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half way through already..
We’ve now been here a fortnight and are flying home in exactly a fortnight. I gather you’ve got a bit of a heatwave back home and we’ve missed the excitement of the Torch in Cardiff, and will miss the Jubilee celebrations too.
It’s been baking hot here today too – hotter than Cardiff I imagine… 100 degrees and very humid so VERY sweaty. This has been the first day without a hospital visit, and we’ve enjoyed having the time to ourselves. We went to a place called City Museum, which is rather a misnomer – there’s absolutely nothing museum-like about it. It’s a great big themed adventure/softplay place. Actually I can’t think how to describe it. Think artificial caves, aquariums, fountains, tunnels, slides and steps made of concrete, ceramic, thick wire and welded metal, every surface decorated with tiles and statues and metalwear of all sorts (the curved outside wall of the “restrooms” was decorated with hundreds of upside-down bread tins. Not particularly great for a very nervous 4-year-old, though he did get a bit more confident as time went on, thankfully. I went on my first Ferris Wheel ride in 30 years with Owen too. The Ferris wheel was on the roof of the building (12 floors up, along with an old bus that was overhanging the edge of the building).
Earlier this week we also managed to take a trip to the TOP of the St Louis arch which is also phenomenal. Built 10 years before I was born it still looks futuristic today. The little pod-car lift to the top was an experience (5 little seats in a small spherical compartment) and the views were amazing. The St Louis zoo, which we’ve now visited twice, is fantastic too – stingray stroking and feeding, an amazing reptile house, all the big animals you’d expect in a zoo and stacks more.
Anyway, I’m sure you don’t want to hear any more about our sightseeing. What of Imogen? Well, we’ve noticed an increase in her standing and stepping strength again today. Yesterday we ended up trying to make a decision about whether she should also have some tendon-lengthening surgery this time (this Tuesday!!) or not. Bruce wanted us to have it and get it over with, I preferred to wait, so we were rather at loggerheads about it.. and then an email came from the doctors saying that the priority at the moment was building Imogen’s standing strength and lengthening can wait. That was a relief for me (confirmed my view as it happens), and Bruce was also happy that the two doctors had given us joint advice..
… so we concentrate on lots and lots and lots of walking and standing! We’ve had her up out of her wheelchair every few minutes today, walking and standing and pushing through her arms in her walking frame. She is certainly stronger than she was a few days back, so we will keep on doing more of the same all over the long weekend. She’s being incredibly cooperative and brave about the whole thing – it’s astonishing really! But she was totally exhausted tonight. There’s no physio Monday as it’s Memorial Day public holiday here and we’ve been invited out for lunch with a family we met at the church we attended the first weekend near the hospital. The people at that church (Trinity Episcopalian) have been incredibly friendly and welcoming. The deacon came to visit Imogen in hospital and showered us all with gifts and vouchers and membership cards for local attractions. I got to sing at choir practice last week and go out for a meal after compline. Wonderful!
Owen is enjoying himself, particularly now that Immy is back with him at nights (he really really missed her – that was a problem I’d not anticipated!) and now we have a few more things to play with in the hotel rooms – our friends from the church here have lent us a Brio trainset and some books, and my Australian aunt sent some fab gifts.
That’s all for now xx