Abby update - November 14

Today we don't have much new news to report--Abby's just getting a little better at most things.  So, I thought the FAQ I would address is "Just what sorts of things are the therapists doing with Abby?"

 

As yesterday's post indicated, Abby has three therapists (well four, with the respiratory therapist who provides trach care).  The speech therapist of course works with speech, but also is responsible for working on other levels of cognition and on swallowing.  Abby's therapist Marissa usually meets with Abby during breakfast and lunch, where she can observe how well she is handling the foods and liquids that have been introduced.  She's amazingly patient--prompting Gordon to ask her just how many people she has to feed each day!  Marissa is also encouraging Abby to develop communication skills each day--encouraging her to try sounds or to indicate yes/no responses through some other means; however, we have not yet found a response that Abby can produce consistently.  Although Marissa (and we) have been feeding Abby, we now spend a part of each meal allowing Abby to hold a spoon or cup and assist her in moving it to her mouth.

 

Which brings us to the Occupational Therapist, Kim.  We have decided that OTs must have "attitude"--a way of making things fun and yet challenging the patient to work through those things that are hard--and Kim does have attitude!  She and her student Emily started out basically trying to move Abby's arms and hands through all the various range of motions that should be present in those limbs.  This was supplemented by efforts to strengthen the upper body, such as having Abby lean on her forearms over a wedge support; however, most of her time lately has been spent on encouraging Abby to use her arms and hands to reach, grasp, or push objects.  We are making progress.  Abby still cannot lift her arms to initiate activities, but she is being able to make her hands move a little more each day.

 

Finally, there is the physical therapist, Becky.  Physical therapists have to be STRONG, especially in the case of a patient like Abby where involuntary muscle contractions and extensions are causing the legs and body to be uncooperative in many ways.  Becky's doing a lot of things right now to engage muscles throughout Abby's body that will be needed in walking.  Sometimes Abby is held upright in a standing frame to put weight down throughout her legs.  Sometimes Abby is assisted in a posture called "tall kneeling," where the therapists place her on her knees and then assist her in holding her core weight upright.  Sometimes Becky holds Abby as she stands in place, and sometimes at least two therapists support Abby as she takes steps forward.  Abby has a lot of strength throughout her body and legs, but some of the muscle spasms associated with brain injury work against using that strength effectively, and that makes hard work for the PT!

 

We really, really appreciate these young women who are working with Abby.  They can cause her to make some of the most painful faces and sounds you can imagine (sometimes associated with pain of working contracted muscles, sometimes associated with frustration), but I sense that she really likes them, and I think she'll come to really love them as they help her through this (they can already all make her laugh--except when moving a tight muscle, of course!).  I do have one special prayer request for you this evening.  Today we found out that Abby's speech therapist, Marissa, who was early on in a pregnancy, just lost her baby.  Please keep her in your prayers...

 

And keep us there too if you don't mind...

 

Love,

Abby's folks

 

 

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