It's a Bandarful Life!

Thanks to my pal Alan for the title to this post. slc

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Sylishly stepping out

Today at PF Chang's in Beachwood, with daughter Sarah in the background, Bandar sports my gorra, a Guatemalan wool cap.

Much like my beloved, late grandmother, Elsie Janes Cadwell, Bandar lives for family. There's nothing more important. She's in her glory these last few days, with a house full of Murads.

One small step for Bandar...

Bandar has taken some giant leaps this year, measured over months. And she continues her progress, a day at a time. Today, she worked on climbing up and down steps at rehab, one of a host of new, advanced physical therapies she's undertaking. (She tried Wii tennis last month.)

Her outlook is upbeat. She says things, like, "You know, I feel better after exercise," and, "I'm not in as much pain today." Miracle statements, as it were.

Here it is, Friday evening, and she's been up holding court all day with her daughter (my sister-in-law) Sarah, who's visiting this weekend from Virginia Beach, Va.

"I love having my daughters here," she says, smiling as she listens to her girls updating each other on the latest of life's happenings.

Life is good today for Bandar and her family. Happy times.

Maybe she's no Einstein, but she's relatively smart

Thank God, Bandar has a sense of humor. Sometimes anyway. Just for fun, I mashed together a couple of photos -- Bandar's head on top of the body of Albert Einstein, the latter of which came from a fairly well-known photo.

"Is that me?" she asked? "I ride the bicycle at therapy?"

No, this wasn't a picture from Metro's therapy room, where she has used a stationery bike for exercise. I explained what I had done. She laughed, thankfully.

Bandar was last on a real bicycle in her 20s, she told me. I'll see if I can get her to expand on that a bit.

Happy days at Metro and at home

"She's on fire today," Roberta said as she handed off Bandar to Deanna. It's been that kind of week. In a good way.

Bandar had just completed her hour of occupational therapy and was about to begin her hour with physical therapy.

How do we measure progress?

Bandar's more alert throughout the day. She's gaining confidence: she can get to and from the bathroom on her own, and occasionally she even gets up to walk on her own just to exercise. She's in less pain.

And her twice-a-week therapy sessions are motivating as well as showing results.

"You know, I feel better now after I exercise," she told me Wednesday on the way home from OT and PT.

Music to my ears.

Bandar works with Deanna, left, and poses with Roberta, above.

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