Paige had a week full of great strides. She was discharged from all of her outpatient therapies at Burke on Wednesday. She worked hard all week with intensive tutoring in History, Latin and Math under the considerate care of Ellen, Sarah and Judy.

Paige completed her exams in History, Latin and English. She attended the New Englands for swimming at Hotchkiss and cheered on her wonderful teammates and saw off her senior friends. She replaced her worn and torn old Barbour that was cut off of her in the emergency room with one that is much too fresh and crinkly and is in need of some hard wearing.

Paige felt ready to see the only two photographs of her from her time in the intensive care unit. The first one, with the five tubes down her throat, her bruised eye and cheek, and blood still in her hair was frightening, but she wanted a sense of what her friends and family had seen. The second shot showing her at rest after the breathing tubes were removed and before the feeding tube was inserted was remarkably peaceful.

With her remaining energy, Paige worked hard this week on retraining her father on domestic matters while her mother was out of town on a well needed restorative trip. Despite all the strength that Paige has shown in all aspects of her recovery, this training effort was a complete failure.

Paige is back with even more energy and appetite for life...and food.

The week in review was eclipsed by an xray on Wednesday and a call on Friday from Paige's neurosurgeon. He confirmed, to Paige's great joy, that her big plastic cervical collar could finally come off.

This moment of emancipation was exciting. Paige's friends had signed every square centimeter of the white plastic shell, and the collar did help her posture. She had, however, been shocked at how many people stare openly at a person with a disability. Paige was ready to shed the shell, and she ripped it off immediately.

The collar's removal came with loads of health warnings, but Paige is far more comfortable and for the first time in six weeks she can sleep on her side. Now her visible injury is reduced to the peaked nob from the cracked clavicle. Ironically, the peak makes wearing a shoulder belt in the car painful.

Two days of neuropsychological testing should yield results some time in April. By then, we hope that Paige will have recovered right past any weaknesses that the tests may turn up.

Ryan's last hockey game this Saturday in Wallingford brought on a bit of nostalgia, but his team played an exciting game. Kent defeated the Wild Boars of Choate.

Many people who have followed Paige's recovery are shocked to see her walking around, let alone without her neck brace. Paige is almost caught up in her academic subjects and should finish her physical and speech therapy this week.

We thank you again for your prayers and support.