Abby update - November 30

Today was just more building on Abby's good steps this week. She had excellent walking practice again in PT--we seem to be making a little progress in stretching those ankles and getting her heels closer to the ground. The daily living activities that she practices in OT are getting better and better--she's quite good now at brushing her teeth, washing her hands (and most of her face), and at feeding herself nearly independently. She also got to visit with another therapy dog today, Chase--a golden retriever who's just the color of Arby--where she got to show off the improvements in her throwing arm in a game of fetch. And for those of you who think she's getting a break from school, she did quite a lot of reading and math today and even some writing--it's fairly basic stuff now, but we're very encouraged that the basics are there.

I realized that I've neglected to mention some other steps forward as well. This week the doctors have been allowing her to have thin fluids again, such as juices, milk, and soft drinks, and she's now doing pretty well with them. This is good news, because it means she might soon be able to have her stomach tube removed. She's also doing very well with her diced foods (except when someone, like her little brother, causes her to crack up laughing while chewing--not a good combination!). In addition, she is no longer on blood pressure medication, as her blood pressure readings have been very good for over a week now.

So, just when I sit down and think there's nothing new to write, I realize that there is so much to be glad for. I also took a little time this evening to read through the early days of Abby's blog, and I realize that it is true that the little steps add up, and we now look back in amazement on where we've been. Now I'm just trusting that one day I'll read the post from November 30 and again give thanks for how far we've come...

Thanks for reading and trusting with us...
-the Linams