wednesday evening

even gen's therapists comment that she does something new every day. today in speech she worked with the laser screen. in ot she practiced some of the everyday things she will do when she goes home. this place has rooms just off the gym fixed up like kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, etc and each are furnished with everything you might need in them. they really work on getting people to be independent no matter where they are in their recovery. then courtney, the ot, surprised gen by having her try a joystick-controlled wheelchair. this is a step up from the head-controlled one she is using now. if she can do well enough driving with her hand and arm, she will not have to use the head array. she really would rather be walking, but if she is in a chair, she would rather use a joystick than a head array. there was talk all over the hospital about gen's advancement. in pt she had electrodes used on her legs, and she kicked and moved both legs well. after a few uses of the electrodes, her legs should move better on their own if they do like her arms did. the electodes stimulate the muscles to work, but her brain gets the picture and picks up where it should by telling the muscles to work when the brain tells them to. she did more vocalizing in speech/pt in the afternoon. she was able to say four and five syllables in a breath. her therapists were well-pleased with her work today.

susan