Friday and Saturday
I stayed up late talking/spelling with Linda on Thursday, so I, at least, was tired on Friday. Linda never seems overly affected. The day was pretty ordinary. Standing and walking (assisted) in PT. Electrical therapy in OT. Various tryings to talk in ST. Our OT did run long. They were trying to get the electrodes on her arm placed just right to stimulate her index finger to extend. She can use all of the other fingers on her hands pretty well now, but still can't get that one finger out (on either hand). That extra therapy left her pretty tired by afternoon.
She had a late ST session that started pretty badly. We went outside for it, but the sun was too bright and distracting, so we came in. Linda was pretty tired, and not trying all that hard, which left her essentially mute. That was when I discovered a trick to getting her voice out. If you get in her face and yell at her, she'll yell back (at least for me) and it's better than normal. She gets more voice out, and more of it goes through her mouth instead of leaking through her nose. I now think of myself as her speech therapy drill sergeant. I work at getting up her ire, and then I make her say things.
Linda was very pleased to be able to walk about 20 feet in the light-gait machine. This was at the very end of the day too. The light-gait holds most of her weight so she can concentrate just on taking steps. That is more distance than she ever made before. Eventually she gets tired and stiffens up so the therapists really have to help her.
Last night I re-did her nails. It was all easy except the painting, which takes a pretty steady hand. I still did a passable job, and I think she enjoyed it.
This morning she had only speech and physical therapy. PT was standing in the standing frame and getting ultrasound on her sore shoulder, so routine. Speech went very well, however. It was morning, and Linda was weak and airy again, so I showed the therapist how well yelling at her could help. Pretty soon we had her doing passable Bs and Ps and even some Gs and Ks (very difficult sounds). Today her speech was the best I had ever heard it. I told her she might just consider yelling all of the time. It really isn't so loud as to come across as yelling, and she is much better.
In fact, her speech was so good this morning that when we went outside to the courtyard, Linda and I had a complete conversation without resorting to the letter board or even oral spelling (or at least not much oral spelling). I could understand everything she was saying with a repetition or two. We have never done that well before. It was very exciting.
This afternoon we went out to the coffee shop downtown. Tomorrow I think we may do the mall again. Linda really likes to get out. So do I.
General requests
Speaking of coffee... If I haven't mentioned it before, Linda generally has a standing request for Milky Way coffee drinks from Java Co. She generally orders them light on the hazelnut (so they switch the amount of hazelnut and caramel in the drink they make for her). She likes them cold, but no ice, since it melts and dilutes it before she gets it. We'll put it in the fridge and chill it for her here.
She also always enjoys your emails and notes. It is relatively common for an email or piece of mail to arrive which I lay down and forget. She doesn't forget, and I soon find myself spelling with her, ON THE TABLE... CARD... and such until I remember.
I stayed up late talking/spelling with Linda on Thursday, so I, at least, was tired on Friday. Linda never seems overly affected. The day was pretty ordinary. Standing and walking (assisted) in PT. Electrical therapy in OT. Various tryings to talk in ST. Our OT did run long. They were trying to get the electrodes on her arm placed just right to stimulate her index finger to extend. She can use all of the other fingers on her hands pretty well now, but still can't get that one finger out (on either hand). That extra therapy left her pretty tired by afternoon.
She had a late ST session that started pretty badly. We went outside for it, but the sun was too bright and distracting, so we came in. Linda was pretty tired, and not trying all that hard, which left her essentially mute. That was when I discovered a trick to getting her voice out. If you get in her face and yell at her, she'll yell back (at least for me) and it's better than normal. She gets more voice out, and more of it goes through her mouth instead of leaking through her nose. I now think of myself as her speech therapy drill sergeant. I work at getting up her ire, and then I make her say things.
Linda was very pleased to be able to walk about 20 feet in the light-gait machine. This was at the very end of the day too. The light-gait holds most of her weight so she can concentrate just on taking steps. That is more distance than she ever made before. Eventually she gets tired and stiffens up so the therapists really have to help her.
Last night I re-did her nails. It was all easy except the painting, which takes a pretty steady hand. I still did a passable job, and I think she enjoyed it.
This morning she had only speech and physical therapy. PT was standing in the standing frame and getting ultrasound on her sore shoulder, so routine. Speech went very well, however. It was morning, and Linda was weak and airy again, so I showed the therapist how well yelling at her could help. Pretty soon we had her doing passable Bs and Ps and even some Gs and Ks (very difficult sounds). Today her speech was the best I had ever heard it. I told her she might just consider yelling all of the time. It really isn't so loud as to come across as yelling, and she is much better.
In fact, her speech was so good this morning that when we went outside to the courtyard, Linda and I had a complete conversation without resorting to the letter board or even oral spelling (or at least not much oral spelling). I could understand everything she was saying with a repetition or two. We have never done that well before. It was very exciting.
This afternoon we went out to the coffee shop downtown. Tomorrow I think we may do the mall again. Linda really likes to get out. So do I.
General requests
Speaking of coffee... If I haven't mentioned it before, Linda generally has a standing request for Milky Way coffee drinks from Java Co. She generally orders them light on the hazelnut (so they switch the amount of hazelnut and caramel in the drink they make for her). She likes them cold, but no ice, since it melts and dilutes it before she gets it. We'll put it in the fridge and chill it for her here.
She also always enjoys your emails and notes. It is relatively common for an email or piece of mail to arrive which I lay down and forget. She doesn't forget, and I soon find myself spelling with her, ON THE TABLE... CARD... and such until I remember.
<< Home