Closing the Circle October 27: Jenna coming home finally!!!!

[robspeed]

For Good!

Our little family was torn apart and thrown to the winds roughly six and a half years ago. Late next month, it will be put back together, permanently. It has been a long (6.5 year) journey that took us from Alabama to California, to two cities in Indiana, but we are finally achieving something, in my mind anyway, truly spectacular.

Jenna had her appointment with the medicaid people today who are going to transfer her funding from the refab place where she is now, to our humble little apartment here in Terre Haute. I put nearly 45,000 miles on my e30 (which is now for sale by the way) in the last 21 months going to see her as often as I could since returning from the year-long hell in Alabama when I was down there completely renovating our old house for sale (it is also *still* for sale) and generally recovering from the previous three years of unmitigated hell trying to take care of her all by myself without the support of the proper medication or any competent medical or other professional help whatsoever. (whew.) Nobody who I took her to had any idea what they were looking at, nor the first clue how to treat it. Jenna's own parents did almost zero to help me with Jenna herself and the exodus to California proved futile as well. I will spare the details of how it happened but eventually Jenna's parents woke up and stepped in to help, flying in to California to pick her up and take her back to the Indianapolis suburb where they now live. (For the record, now they are being fairly terrific all things said and done...) After seeing for less than a week what I had been trying to deal with for three years, they took her to the local emergency room and we all got very fortunate because it just so happened that the ER doctor who happened to be on call that night and saw Jenna realized what was going on, and so began the process of putting her into the brain rehab center she is about to now leave, put her on the correct medications (she now takes 16 pills per day, although some are repeats and one is split over two doses), and eventually brought us to where we are now: reuniting our family, Jenna, Cooper, and myself, all under one roof.

I am currently a little stressed out as Cooper is in the process of being diagnosed with asthma, and I myself had to go home sick from work at about noon on Monday and stayed home yesterday (Tuesday). I have to give him these lengthy breathing treatments among other things so it is adding to the morning load, plus I am taking Jenna with me to work at the moment (she is here visiting this week, going back Monday), so getting her out the door with Cooper's situation just adds to it. But all that having been said I am extremely excited about what is about to happen.

I have wanted and lobbied for Jenna to come home as soon as possible precisely because Cooper is missing out on having his mother around. He has been without his mom as a constant and continuing presence since he was 1 year old, and so he never really knew or definitely doesnt remember what she was like before the accident. And obviously the converse is true as well: Jenna has missed out on *being* that mom presence, and even though I have tried like hell to put them together on as many weekends as possible, there is just nothing like having your mom around every day, every morning and every night that all the weekends in the world could replace.

So, finally, after all this time, Jenna is coming home. The medicaid people say she is an extremely unique case in that she wants to be involved with Cooper at all. They know of only one other case in Indiana where a mother injured like Jenna was injured has wanted to be back with her child or children, and they have handled countless adoptions resulting from those types of situations. Talk about a tragedy stacked onto a tragedy.

That night six and a half years ago in the emergency room in Birmingham, I got on one knee, put my hand on Jenna's forehead, and made her the promise that I would see her come through this, come out of it and be with her son again. That promise is about to be fulfilled in one respect and I re-promise her the other respect every day. I will see her with her son again, permanently, in a few weeks, and I will see her get through this and come out the other side every day for the rest of our lives. Funnily enough, six and a half years isnt all that long when you are talking about a severe brain injury. The biggest gains and recovery should be coming in the next three to four years. I am looking forward to that!!

[creede]

I'm speechless. What a truly wonderful piece of news. I hope that things start to settle down a bit for you. CONGRATULATIONS!

[Armond]

This is great news Rob. Awesome news! I'm happy for you.

[Harv]

Truly great news.

Congratulations to you and your whole family.

John

[schwarz75]

Good news Rob. Welcome home (soon) Jenna!

[themoose]

I'm ecstatic that your family is about to be reunited! Congrats man!

[eurotrash]

Tears of Happy for you guys Rob. No joke. You're a strong and forthright man to go the distances you have for her. I have always been humbled by your stories. You'll be rewarded.

[RIMSPOKE]

THAT's GREAT NEWS ROB .

IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE IT's BEEN THAT LONG BUT I AM

SURE THAT TO YOU IT MUST SEEM LIKE A LOT LONGER .

WE WISH YOU AN JENNA ALL THE BEST .

[Lebowski]

Rob, the endurance and strength you have shown in the past years is truly inspiring... and a good reminder to us all of what REALLY matters.

Best wishes to you, Jenna, and Cooper!

Can't wait to see what the future holds for your family...

[skipsfcr]

I've really admired how you've handled this situation (as seen by a "distant" bystander) for all these years. Nice to read some good news!Here's to your family!

[sirrichardpumpaloaf]

Congratulations, Robert and Cooper. I'm happy all three of you!

[Kidasters]

Wow Rob. With all that you guys have been through - it's great that things are turning the corner.

A lot of people couldn't have gone through everything you have and emerged with wife and child all under the same roof. Nice job navigating the crazy currents of life.

Ken

[AndyS]

Good news, Rob. Many a folk could take life lessons from you.