We have some newcomers to the daily email, so if any of you want to trace mom's progress back to the beginning, go to our family blog at http://dottysupdates-kgranelli.blogspot.com
Claudia began the day with mom and said that mom was pretty sleepy this morning. Claudia said that mom was awake/asleep--up and down. As Claudia did mom's full physical therapy/range of motion exercises, mom grimaced when Claudia worked on her hand so Claudia asked, "Oh, does your hand hurt mom?" and mom said, "No, my arms." This is great progress, for mom to be able to tell us what hurts.
Anthony saw mom later this morning. He did mom's full physical therapy/range of motion exercises and worked on mom's hand and arm strengthening using the orange, scrunchy tube. Mom held one side and he pulled the other. Mom was able to complete this activity with prompting Mom also looked at a magazine with Anthony and they talked and read as she looked at it. She was able to close the magazine alone. Mom had a shower next.
Dad said that he did mom's full physical therapy/range of motion exercises again this afternoon. He said that mom ate blintzes for breakfast with juice, some sort of parmesan dish and cake for lunch, and pork and beans, macaroni salad, coffee and juice for dinner. Her first coffee in over 9 months! Dad said mom slept for about an hour after lunch but then woke up and they played with the pegs and pegboard for a while.
Con and Sammy saw mom tonight. They said she was smiling and very alert. She mouthed alot of words and sentences but they didn't understand her. Sammy read mom the , "All About Me" book and some of the "Olivia the Pig" books too. Con asked mom to clap her hands and she did!! They talked and she smiled alot and then they prayed with her and tucked her in for the night.
Claudia and I met with Carmine tonight; he is Con and John's cousin who has been doing speech therapy with mom. God bless Carmine. We are so grateful for all he is doing with mom. He gave us a report on where mom is now and said that she had a great day on Monday. She was answering yes/no questions and very alert. Carmine gave us many oral motor exercises to do with mom too. Here are our notes from the meeting with Carmine:
Carmine is coming every Monday to see mom, though many times he comes more often than this.
1. Remind mom to tuck her chin in when she eats---this blocks the trachea
2. Mom did great this week. Answered yes and no questions. When you can taste food a person feels better. Squeeze the hand. Aspiration is when food goes down the trach and goes into the lungs…and causes maybe pneumonia…or infection or breathing difficulty. Sometimes the food goes away---absorbs and sometimes it stays and causes problems.
3. Get copy of test results of swallow test for carmine
4. Oral facial muscular system--- massitar rotation exercises and lip massage upper and lower and then the tongue…
5. We need to work on mom’s facial muscles because they are weak from no use in eating in 9 months
6. Movements on the tongue---elevate and reject and lateralize…
7. Massitar rotation at back of mouth near last teeth in circles up and down 50 times every day
8. Three fingers on upper lip in a circular rotation clockwise and counterclockwise on lower lip too the same
9. Quick circles and not hard…
10. Tip of tongue, top of tongue, across and across 10 and 10 times every other day
11. Side of tongue, side of tongue, back and forth 10 and 10 times every other day
12. Push down on tongue with sponge and tell her to push down on tongue and have mom push up
Mom is showing progress, and for this we are thankful.
"And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth..." Joel 2:30
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