They've started doing some cognitive testing with Emily. She's doing very well. I was there for some of the reading comprehension and was impressed by the pretty complex paragraphs they were asking her to read and answer questions about. There are a couple of exceptions - she doesn't seem to be able to remember that she's 16 now or why she's in the hospital. Everytime one of the therapists asks her why she's in the hospital she has a different explanation. This seems odd since the first time she saw the neuropsychologist she remembered a fair amount of detail from the day of the accident. She has a new Orientation Class every morning to help her rermember things that are happening now.

She was an incredible trooper in therapy yesterday. She did a full hour outside during OT working on her observation, memory and speech in a distracting environment, and she did absolutely great. She also passed her test in ST to be upgraded to a regular diet. She got to have a salad with dinner last night and I'm going to get her a sandwich for lunch today. During PT she endured 1/2 hour of Mom-training on chair to bed and chair to toilet transfers and then proceeded to spend the second half hour standing (her choice, she had the option of mat work instead). Her PT actually teared up at how hard she's willing to work. The staff at Craig has given her the "happiest, most friendly patient" award because she says "hi" and waves to everyone she sees in the halls. Her ability to stay cheerful throughout this ordeal simply amazes me.

Today Ken and I are scheduled for car transfer and off-campus training. Assuming we pass, that means we'll be able to leave the hospital with Emily for part of the day every weekend and holiday. No overnights yet, but it's a chance to have dinner together as a family at home!