When is it that you know that you have been at MGH for too long a time? Perhaps when you get in line at coffee central and when you get to the counter they already have your medium sized 1/2 decaf,1/2 reg; lots of cream waiting..or when security no longer needs to call the 12th floor to let you in because they, along with the floor janitors recognize you...or perhaps it is when almost every nurse on 12 visits Caleb on a regular basis because they have all been charmed by him on their shift? We are on the docket and ready to move..either today or tomorrow at the latest. I am, from experience anxious about this - caught in a hard place --Caleb does not really appear to me to be healthy enough for the move quite yet, but his legs are going and he needs movement! This will be one of those trust moments and we will go with it!
I have decided to ask certain people close to the family to do a "guest appearance" blog entry on Sundays. I have asked Sky to kick it off this Sunday and would ask that perhaps Nicole S,the great Judi, Cedar, Anne,Kevin, Lisa B and Jodi might take a Sunday coming up - This will give all of you readers a fresh and more complete perspective on Caleb and the goings on with our little town..instead of just his mother's point of view. It will also afford a break for me and now that we will be at Spaulding, I will need it. (Above mentioned names please call my cell if interested).
As for Condi and the lipstick - we share only the shade,(not the bust line or the politics). Jerry G - I did try to reach you by e-mail but it didn't go through.
Lesa - nice paper! and to all the rest of you - fear not, my sense of humor is coming back- a good sign of mental stability and with Kai, Max and Jan coming this weekend, I am looking forward to better days... Love ya, mumsie
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34 comments:
Sharyn, thanks, as always, for taking the time to update this blog- I know that I'm like so many other folks who think about Caleb each day, and it's amazing to me that you're able to think of all of us while you've also had to support so many others. That said- ALRIGHT!! I'm so happy to hear the Caleb's going to Spaulding- it's a clear step of continuing improvement, and they're able to help in ways that MGH just can't. I look forward to hearing from others who are visiting Caleb and glad that you will be seeing Kai and Max. Even just writing the names of your boys makes me think of how much I've always respected and enjoyed them- it used to be hard to think of them as grown, but in the last couple of years its been hard to remember that I met them when they were boys (but I still have some scars to remind me).
Much love to you all and Jan, too, from Neil and Carrie
Such wonderful news, I hope it is all "UP" from here.
Get outside Sharyn, the fall weather is just beautiful and the sunshine on your fabulous face will do you good.
caleb is always in my thoughts though I don't know any of you. I remember them as boys following mumsie down main street as I looked through the window from MCHC. That was the Bruce Adamson days!
I pray the weekend goes well, and you get some much needed rest
J
Legs moving and everything! This boy doesn't want to walk he wants to run and Spaulding will help him do that. Be well, Susanna
I hope everyone is well today!! Feliz Viernes!!!
Quite often Caleb would vacate his regular desk by the window @ school to tuck himself away behind a potted plant our ALG teacher Karen had in her room. Suddenly you would see the plant move, and hear this hideous voice.. the plant was dancing & singing!! Even Karen would giggle and grin, because Caleb had once again got all us roaring in laughter.
Quite possibly the raddest thing about Caleb is that he is fearless. Fearless of life itself, being himself, & fearless of destiny. Often people found him rare in school, rare like they just couldn't wrap their brains around who he is, what he said, etc... but seriously, I would have a bunch of different people of all ages come up to me & say things like "Your friend Caleb is crazy, but he is cool." He is!
I always thought it was weird to hear people say so & so doesn't have a bad bone in their body- but as soon as Caleb's accident occurred I found myself voicing that same phrase, because Caleb doesn't. He is consistently a sincere human, strives to do good, is humbled by raw humor, gives compassionately, listens with a non-judgemental ear, gives pretty much the best hugs, & has learned young to liberate his spirit~ maybe because in doing so it allows us to be ourselves that much more when we're along side him.
There's not doubt in my heart that he will return to live loudly- yet gently as he always has, to make us laugh, to light up that room when he enters, to clog Mumsie's toilet, to parade the streets with is "yellow beard" , to "king it up" with Bud E. Green on stage @ reggae night, to tend his oysters, to accompany Richard, to snuggle Jen, & of course to haze in some wild way his lil bro's.
Caleb~ you will be loved by whatever you choose to do in your near future, just get better bill.. we are always here/there for you!!
Love you Sharyn.. trust your intuition, and take care of yourself.. XO..Clance
Sharyn, this is great news! They would not be sending him over if he wasn't ready.
I don't understand the e-mail failure - *please* try again, copy/paste from below, I tested this from my work acct (shhh) and it does work (I'll take my chances with the spammers:)
ajerrold@yahoo.com
Failing that, I will be in Fleet this weekend and will stop in to see Kevin at the liquor store; perhaps he can assist in connecting us if you give him the OK.
Stay well, stay strong... all the best to Caleb!
Jerry G
Great news and continued good luck. There is hard work ahead but with his
determination and so much love and good feeling out there in the universe for this boy, I have no doubt he can do everything they put him up to. Sharyn, DO enjoy the beautiful weather and the occasional hour or two 'off'.
Namaste.
I am so appreciative of being a part of this blog and I extend my sincerest wishes for great things to come to Caleb at Spaulding (a family name on my Mother's side).
A lot of hard work to come but nothing worth while is ever easy. One day at a time------Love, Penny on St.John
Change is part of the cycle. It's rarely easy but it is inevitable. Prayers are being sent that it be a gentle transition. Namaste.
Lesa
Clance- perhaps you beat Sky to the punch - that was a wonderful blog on Caleb, and I love hearing the stories which never trickled back to me..like the plant story. I was aware of his liberated spirit, but you described it perfectly...miss you. mumsie
Sharyn, Caleb, et all... congrats on the move forward. Being able to communicate with words , (written or spoken) is awesome Vigilence in regards to infection, changes in activity level etc will bring challeges to the foreground. This is the way out though...your on the road home. Know we are with you - seeing light around/in you all. Speak up Sharyn- honor those mumsie vibes in the days ahead. Glad to hear you rested a bit. I know you want to be by Caleb's side but this road is long and you need to recharge yourself on a regular basis. Sending love, light and the peace/spaciousness of the bay from Breswter. ann m
Hi Kiddos
I am so glad to hear he's leaving the hospital.
(did u know that place is full of sick people!)
This is Where the rough road turns into a 4 lane highway to a speedy recovery. I sit and smile with plumalu over this news.
keep the pedal to the metal
XXOOXOXXOOX
FRANN D & PLUMALOU
I’m a “summer” person who came upon your family when your children were small, and I then watched them grow from a distance.
I wondered if Sharyn would take the advice that I could not, and that is to go home on Sundays for awhile. Order your three cords of wood and stack it. Use those muscles that you will need to help Caleb in therapy. Go to the ocean and yell at it. Get out of the hospital or Spaulding or whatever building smells like alcohol wipes. But leaving your child so sick is just too hard, I know.
I go about my day thinking about Caleb and his family. I think about family friends who have had tragedies involving their children. As I refinish furniture, dig in the garden, or walk along the water I think for a moment how lucky I am.
And then I remember that my twenty something son just bought a Vespa to commute through the Holland Tunnel to work in Lower Manhattan. Give me a friggin’ break, a Vespa? These kids are going to do us in!
Hi Sharyn,
I just wanted to say that I think it's a magnificent thing that you and Jan get along as you do. It is so sad when parents no longer talk to eachother after a seperation. Your children are the most important thing in your life, and parents who truely get along make all the difference in your child's happiness. You and Jan ROCK!!! Best parents I know(other than my own, of coarse...lol)
Also, I am very happy to hear that Caleb is going to Spaulding so soon. Caleb is a figiter, and I think that all that stimulation with the physical therapy will be great for his wellbeing-body and mind.
One more thanks too- Thank you for including my Husband in the daily blog. THE GREAT JUDI was light up like a Christmas tree after reading your daily entry. He would LOVE to give his imput, and can't wait to talk to you.
Love to you all in Boston. Please tell Caleb, Max, Kai, and Jan that we all said a big, "Hello"!!!
Miss You, as always....
~Nicole Miner :)
Sorry, yet again, I had to make another comment....
Except this one's for Clance...
Hi Katie,
I just read your comment today-What an entry!!! That was so well written and thoughtful. So well put. You had me cracking up(Especially the part about clogging Sharyn's POTTY...Hehe!!!) And, I think that it's hillarious when people look at Caleb like a wierdo, because he's not a wierdo as much as just a well spirited person. A Free Soul! Screw anyone who thinks of him differently. We miss the Lad so much here, and just hope that the FREE SPIRITED BOY that we all know returnes to us in Wellfleet UNCHANGED, untainted, unharmed- And he will. Caleb is a lover, a jolly soul, a FIGHTER. And he sure as hell would not want to disapoint his entire fanclub-All the NEW Pirates in Fleet. Oh, and that just made me think of somethi9ng that Sharyn had mentioned a couple of weeks ago, since Caleb is such an individual, and we have all turned into self proclaimed Pirates, I wonder what he will chose to be now when he returns. Caleb could never be the same as the masses...lol ;)
Well, anyway, thanks Clance for that wonderful piece that you left us all with today. Hope to talk to you soon.
~Nicole Miner
Best wishes Caleb, this is great news, each day you will get stronger and stronger. By the time you are done that will have to chase you down the halls !!!!
Sharyn, having done something similar that you are doing now but with a parent you are correct in knowing when you've been there too long. it gets spooky when you realize others know your patterns and behavior.
Good to hear that Caleb is moving to rehab. Don't worry about the legs not moving yet, the rehab team will be putting him to work soon enough and they wouldn't let him go if he wasn't ready.
Also good to hear you are taking some breaks.
Still checking in everyday and great to hear Caleb is continuing to improve. Look forward to hearing from the others as well. Ali manchester UK
This sounds like a great plan. We are at the turning of the seasons, with the equinox right around the corner. We’ve been in the season of the light, where our activities are out in the open. As the days get shorter and the nights longer, we’re all beckoned inward. Caleb’s journey seems to parallel that. I believe that you are past the rollercoaster ride and headed for a quieter, very different journey.
I recently had surgery, cut from belly to forever. I’m 60, and it sure is different than the c-sections of my youth. It taught me something about what “will to live” really means. It was harder to get out of bed, push myself forward, take care of my own needs than it was when I was 30. You move from that dramatic will I live crisis, to the daily grind. Can I get out of bed, get my own shower, fix my own lunch? The big one for me was, can I go swimming in the lake? It took me six weeks to get there, with my noodle, but boy, that was when I knew my life was back. There are so many small things we do in our daily lives that we don’t even think about, that have to become very deliberate when we recover from a trauma.
That was what was so interesting about the debate about the town lawn. We are all at a turning. Caleb is ready to move. You are ready to design a break from these pages. This is a healthy turning, something to celebrate and yet with some longing for what this journey has been for us. We change with the leaves and dream of spring when all will be new again.
Love to you all, Pat
Dear everyone in the Caleb circle:
I have been following this story daily from New York City since our visit to the Cape in mid-August, I am overjoyed with this news for you all. The way the community has come together is so uplifting. I am sending blessings and good wishes for an easy transition, and continuing strength for Caleb. He's doing it! I will look for you all at the Beachcomber next summer.
Nancy Barry
Caleb, and your whole family--great news--when I was a kid growing up in NYC, it was really cool to have a Spalding rubber ball to play stoop ball, hit the penny, stick ball, etc...It had to be a Spalding. Even tho it is spelled differently, going to Spaulding is a place for "bouncing" back! We all await your next adventure-Judi/St. Paul
give em hell ya ol boy
I am sure the nurses visit Caleb because they like him, but I think they probably appreciate you too, Sharyn! Your writings show that you appreciate what the health care staff does- they must know that! I hope the transition to rehab. goes smoothly this time!
-E.
I will happily write on a sunday..and oh, so many stories to tell..i am honored to give you a rest, sharyn. love you.
Hi Sharyn,
Your sense of humor starts where most people leaves off!
I understand your trepidation of leaving, but you're in a great hospital that knows what their doing and I know you know that. I am sure there will be happy tears at MGH for all that got the pleasure of meeting you and Caleb.
Get my contract ready for writing on the blog! I call you over the weekend. When is a good time for you Sharyn?
Kevin
Hey Ms.Sharyn/aka Ruby lips!!*.. I've been checking in daily, what a nice respite these recent days have been, a MUCH deserved break from the crazy stress level you've been coping with!!! I think it'll be rock steady now, challenging, healing work, but neither you or Caleb are strangers to that. Your steadfast strength and powerful love continues to be an inspiration!! And I've always admired your "signature" lip color and thought you looked smashing but I had no idea you were so ferociously possessive of it!!!Have a good weekend...love to you, Caleb,Kai, Max, and Jan...Laura B.
Excellent to hear of the move to Spaulding. The docs surely know what Caleb needs, and getting him in motion will go a long way to increase the speed of his healing process. Any change during a time like this is stressful; I am sure both you and Caleb have a comfort zone established in the hospital, and it is nervous-making to leave it and the people you have come to trust (especially all of those smitten nurses...) but this is truly a change for the best. I'll be thinking of all of you and hoping and praying, as always....
peg from PA
Oh, there will be happy tears when you are back on Cape Cod, in our woods in Wellfleet! Happy Days, Caleb! Keep on truckin'-or is that surfin' You can do it! Sharyn, keep smiling that beautiful smile, red lipstick and all! Good times are acomin' -God Bless all your family! Hugs -- Natale
This quote seems apropos to the stories about
Caleb.
Flo
“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.”
Albert Einstein
Dearest Sharyn,
I know this move is scary for you, but speaking from experience, getting him moving will be the best medicine yet. 20 years ago after an accident I had total knee reconstruction, (not a simple procedure back then) and I was in physical rehab for a year. (albiet outpatient) Even though I was a body builder at the time and strong as an ox for a 120 lb female, my legs atrophied so quickly, so after 12 weeks of no weight bearing, I was finally able to start. It was extremely difficult and painful, however it was also very rewarding. Even though at times it felt as if I wasn't making much progress and I would become frustrated, the encouragement of my PT is what kept me going. One of the most beneficial things for me, once the pain had subsided, and it was just a matter of rebuilding the muscles, was massage. My entire body would get so worn out from the therapy and the stress of using muscles that weren't strong enough yet, that massage was such a great relief. I bet there are many massage therapists out there who would be happy to help Caleb out in this area. The greatest benefit of course was that the stronger I got physically, the healthier my mind became.
There is no doubt that Caleb will fight his way through PT and be steady and strong once again very soon.
Best of wishes and good luck with the move and I'm sure that you will settle in very quickly and Caleb will be charming a new batch of nurses in a blink of an eye...
Audrey
Good luck on the move...another step on the road to wellfleet...just reading all these wonderful peoples blogs and stories about your life in the fleet makes me want to be a full time resident not a summer visitor...it truly is an awesome place on this planet!!! Fingers toes etc are crossed for continued progess to your ultimate destination HOME :)
a mom in md
PS...Mental stability is highly over-rated....
peg from PA
Hi Sharyn & Caleb,
We just wanted to wish you a safe and speedy move to the Re-Hab! We are so glad to see that our boy is on the move and improving EVERY day. Keep that lipstick tube full and your smile bright with color. I will be out to sea for the next 10 days and will miss you all and being able to check on our Pirate, but as I drift into the great beyond and watch every ripple and crest of water, I will be taking it all in and thinking of you Caleb. I will be sure to toss ol Neptune a few tokens in honor of you my friend! Feeding 26 hungry Pirates 3 times a day is hard work, but with every meal I will be nurturing you with my love, thoughts and spirit! Pirates we will ALWAYS be! Arrrrrrrrg!
Much Love, Your Pirates
Capt. Noah, Christa & Capt. Jack
Wilmington, NC
Talk to you soon!
smooth seas do not make skillful sailors
xoxo,settie
Hey Capt. Noah!
didn't realize your sea adventure when I wrote my gem of wisdom I just read this morning. I wrote it for Caleb. I'm sure you are a skilled sailor too!!
xoxo,settie
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