After a hurricane, it is common to experience a period of intense calm.

The skies are blue, the winds calm. All seems right with the world ...until you open your eyes and see the devastation wrought by circumstances beyond your control. It is then that you roll up your shirt sleeves and get to work, picking up the pieces of your world tossed about by this thing called life.

Such is the case with my son, Rodney.

The following is an update just posted to Rodney's facebook account and gives a status report to all of his friends. I am posting the update here as well for all of the kind people who have taken their own time to pray, to heal and send good vibes to my son. You all are superstars in my book, and I simply cannot thank you enough <3 <3

Rodney is making great strides now. It has been a week of huge progress. Physical therapy has begun and it is having a lovely effect. He sits up on the side of the bed for 10 or 15 minutes at a time. He is very wobbly and the exercise is meant to strengthen his core muscles. He sits as tall as possible with both feet on the floor. First time they've touched the floor since the night of the 24th. That's three weeks today! He's moving all limbs more and more and has started to work on his head and neck as much as the cervical collar allows.

For an hour at a time, the bed is raised into a chair position and in true DJ fashion, looking for all the world like zeus, he crosses his feet at the ankles and stares at you. While sitting in this position he does his OWN physical therapy by lifting his head, moving his own limbs and trying to do crunches.

He wants to talk SO badly and mouthes entire sentances, but I can't read lips and so can catch only a few words. I'm sure the frustration is thick in him, but he will soon be stepped down and then out of the trache. He will then be talking again.

I am still amazed that when thoughts and prayers are concentrated on a particular part of the body, that part responds very rapidly. I am forever grateful to you all for your assistance in getting Rodney back to normal. He has a ways to go in PT and so if you would so desire, please concentrate on his therapy and mobility :D

I forgot..his eyesight is intact, he can count and squeezes an appropriate amount of times for fingers held up. He answers his pain level between 1-10 with squeezes with the pain he feels. Yesterday it was a three!! Not too shabby.

Thanks for hanging in there and hopefully I will not have to give updates too much longer, as he will be conversing with you all on his own!!

So the cleanup after the storm continues, both from Hurricane Irma and the devastating auto accident that has left my heart in pieces scattered like leaves before hurricane force winds.

If you are interested in reading more of Rodney's story you can find it in these links:

https://steemit.com/poetry/@tamaralovelace/prayers-please-and-a-poem-for-my-son

https://steemit.com/prayer/@tamaralovelace/the-road-to-recovery

https://steemit.com/writing/@tamaralovelace/what-are-you-thinking-today-son

https://steemit.com/healing/@tamaralovelace/the-longest-journey-starts-with-a-single-step

https://steemit.com/healing/@tamaralovelace/i-got-a-kiss-today

Tam