Ken and I never want to seem ungrateful - Emily didn't die and we got her smile back, we have much to be grateful for. That doesn't change the heartbreak of telling her she won't be able to go back to school in the fall, but we've wrapped our minds around it and have a plan to discuss with Ms. Dubrava.

Emily is starting to show definite signs of recovering her short term memory, which is a really good sign. No surprise, but it seems that writing things down for her and having her read them is very helpful. Sometimes it's simple tasks - like when you wake up in the morning you need to push the red button so the nurses know you're awake (she's remembered for 2 days!). Other times it's trivial - what did you have for breakfast. Even her Speech Therapist was overjoyed when she got that one. She also seems to revel in being able to remember things. Being able to retain new memories is a big milestone. By the way, her reading comprehension continues to be very good.

Emily had her first round of nerve block injections for her right arm and leg. The concept behind the injections is to numb the muscles for a period of time and then use casts to stretch those muscles to a more normal position. I'd been warned that it was uncomfortable, but having stoic Em almost fly off the table was a little more than I expected. She'll have another round of injections on July 12, but the ones today are intended to help her right ankle maintain a normal position and relax her right arm to a nearly straight position. She was very sore and extremely worn out after the procedure and was in bed by 6:30. The goal for tomorrow is to get her ankle in a neutral, or flexed-foot, position and get her into a cast - we'll start with the EZ Stand at 8:30 and continue with a physical therapist at 9:30. Getting that right foot in a normal positin and the ankle protected is key to moving from standing to trying to walk. She has been able to move her right leg in PT more in the last few days, but tonight she was able to pull her knee to her chest and straighten her leg 4 times.

The surgery for her vocal chords is tomorrow. It will involve a local anesthetic and take about an hour. Hopefully the collagen will help the left vocal chord meet the right, strengthening her voice and eliminating her swallow issues. The collagen is only a temporary fix - the real key is the vocal exercises we do with Em in all of our spare time.