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Tuesday Update: 11/8/05

Blessings for the day:
Matt’s sense of humor and cocky little attitude are returning!!! I told the nurses and therapists to watch out…they’re about to get to know the real Matt. He did so well this morning in OT that every time the therapist would say good job he’d nod his head and smile…like ‘yeah, I know’. He actually started saying ‘damn right’…as if to say ‘yeah, I’m awesome’. It cracked everyone up. The speech therapist was so excited to hear he’d been working on saying real words, since she’s mostly working on sounds.

The therapists, nurses, and doctors had their weekly meeting today to discuss Matt’s progress. They all agree he’s doing really well. They want to work harder on his balance and strength in his trunk muscles. So, they are still going to have him up walking, but will concentrate more this week on doing balancing exercises. Getting all the balance he can in his upper body will help him do everything better. I was glad to hear that, because I was worried they weren’t working those muscles enough, but were too focused on the walking. Walking is important, of course, but it’s not the only thing he needs to work on. They are going to be increasing his afternoon PT session to a full hour as well! This means he’ll have 2 hours of OT, 2 hours of PT, and 2 hours of Speech therapy Monday thru Friday! That’s a full schedule, but he’s up to it! They are working him hard, and it’s going to pay off in the end. He knows this and pushes through the times when he’s feeling low or frustrated, knowing that he’s got to do these things to get better.

Matt has been having a lot of tightness in the muscles in his right arm; bicep, tricep, and hand. These muscles tense up and he has a hard time getting them to relax. These muscle spasms aren’t really painful to him, but rather just annoying. They also make it hard for him to perform all his exercises designed to work on reaching and grabbing. Apparently Botox, injected into the muscles, helps them to relax. So, Thursday the Neurologist is going to give him some Botox injections! I was teasing him, saying he’s having some ‘work done’ while here! He’s very excited though, and we hope that these injections really help the muscles start behaving themselves.

Matt has been working harder and harder on trying to say what he wants/needs etc. We are all encouraging him to try to say it before spelling it out. He will usually try, though it is still frustrating for him at this point. However…when he slows it down and tries to say each word individually…I’ve actually been able to understand some things. He told me today (after I brought ice cream in to snack on) ‘I hope you enjoyed your ice cream’. No sarcasm there! HA! I just laughed and stuck out my tongue. I told him when he can eat it, our friends Blake and Amy offered to make him his own BATCH of ice cream!!! So that shut him up!

Everyday Matt does well. I think he’s truly feeling better and stronger all the time. I know we all have to be patient…but I just can’t wait for this all to be behind us!!!

Comments

Anonymous said…
Hi Emily and Matt, I am so excited for the progress Matt is making. It has been wonderful to check the internet for updates. Please know that we think of you guys often and will be waiting to see you at the going home party. God bless you both. Keep up the good work and don't be giving the therapists a hard time. HEE HEE
God Bless you both
Lisa,PT and the rest of the rehab department at FHCC.

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