Day 19 update

I spent a lot of time with Colin today, and he is feeling so much better.

Today, the OT made him a strap that goes around his hand allowing him to hold a fork or spoon to feed himself in time. He will have to be a lefty for the foreseeable future as his right arm and hand and fingers are not working at all. He has some slight movement in his right wrist so that is promising, but he will have to work very hard to regain the strength in his left arm. He still has no movement at all in his hands and fingers, but who knows what will happen in time.

The OT helped him to start trying to feed himself using the utensil in the strap so he can build strength, she held his elbow and assisted him to move his arm back and forth, and dig the food onto the spoon or fork, and it went very well.

Here Elzette is swapping from the fork to the spoon, and all I can say is that she is absolutely wonderful, and I think she is exactly the right person to work with Colin. She has a wonderful sense of humour, and it is a joy to watch her working with him.

Here you can see how the spoon is positioned so that he can use his wrist that will eventually be strong and his arm which will eventually be strong, even without his fingers or hands, to eat by himself. I look forward to the many other little things that he will have to work at and I look forward to supporting him in all the tasks he will have to do on his way to being as independent as he can be again.

He still cannot talk at all – that process of learning has not yet begun; but today while he was chatting to me (I try lipread but when I don’t get it right, we use the spelling thing still) and it has been getting more and more but ever so slight that he has started to have some small noises come out when he speaks – mostly just a few fricatives – but today when he sort of coughing and speaking at the same time, we both heard him say one of the words audibly. There are so many little wins every day, and I am so grateful that he is working so hard at being positive, his strength exercises, just everything. It is such a joy to have my special one back. I love him so much, and every day, another little part of him comes back to me. I know we both will face difficult times, and it will be a different way than how we are now, but I know that we can do it together.

It is such a wonderful place, and everyone there is just so kind and supportive in every way.

Today I am grateful for the fact even though it means that others have had to walk this path (which I don’t wish on anyone) that the path has directions and guides. We can follow where others have succeeded and so gain from their efforts. Thank you. A thousand times – thank you.