gen kept very busy today. eating meals takes longer than tube feeding. it is infinitely preferable gastronomically, but it does take time. each meal has 4-5 items, and gen eats two bites followed by a drink and a voice check to make sure nothing went down the wrong way. today mealtime and regular nursing and therapy were all vying for the same time slots in many cases, and we were playing catch-up most of the day. by the grace of God we made it through everything and now are ready for sleep. in ot gen worked on upper arm movement and brought her hand to her mouth with both hands, helped by the electrodes. in pt she did an obstacle course with the motorized wheelchair. she didn't knock down a single cone or cane. her therapist was impressed at her control. in speech therapy we had an evaluation done by two speech experts (doctors who teach and write textbooks). they had some practical suggestions for things to try to maximize gen's use of breath to facilitate speech. so in her second speech session, we met with pt and put gen on a mat in the gym. she was on her back and did exercises to help deep breathing, and it really made a difference in her voice...both the loudness and the length of sound. the idea was that when she is upright, she is working against gravity to get her breath to make sound. on her back she hasn't got the same resistance and she can get stronger at breathing and using her abs to get the voice stronger. we will be doing this for the next week or so, pt and speech working together for an extra half-hour a day. we have all her medications in pill form now, so she either gets them ground and mixed into food, or in the case of gel caps, she swallows them whole. we are pleased to get away from the tube to take meds. this is the next step to getting rid of the feeding tube. God gives gen (and all who love her) something new every day. we are thankful for the mercy and love of God to us, not allowing us to get discouraged. step by step He leads us and gives us what we need. we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
susan
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4 comments:
jenny - gen says "remember the spandex bodysuit"
Dear Susan,
Thanks so much for this evening's report. Your incredible memory and attention to detail enable you to explain complicated things so that even I can understand. You all are an inspiration to us as you rest in God's faithfulness, and trust Him to supply your every need, one step at a time.
Love,
Melfin
It is not surprising that Gen can do an obstacle course, we all remember her driving that jeep! Every day I am encouraged and humbled by the progress Gen is making. Keep up the good work and eating those lovely meals! It is an honor to know such a brave person. Love, Tracey
We just wanted to let you all know that we are thinking of you and praying for you. Your strength is amazing! It reminds us all every day that we can do anything when we rely on God. It's been a long time since we've seen Gen, but we have no doubt that she'll pull through this. We appreciate the blog so we can keep updated. Thanks and keep up the good work!
Kari Takach, Kyle Richardson, and Kelley Fabozzi
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