T-Time: Graduation Day – Goodbye Hastings

Monday 8/20/2012

Hastings Campground

Hastings, NE

Thanks everyone for your words of encouragement as I face my fears and get back in the (bike) saddle again! Mike was kind when he said that I was “a little” nervous riding again. I think it’s more appropriate to say that I was (and still am) A LOT nervous. But I’m working on it. . . .

Well, it finally arrived. Today was my “graduation day” from physical therapy.

Here’s Scott, the person that put me back together.

And here’s where he works.

If you ever find yourself in or near Hastings, Nebraska in need of some arm rehabilitation, Scott’s your man! Scott is an Occupational Therapist and Certified Hand Therapist, and I can attest to the fact that he’s excellent at what he does. When I first started seeing him I was in pretty sad shape. Physically my wrist, fingers, and shoulder could barely move, and mentally I was scared, discouraged, and wondered how, or even if, I would ever recover. But Scott was more than up to the task! Not only does he have consummate rehabilitation skills, he’s a champion motivator. He assured me that I would recover, encouraged me every step of the way, and continuously reassured me that I was making progress even at times when I couldn't see it. On top of all that, he’s an exceptionally nice person with a winning personality and great sense of humor.

All the therapists and staff at Hastings Physical Therapy are extremely friendly and patient-oriented. If the need should ever arise again (hopefully not any time soon!) and we’re in the area, I wouldn’t hesitate to return. Thanks again, Scott, for everything!!

Mike and I are constantly amazed at how small this world really is. Through the course of my sessions, we found out that Scott was born in a town 30 miles east of our hometown in Illinois and his grandparents lived in a town 30 miles west of our hometown, so he’s familiar with the stomping ground where we were raised. AND we discovered that his grandfather and my father knew each other! What a small world!

And speaking of small world experiences, Mike touched on it briefly in the last post, but shortly after we arrived in Hastings last April, I discovered that the wife of one of my former co-workers is from Hastings. He and his family were in town a couple weekends ago to take part in the Kool-Aid Days festivities with his mother-in-law, so we were lucky enough to visit with him over lunch one day.

So now that my therapy is done we’ll be leaving Hastings tomorrow. Our plan is to gradually head to Illinois to visit with my brother and some friends for a couple weeks before we start slowly heading south. We’ve enjoyed so many things about this town: the friendly people, the quaint city parks, the small town atmosphere, the convenience (you can get wherever you want to go in ten minutes), and the sunsets (they’re some of the prettiest we’ve ever seen), but it’s time to move on.