{Karlton Bontrager}

Today is Karlton’s last day in New Zealand. Given that New Zealand is 18 hours ahead of the Eastern Time Zone, Monday, November 18th has already come to a close for him. Before long, he will say his last good-byes and fly to Auckland. Then, after a 7-hour stopover at the airport, he is scheduled to fly back to the United States. The 14-hour flight will be long for him, no doubt. Yet his insurance company has arranged for him to fly business class so that he can lie down when he needs to, and he should have room to stand up and walk around as needed. It is also providing a nurse to accompany him and troubleshoot any medical problems that might arise.

For a long time, the accupuncturists have commented about the energy they feel in Karlton’s left side. Yet we have seen little evidence of it. During reflexlology and cranio-sacral sessions, Helen specifically worked on his hand and fingers and we saw movement there on a couple of occasions. But Karlton was unable to reproduce it at will. Alexa noticed it one time too during their trip to Queenstown. While he was sleeping, she moved the fingers of his left hand, pulling each one, in turn, apart from its neighboring fingers. In his sleep, Karlton flexed his fingers backward but was unable to repeat the movement while awake. And so we have anticipated the moment when Karlton would be able to move those fingers on his own. The day finally came last Wednesday (11/13/2002). He reported that it occurred almost like a switch being turned on. One minute he could not move his fingers; then, suddenly, he could. The movement so far is restricted to making a fist. But we are hopeful that other movements will soon follow.

Last night on the telephone, Karlton reported that he can now move the toes on his left foot. He said, “In the same way I can move my fingers, I can now move my toes.” I understand that to mean that he experiences limitations in their movements, but he can move his toes on his own nevertheless.

Once again we say thank you to all of you who have been so supportive with your positive thoughts and prayers. These two advances are nothing less than miracles. We appreciate so much your love and generous support.

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The countdown has begun. Karlton’s return to the United States seems almost within reach. As the excitement within me builds, I can only hope that I haven’t overlooked anything in the preparations.

The biggest step forward came when the team at ISIS sent a fax to the Rehabilitation Hospital of Rhode Island, detailing Karlton’s accident, the course of his treatment, and his present status. ISIS sent a copy to me too, and for the first time I got to read the technical side of Karlton’s injuries and progress. The report was dated 10/29/2002, and it included an account of Karlton’s success on the so-called Mall Assessment. On 10/24, the occupational therapist took Karlton to Meridian Mall in downtown Dunedin and gave him five tasks to do. Each of them involved locating a shop and gaining information by interviewing sales staff, such as asking where the restrooms were located or finding the cheapest flights from Auckland to Los Angeles. In his own account, Karlton indicated that he breezed through the tasks. The written report noted that he used the escalators safely, and that the crowds and confusion did not disorient him. He completed all five tasks in just 25 minutes. But the occupational therapist also noted some problems in planning. One of those was having to return to the main floor before carrying out a second task on a different floor. And when the assessment was finished, he could not locate the car in the parking lot because he had forgotten what it looked like.

Both the neurologist who will be treating Karlton here in Rhode Island and the staff at the Rehabilitation Hospital of RI had high praise for the report. They said they were unaccustomed to receiving such detailed information. Moreover, they indicated that Karlton had received high quality care. That is what we had known all along, but it was reassuring to hear it from professionals States-side. Since the report documented so much progress, they judged that Karlton will not need to go to the Rehabilitation Hospital after all. More than likely, he can live at home and be seen by the rehabilitation staff on an outpatient basis. We need confirmation of that impression, however, from the ISIS team.

Meanwhile, the insurance company that is facilitating Karlton’s return to the States has been in discussion with Jennifer. Karlton would like to make a stop-over in Los Angeles to rest up as well as to see friends and family in that area before flying on to Providence. The insurance company will provide a nurse to accompany Karlton on his travels, and it is building the Los Angeles stop-over into its plan. Last I heard, however, the insurance company was operating on the assumption that November 18th was only a tentative dismissal date from ISIS. It was reluctant to purchase Karlton’s ticket on a commercial airline until it had assurances from ISIS of a firm date for his return. And so we go, round and round, trying to get the different parties involved to communicate with each other.

On Monday of this week Karlton moved into a flat of his own at ISIS. Unlike the rooms he has had at ISIS to date, the flat is a separate entity. It has a kitchenette, bedroom, bathroom, and living room. Karlton has his own telephone and television, and he is encouraged to use the kitchenette to make snacks for himself. Though the nursing staff is still available to him, they restrict themselves much more in terms of entering his quarters and interacting with him.

Meanwhile, friends from the community are keeping Karlton busy with their own schedules. More and more often when I make my daily telephone call, I learn that Karlton has left ISIS for a few hours. A friend stopped by and has taken him out for lunch, for dinner, to a party, or just to hang out together. He’s really lucky that way.

And so the excitement mounts. Plans keep changing, but the ultimate goal remains the same. Before long, Karlton really will be home.

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