Crossing Borders

My England trip was wonderful. Some of you may not realize this, but I had to drive from Germany to France to fly out of a Swiss airport to get to England. I’m often struck by how strange it is to be on the border of two other countries. It makes life a little complicated though when I realized that my German phone doesn’t work in France, nor can it call Swiss numbers. It’s a little limiting. 

It’s also limiting to not have home internet. I’ve been so grateful for the help of several bilingual community members who’ve been willing to help me. Unfortunately, it looks like I still won’t have internet at home until tomorrow at the earliest. It’s disorienting in this day and age to be without instant access to information. All these little things add to the stress of transitioning back to life in the “real world” away from the constant care of nurses and therapists who took responsibility for so many of my daily needs.

Now I’m responsible for feeding myself, taking my medication - making sure I have enough medications in stock - washing my clothes, and paying my internet bill. Fortunately, I have people who are able to help me navigate through the more difficult tasks that are completely in German, but it still demands a lot of my energy and attention.

You may have noticed, but I’m generally low on energy. I struggled to make it through the days of therapy when I didn’t have these other things to focus on. I’ve noticed in the last weeks that the stresses of daily life often suck time and energy that I need to devote to continuing my physical exercises. I have a routine Alex gave me before I left to practice every day, but I find that the days slip away without me getting a chance to finish my therapy. There are new tasks that are physically demanding that supplement therapy routines, but they shouldn’t be replacing them. I had my six month check up at the hospital yesterday, and the doctor told me I should be doing intensive therapy for a year. I’m still going to a physical therapist three times a week, and it’s a huge help, but I also need to be diligent in my practice at home if I want to learn to walk again without being dependent on the wheelchair.

Please pray with me that I’ll be able to make the time to prioritize my physical care as the other concerns of life file in. I can’t push any of them aside; I need to find a way to balance all of my responsibilities without letting anything drop. Praise God I’ve got a team of people willing to help me here, but I also want to be sure I’m not draining them unnecessarily. I want to use the help when I need it without overstepping their generosity. It’s a different kind of border crossing. Here in the EU, you can cross a border without realizing it, and I don’t want to overstep on the kindness of others because they’ve welcomed me into their lives and offered to help me transition. I’d love your prayers in learning how to navigate receiving help well.

I’m also desperate for prayers that I can sort all the details of my insurance coverage out. I need to make sure they will cover the cost of my physical therapy - which will continue for months to come three times a week. I’ve been told I have 100% coverage as a paraplegic, but there’s also a statement in my coverage that the insurance only covers 20 physical therapy sessions a year. I’d run out pretty quickly, so I’m hopeful the insurance will work with me to understand this is a necessity for me to learn to walk again. Paying for therapy now saves them from paying for years of wheelchair maintenance and potential assisted living later on if I don’t heal well.