her favorite things again.  Most of all, she has no desire to ever be at residential again.  I think this time might have been a good dose of reality for her.

It's not just Oksana who has adjusted well to her return.  We all have.  Everyone is enjoying having her back.  She involves a TON more physical care now, and a TON less emotional care.  That is a trade that everyone in this family is happy to make.  I worried most about Anya and I think the girls have a better relationship now than we have seen in a LONG time.  I really think Anya sees the difference.  She loves helping to care for Oksana, and she loves taking rides on her wheelchair :).  We call it "The Loraine Train".

When Oksana first came home it was absolutely exhausting caring for her with the other kids.  We have worked hard to find what is working and what isn't and adapt whatever we need to in order to make life easier for all of us.  That has paid off.  It's still exhausting but not near as bad as it was. 

We learned this week that insurance approved her new wheelchair and we are now only a week or 2 from getting it!  She is SO excited.  It is pink and will have her name embroidered on it.  She also got new glasses last week that are pink and we just ordered wrist splints....I bet you will never guess what color she wanted ;).  Pretty soon you will know she is coming when you see the big ball of pink coming at you!

We heard from Make a Wish that Oksana definitely qualifies for a wish!  It took a bit longer than usual because she doesn't have an official diagnosis yet.  They said that happens sometimes and they just need to talk to the medical team in more detail to be sure she still qualifies.  She does!  We are waiting now to hear from our 2 volunteer wish granters who will interview Oksana and find out what wish she wants.  We are so excited for her and for our family! 

I called genetics this week.  Tuesday marks the 3 month point from when we started the genetic testing.  They said that it would take a maximum of 6 months.  I have had such a hard time waiting so I called just to ask if they knew of any progress.  She told me that most tests are coming back in the 2-4 month range right now.  She feels like we might hear something this month and definitely by May.  She also said that all of the tests coming back at 2 months are negative.  The fact that we haven't heard anything yet tells her that they may have found something. 

I haven't been great about taking pictures lately but I will try to get some up here soon.