Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Day Three

Day three completed and we're still plugging along. Elijah didn't sleep well last night and still performed throughout the day (what happened to him sleeping through the night? I was so hoping that would become a new norm). I'm so proud of him and I'm hoping for some big changes this month.

Speech therapy is going well and I'm excited to see if it will help with his drooling, his eating, and eventually - of course - with talking! His therapists have said it's really good that he is willing to let them explore in his mouth, which is a precursor to speech. Yay! I dream of the day when he can tell me what he wants instead of screaming, crying, and having temper tantrums.

His physical therapy sessions are going well too. We're really working on getting him to hold his head up when he is walking (as he tends to walk around with his head looking at the ground). He walked on a treadmill today and his PT discovered that if she put a visual barrier between Elijah and his feet, he held his head up more. So, when I think that he is looking at his feet while he's walking, he really is! I'm hoping that by the end of this month, he'll be standing up tall - walking with his head held high
.Day Three - 3-4-09 Day Three - 3-4-09 Day Three - 3-4-09
We're also doing a little bit of therapy to try to encourage Elijah to use his left hand more (he prefers to use his right hand). So, for an hour each day, we constrain his right arm so he has to use his left. The funny thing is, Elijah doesn't even seem to mind...he just uses his left hand instead. We've also been working with him in four-point (the crawling position) to try to get him to gain strength in his hands. I hope all of this hard work will help him to use both of his hands more, which would be our ultimate goal for him this month.

Day Three - 3-4-09 Day Three - 3-4-09

HBOT…well, Elijah is still not fond of the chambers. I can't say I blame him. He's starting to have temper tantrums in the waiting room now, not just the room where the chambers are located. He knows what is coming and he's not happy about it. He is terrified of the hood he has to wear to go in the chamber, which makes me feel terrible. He will usually cry for a few minutes after we get in the chamber because he's mad about the hood, but he is getting consistently calmer once we're inside. This morning he was actually laughing and being a stinker and wouldn't take a nap for me, so I don't think he's all that scared anymore. In the afternoon, he cried for about a minute and then fell fast asleep for 45 minutes, in which case, so did I! I feel a bit guilty about his lack of naps, but remind myself that he hardly naps at home either, no matter how hard I try. So, we might as well be working, right? I think so,as I feel changes-a-brewin'.

Thanks for reading about our adventure and keeping us in your thoughts and prayers.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Keep working hard Elijah, it's all for the best, even if you don't understand it all yet...

Left side you say? Hmm, try the 'left handed dog trick'... If you have a pet, or stuffed animal, tell Elijah, it's a special LEFT HANDED DOG, and you can only pet him, with your left hand... I can tell you the most amazing story from our friend Cole when he staid at RMH... Ilia became, the 'left handed dog'... and be damned, a little boy, who almost never used his left hand, stroked Ilia's fur for some time... I have a few other stories too, just drop me a line... I'll tell you about them. :-)

I still love you glasses Elijah, very cute.

Jim Buckmaster said...

Elijah, I looked at your picture today and just realized how much you remind me of John Denver. That HBOT stuff is great. Ask them if they do any Robert Redford or Harrison Ford. If they do, I'll join you in the chamber for a few sessions myself! Keep up the good work my friend! Many, many people are praying for you.
Jim Buckmaster

Lisa said...

Rich, I love the "left-handed dog trick." That was so cute the story about Cole. I'll have to try that one on Elijah. He absolutely adores his auntie and uncle's dog, Cobaka, which is really cool because last time we stayed here, Elijah didn't even seem to notice the dog.

Jim, I'll have to check at the clinic to see if they can start doing some other celebrities. I bet they'd get some more customers that way!

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