Home Again!

Hello!

It's been a while since my last update. Sorry for the delay. I'm excited to tell you that Dominic was released from the hospital last Thursday and returned home to stay! His therapists agreed that his urge to get out of the hospital and go home was beginning to interfere with his ability to stay focused on his therapy. Dominic's first night home was a little rocky. He was excited to finally be back with his family, but when we put him in bed that evening, he started crying. He said he missed the nurses and wanted to know when we could go back and visit them. We assured him that he would be able to visit them soon. He fell asleep not long after and slept through the night without a problem.

We have to be constantly vigilant with Dominic because he still isn't fully aware of his physical limitations. He is healing, but not fast enough to keep up with his eagerness to do all the things he used to. We have to make sure he doesn't try to stand or walk on his own until he's able to do so safely. This is very frustrating for him. He still asks if he can go outside and ride his bike. We've explained to him on numerous occasions that he's not able to ride a bike just yet and that his bike was damaged in the accident, but that doesn't stop him from asking.

On Saturday morning, we took all three boys (and both grandmas) to the Taste of Morgan Hill. Before taking in the sights, we decided to stop at Just Breakfast for a bite to eat. Dominic was sitting in his wheelchair at the end of the table. He was very quiet and looked deep in thought. Finally he looked at me and asked “It this permanent?” I didn’t know how to respond. Firstly, the fact that he used the word “permanent” in a sentence was a bit of a shocker. So I asked him “Is what permanent?” He answered “Chair.” (meaning his wheelchair). I told him “No, of course not.” Then he thought for a moment and asked “Am I permanent?” My heart sank. He motioned towards his weakened right arm and leg. “No, this is not permanent. You will get well, but it’s going to take a little time. This is not permanent.” As painful as it was to hear him ask the question, it meant something very important. It meant that Dominic is beginning to understand what has happened to him which will ultimately help him to begin to cope with the fallout from his accident. We have no doubts that Dominic will continue to recover. He is determined to get back to the way he was. You can see it in almost everything he does or attempts to do. He’s a tough kid with an iron will.

Whatever the final outcome, we have our Dominic back. Our family is whole again.

I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank the Parrot Heads of Morgan Hill for the fundraiser they held for Dominic over the weekend. They’re an incredible group of people and it was an honor to have finally met them. I’ll provide more info on their organization and their efforts in a future update.

Thanks for stopping by!

David Loperena & Family