Mom Update, September 3, 2010, Friday

MOM HAD AN AWESOME DAY!!! PLT!!!!
Her day began at 7:30 a.m. when Claudia arrived to do her physical therapy and get her ready for her day (put her hearing aids in, wash her face, comb her hair...). When Claudia arrived, she said mom's eyes were already WIDE open and she was looking around the room!! Claudia was so excited she began to talk to her and to show her everyone's pictures on the back of her door (weeks ago, I printed 8x10 color photographs of each family member and made labels of our name and role in the family and taped them to the back of the door to her room so that she would have something informational to look at when her eyes opened). Claudia did other types of cognitive therapy (asking her questions, giving commands, labeling objects and pictures...). MOM HAD HER EYES OPEN 1 and 1/2 HOURS STRAIGHT while Claudia was there!!! Claudia ran outside and called all of us and we gathered the kids together and ran over. Mom had her eyes open 98% of the time in a normal, wide-eyed fashion from 7:30 a.m. through 3:30 p.m.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YIPPPEEEE!!!!
She didn't speak during this time, but she observed so much of her environment and herself. It reminded me of a child who is a few months old---exploring the environment (mainly visually). She wiped her mouth very skillfully with her hand many times. She rubbed her eye with her knuckle a few times. She scratched her nose with her finger. She looked at the TV. She tracked people and activities visually the whole time. She made eye contact several times. As she held onto the rolled towel we use to prevent atrophy in her hands, she picked the towel up and held it to her face and studied it. She had a great deal of dexterity and strength in her left hand (the weak, edema side---big difference once we found out how to position her arms in bed). She used a pincer grasp. Lenny began to do "discrete trials" with her (he learned this at work this summer while working with kids with autism...you present an item or picture and label it verbally, then ask, "Touch ___."). When Lenny showed mom 2 pictures, he then asked, "Touch Anthony" (holding pictures of Anthony and Con---2 separate ones). Though mom was seldom correct on touching the right person, she understood the command to touch the picture and did so many times!!!! At one point, her right hearing aid fell out and she pointed to it close to her ear---we didn't realize she was telling us that her hearing aid fell out at first, but then we understood and complied. We took out the guitar and Claudia played and we sang. We did a new variation of SOUNDS AT HOME and SOUNDS OUTDOORS CDs---we played the sounds and showed her pictures and labeled each one at a time. She didn't use facial expressions and didn't move her mouth to speak but once. SHE IS OFF THE HEPRIN, INSULIN shot at night, and ZOCORE!!! Alleluia!!! Dare I say that maybe mom is finally coming back to us???.....

Pray...pray...and pray some more. Thanks. xxxooo

"Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet." Ephesians 6:13