Good Morning all
We have completed the initial 40 HBOT sessions. Although the results have not been as spectacular as the poster-boy for HBOT, we still have had very discernible improvements. Shawna has now been doing her treatments solo which would never have been possible before. She has been able to watch tv on occasion but mostly enjoys looking out at us and laughing at us when we are silly. We have decided with input from most of her therapists to continue with another round of 40 HBOTs because of the gains she has experienced. We will be taking two weeks off though while we put our family life back together and increase Shawna's therapy at home again. Pool therapy will soon begin again, and hopefully we can still fit a very busy therapy schedule in with the Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday HBOT sessions.
Physically Shawna has shown improvements in her ability to walk(of course with assistance) and her range of motion with her right arm. Her left arm and leg are moving more and more all the time. The spasticity or tone in her left side have been very diminished if not almost gone. As a result, Shawna is able to center her head at will and able to track right to left and back again. Many times now she has surprised us with that ability. She still experiences trouble with the Apraxia and stays looking left in a crowd. She has also shown that she has some extremely good days and conversely extremely bad ones too. The differences are stark and we are able to see them and sometimes alleviate pain or discomfort by repositioning or administering Tylenol.
Shawna has also shown a good increase in the ability to swallow even though we temporarily halted the swallowing therapy. We will be right back at it with also a scope to determine if she is having silent leaking into her airway. Although the thrush is not gone it is diminished and now that Shawna can swallow the nyistat, it is more under control.
She has also become more vocal and her laughter is almost to the stage of prior her accident. While we enjoy her new found abilities we constantly pray that she will be able to communicate clearly her needs.
We stand firm in the knowledge that God always provides our daily needs and even if we don't get everything we had hoped for we still experience His care and protection in all aspects of life and receive what He has determined is good for us. Thanking everyone for their continued prayers and assistance, we continue to lay our needs before our Heavenly Father.
Yours in Christ
Al, Deb and Shawna Bethlehem and family
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Saturday, May 7, 2011
28 of 40
Good evening all.
To date we have completed 28 of the initial 40 HBOT sessions that were planned. We can say at this point that there are definite differences which have been seen by all who work with Shawna and her close friends and relatives. We are so extremely thankful to God for giving us this blessing.
The treatments have not been without some difficulty though. Shawna has been able to get to the maximum pressure (2.88 ATM) now for the last 9 treatments. This has definitely assisted in getting rid of the thrush. There is only a small skim left on her tongue which we are now able to treat also with Nyastat along with the HBOT. Deb meanwhile is not able to continue to be in the chamber as it is affecting her eyes because of a stigma behind her left eye. She has been getting headaches as well and thus has to stop. This leaves me and aunt Ruth to be the ones to accompany Shawna on her journey. Twice also Shawna has been able to do the chamber solo. When I go in with her, aside from being very cozy, my metabolism is very fast and I generally produce a lot of surface skin heat. Combined with pure oxygen this process speeds up even more and the tube starts to get very humid and fogged up. When this happens Shawna begins to cough a lot and causes her some discomfort towards the last 15 mins of treatment.
We are hoping to get a SPECT scan next week on Wednesday in Newmarket. This will show us in colour which areas of Shawna's brain are functioning and combined with another scan after another 40 sessions will show if there is continued improvement. In September we are scheduled to speak in a volunteer panel to Toronto ABI association about our experiences with HBOT, and hopefully be able to assist with the advancement of this therapy so it can be readily available for TBI/ABI patients through OHIP.
Please continue to pray for Shawna's recovery using this therapy because we know that all blessings flow from God's hands only.
Al, Deb, Shawna Bethlehem and family
To date we have completed 28 of the initial 40 HBOT sessions that were planned. We can say at this point that there are definite differences which have been seen by all who work with Shawna and her close friends and relatives. We are so extremely thankful to God for giving us this blessing.
The treatments have not been without some difficulty though. Shawna has been able to get to the maximum pressure (2.88 ATM) now for the last 9 treatments. This has definitely assisted in getting rid of the thrush. There is only a small skim left on her tongue which we are now able to treat also with Nyastat along with the HBOT. Deb meanwhile is not able to continue to be in the chamber as it is affecting her eyes because of a stigma behind her left eye. She has been getting headaches as well and thus has to stop. This leaves me and aunt Ruth to be the ones to accompany Shawna on her journey. Twice also Shawna has been able to do the chamber solo. When I go in with her, aside from being very cozy, my metabolism is very fast and I generally produce a lot of surface skin heat. Combined with pure oxygen this process speeds up even more and the tube starts to get very humid and fogged up. When this happens Shawna begins to cough a lot and causes her some discomfort towards the last 15 mins of treatment.
We are hoping to get a SPECT scan next week on Wednesday in Newmarket. This will show us in colour which areas of Shawna's brain are functioning and combined with another scan after another 40 sessions will show if there is continued improvement. In September we are scheduled to speak in a volunteer panel to Toronto ABI association about our experiences with HBOT, and hopefully be able to assist with the advancement of this therapy so it can be readily available for TBI/ABI patients through OHIP.
Please continue to pray for Shawna's recovery using this therapy because we know that all blessings flow from God's hands only.
Al, Deb, Shawna Bethlehem and family
Saturday, April 23, 2011
18 of 40
Good Evening again. Well weve just finished the 18th session. This week had quite a few hurdles. The first one was the progression from 2.4 ATA to 2.5. I must say Shawna and Deb handled it very well, with no complications. Sure enough the thrush is going away on her tongue. What a blessing. When its completely gone hopefully a trip to the dentist to clean the rest of her teeth and throw all the teeth cleaning utensils away and start fresh. The thrush on her tongue could only be a small part as it could be in her blood but when we see it dissappear we know it is being killed off. Shawna's physio-therapist has beeen very excited about her progress and maintains high hopes now for this treatment. His work is very physical and as such he can notice her involvement in the therapy much more than the other therapists. The rehab-therapist came down on thursday night and also left very excited about the gains that Shawna has experienced. The other small incidents we experienced this week were a bit comical. We forgot to put ear plugs into her ears when she went for a shower. A phone call to the ear specialist calmed everyone down about the water in her ear. Right behind that came another incident where Shawna's feeding tube was cut off. That was a panic, although it was quite humourous watching all unfold as the trip to emergency to have the tube replaced by the family doctor. When the doctor arrived, Shawna was staring straight ahead at him and followed his every move. "Wow there IS something different about her", he exclaimed to the nurses and Deb. He was also very excited as he was the one who made the appointment for Shawna to have the tubes put in her ears, and now he was seeing results that he hasn't seen in three years of attending her. That night, thursday night was a fantastic night for her as she moved her head from side to side following a lot of people and laughing and smiling about it in the knowledge she could do it. Friday she was back to her old self but, we've found that sometimes the process doesn't stay and will reappear stronger later as the neurons are being excited and the pathways they create are not yet strong enough to stay intact all the time. Since friday was a holiday, we went to the clinic today for the fifth session for the week. Unfortunately Deb was feeling very sick today and could not go in the tube. Well the duty fell to me. Talk about stuffing the sardines into a can. It was tight enough for Deb and Shawna in the tube but now it was my turn. I didn't dare complain as Deb was such a trooper and resolutely has accompanied Shawna 17 times. The only problems were doing the first dive for me at 2.5 ATA to maintain the level for the fungus killing, and would I fit? Usually the max first time dives are done at 2.4 ATA. This was a first for the clinic. I asked them to bring us to 2.4 and after 5 mins bring us to 2.5. After climbing onto the stretcher amid Deb's concerns about total weight, they easily stuffed Shawna and me into the tube. It was quite cramped but if they couold put a 450lb linebacker in here, I'm sure we could fit as well. The doctor brought us slowly to 1.75 and as I was swallowing furiously to pop my eardrums all went well and we progressed a little quicker to 2.4 and later to 2.5. Whereas it was only 72 degrees F, the air is thick with humidity and it is a bit difficult to breath. Being so cramped it is very hard to move around and after a few minutes my left arm was starting to go to sleep. I managed to move the arm into a position which was more comfortable. Shawna meanwhile really enjoyed this arrangement as she didn't have to look around to find me. I was right there. She was smiling a lot and trying to vocalize a bunch of times. She was very calm and did not become agitated at all. 15 minutes up to pressure, 1 hr at pressure and 15 minutes coming back down, it was sure a stuffy ordeal. I was thankful to be breathing cool fresh air when we were extracted from the tube. You are a bit lightheaded when finished and I had the shakes till I ate something, and had a coffee. Deb and I will probably continue to alternate as the pressure will again be increased to 2.6 or 2.7 next week. We feel that Shawna still cannot be left by herself in the tube, as it takes too long to get back down if there was a problem such as her becoming agitated by herself and grabbing at things such as her feeding tube etc. This way we can take over for each other if one is sick and it won't be quite so much an ordeal.
Thanking you for your prayers. Al, Deb, Shawna Bethlehem and family
Thanking you for your prayers. Al, Deb, Shawna Bethlehem and family
Saturday, April 16, 2011
1/3 of test sessions
Hello readers Shawna has completed 13 of the proposed 40 HBOT treatments with very promising results. We are managing to increase the pressure successfully without incidents of discomfort or seizures. While everyone at surface level experiences 1.0 ATA (atmospheres), we started the treatments initially at 2.0 ATA and the first session was extremely uneventful..almost boring. This is eqivalent to being 33 ft underwater. We tried to increase the pressure to 2.2 ATA the next time but Shawna experienced a small seizure approximately 1 minute in duration. We turned the pressure down to 1.75 ATA and she completed the session. That Thursday became a fact finding day and we had her tested for a UTI, and eliminated other stresses for the next session. We kept the TV off and Deb did not try to move Shawna's head at all in the tube for her to watch TV. By the 5th session it was determined that Shawna indeed did have a UTI which was promptly started to be treated. The next few sessions were successful at 2.0 ATA and we slowly introduced the TV again for Deb's entertainment while they were being treated for approx 1 1/2 hr duration in the hyperbaric tube. At the 9th treatment we tried to increase the pressure again to 2.2 ATA but Shawna showed some discomfort to which we reduced it to 2.0 ATA again. In the next session we went successfully to 2.1 ATA and the up to 2.2 and by the 12 and 13th were leveled off at 2.4 ATA. Why all the numbers? Well at 2.36 ATA the pure oxygen at pressure kills bacteria during the treatment. So at 2.4 ATA goodbye UTI! When we get above 2.5 ATA it kills fungus. We are hopeful that this will mean the end of the thrush that has plagued Shawna for 3 years. We've tried so many different treatments to get rid of it but it always comes back when Shawna needs antibiotics, and because she eats nothing orally. In the next few weeks we will attempt to bring Shawna(and Deb) to 2.88 ATA where Bone marrow absorbs the oxygen and produces/activates Stem cells. This is the max amount of pressure which has been used for healing. It is a plateau of sorts. Although the chambers are good to 3.0 ATA it is unnecessary to go deeper. These chambers are rigorously tested because at 2.0 ATA there is 10,000 lbs holding the chamber together. At 2.88 ATA the pressure to keep the chamber intact is 29,000 lbs. Wow! This is also the equivalent of being 62 feet underwater! While Shawna has experienced gains from this treatment, so has Deb. Whereas Deb before the treatment had hypertension (high blood pressure) at 135/85 she was randomly tested after scooting around town for supplies and finally getting to doctors office to get papers signed. She was very apprehensive about the outcome but pleasantly surprised that her blood pressure was normal at 122/80. She has not been that low for 5 years or so and hypertension runs in her family(and mine). The hyperbaric doctor explained that the blood under pressure has been "feeding" the organs and taking the load off the heart muscle. It's also supposed to be a tremendous help for Asthma although Deb has that under control and is not ready to test that part of the theory. Shawna meanwhile has experienced gains in movement and awareness. The gains experienced would have taken months or years to get from what we've experienced over the last few years. There is only a little spasticity left in her left side and she has more movements both purposeful and spontaneous. She can readily center her head now. The physio therapist came again for his regular work with her and was very excited about her capabilities. She was able to stand using her muscles whereas she was using the tone to assist before. I had warned him that the tone/spasticity was almost gone and she was very "floppy". She was able to walk assisted by him from the living room to the kitchen 4 times. She was able to extend the gait pattern further than neutral on her right foot. Amazingly she got stronger as the walks progressed and was not tired completely after the 4th walk. Usually she becomes progressively more tired after each walk. This was the opposite and she was so energized when finished. Smiling and laughing she was laid down for a rest till she had to leave for hyperbaric treatments. Shawna no longer shuts down in a crowd and is able to engage herself with people who talk to her and tries to answer with her blinks although I'm sure she thinks she's talking to them because her mouth and tongue move now a lot! Generally she is very happy most times and when she starts laughing has a hard time to stop! Our lives have become very busy with a lot of help from our brothers and sisters. Whereas I'm still able to work 700am to 300pm, Shawna, and Deb start about the same time and morning routine is finished at 1030am followed by a therapy session each day whether physio, occupational, SLP, or rehab therapy. Deb leaves at 230pm to pick me up in Hamilton and we drive together to the Hyperbaric facility in Mississauga for treatment. We manage to make it home by 700 pm . A full day and then some further activities during the nights. We certainly look forward to the Saturday and Sunday! All in all we are so thankfull for the blessings we've been given. We know that all is in God's hands and we look to him for his guidance. Ps 59.16 " But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble" Thanking you for your prayers. Al, Deb, Shawna Bethlehem and family
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
First HBOT treatment
Good Evening all Well Shawna had the tubes put in her ears on the past monday. We didn't know what to expect as none of our children ever had this proceedure done before. At first, Shawna was smiling untill the freezing was applied to the eardrum. We know now that she can express pain, with a clenched fist, kicking legs and huge wince. OUCH! The thing about it is she has never expressed pain like that before. After the proceedure was done she was smiling again especially when we talked to doctor about future appointments and our hopes for HBOT. When She got home she was still in good spirits until the freezing wore off. Then she turned white and needed to rest with a good dose of tylenol. Today she had her first treatment in Mississauga. Travelling down the QEW wasn't even that bad...got to use the HOV lane through Burlington and Oakville. That really saved time. We we were almost there and talking about where to park, Shawna started to laugh. She was still smiling when we got her up on the bed and rolled her into the tube with Deb as company. I think Deb was more worked up than her. It took 18 mins to compress the tube to 2.0 atmospheres. Then Shawna and Deb were breathing pure oxygen for 1 hr under that pressure. After the hour it took 18 minutes to decompress before they could come out. Shawna had completed her first treatment. A resounding success. Shawna was swallowing and yawning as the pressure built and when it was released. That was amazing! Almost made the ear tubes a redundant process aside from the fact we couldn't take the chance she would be able to equalize the pressure. We didn't want to have her inner ears damaged in the HBOT treatments. It only took us an hr to get back home and we were quite happy with our first completed session out of 39. Changes are not expected for quite a few sessions ..so i will post again when more things happen. Al, Deb.Shawna and family
Thursday, March 24, 2011
New Treatment March 2011
Hello Dear Readers
Just when we thought we were settled into a routine for years to come, we get a new breath of fresh air. It doesn't start all too nicely though as Shawna's neurologist passed away quite unexpectedly from a fast growing cancer. Now we have to go it alone until a new one can be brought on board. Our Case manager has been assisting us in trying to line up new brain imaging technology which would show the areas of Shawna's brain that are working and those that are not. This would give us ways to reach her and understand which therapies would be more effective...It would give us a direction for therapy. A couple of weeks ago I was researching SPECT imaging on-line and came across a very interesting article involving SPECT and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy(HBOT) and successful treatment of late TBIs. Needless to say I was energized and became totally engulfed in reading articles, printing them off for Deb to read(who was at choir that night), and emailing potential treatment centres for information. One facility which was OHIP funded declined to treat Shawna as it is not an Ontario-approved treatment for her condition. The other facility in Mississauga readily set us up for a consultation on Saturday March 12. The facility operator stated that he had several TBI patients attending with varied results. It was hard to sleep the next few nights as we waited for Saturday to come. We arrived at the facility on time and were expecting to be interviewed by a doctor regarding using this treatment. We were a little disappointed to find out there was a doctor on staff but this facility was just the treatment provider and did not do any research before or after the sessions. While we were ready to start the treatments right away we came away with more questions and concerns. Shawna would have to have tubes put in her ears to equalize pressure as she cannot yawn or swallow or chew on command. The MRIs and SPECT imaging would have to be lined up by us or our insurer as OHIP would take weeks to get it. Medicines are absorbed into the body faster under pressure so we would have to alter her medicine intake or arrange for treatment at a specific time to avoid complications.
The basics of Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy are fairly simple. The patient is enclosed in a chamber which is brought 1.5 to 2.8 times the regular pressure we endure every day. When breathing pure oxygen the oxygen is absorbed into the body not only by the blood but it is absorbed into the plasma, spinal fluid, and bone marrow. With a brain injury there are brain cells which are damaged but not destroyed, and the neurons are not getting proper oxygen because the blood cannot get into the constricted areas. When the oxygen finds another vehicle such as plasma and spinal fluid to get to these neurons they become active and brain pathways are strengthened. There is a theory that the oxygen in the bone marrow produces new stem cells which also aid in healing. Regular air is pumped in and exhausted at regular intervals to eliminate Oxygen poisoning. These treatments take 2 hrs. Deb will be going in the first few times for company to ease the claustrophobia of being in the tube. Shawna can watch TV and the sound is piped in. We also can hear what is going on inside the tube. For the first few "dives" the doctor will be there to make sure all is right. Later on some of Shawna's friends have volunteered to be a dive partner with Shawna.
Our Insurance company has agreed to fund the MRI and SPECT imaging to be done in Newmarket at the start of treatment and are also covering the first series of HBOT treatments. Shawna will have tubes put in her ears on Monday Mar 28,2011 and her first HBOT session on Mar 30,2011 at 400 pm. We will be doing 40 sessions at 1 per workday for 8 weeks. All other therapy has been cancelled for two weeks to see how things go. Later we will reintroduce the therapy in the early afternoons, and may increase the therapy depending on how she responds to the treatment. After the 40 treatments we will take a break to asses the results and determine if this was a success. If Shawna experiences more brain function we will dramatically increase other therapies to maximize opportunities for 3 months as we prepare for our daughter Jessica's wedding. After that we will continue with the HBOT sessions. If there is no discernible results looking at the imaging and physical results then we will continue with the regular therapy as we have in place for the last year or so.
We realize this is in God's hand and we continue to rely solely on Him for our daily bread. We are so thankful that He put this information on our path because nothing comes by chance but all comes from His fatherly hand. Others had brought this to our attention previously but on advice of our neurologist we were told not to pursue it two years ago. So it stayed buried till our neurologist passed away and we continued to try to find ways to assist Shawna. The medical field continues to develop and this type of treatment is accepted in USA, China and U.K. Studies have shown some fantastic results which we can only hope some of them Shawna can experience.
Isaiah 26: 3,4 "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD , the LORD is the Rock eternal"
Thanking you for your prayers
Al, Deb, Shawna and family
Just when we thought we were settled into a routine for years to come, we get a new breath of fresh air. It doesn't start all too nicely though as Shawna's neurologist passed away quite unexpectedly from a fast growing cancer. Now we have to go it alone until a new one can be brought on board. Our Case manager has been assisting us in trying to line up new brain imaging technology which would show the areas of Shawna's brain that are working and those that are not. This would give us ways to reach her and understand which therapies would be more effective...It would give us a direction for therapy. A couple of weeks ago I was researching SPECT imaging on-line and came across a very interesting article involving SPECT and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy(HBOT) and successful treatment of late TBIs. Needless to say I was energized and became totally engulfed in reading articles, printing them off for Deb to read(who was at choir that night), and emailing potential treatment centres for information. One facility which was OHIP funded declined to treat Shawna as it is not an Ontario-approved treatment for her condition. The other facility in Mississauga readily set us up for a consultation on Saturday March 12. The facility operator stated that he had several TBI patients attending with varied results. It was hard to sleep the next few nights as we waited for Saturday to come. We arrived at the facility on time and were expecting to be interviewed by a doctor regarding using this treatment. We were a little disappointed to find out there was a doctor on staff but this facility was just the treatment provider and did not do any research before or after the sessions. While we were ready to start the treatments right away we came away with more questions and concerns. Shawna would have to have tubes put in her ears to equalize pressure as she cannot yawn or swallow or chew on command. The MRIs and SPECT imaging would have to be lined up by us or our insurer as OHIP would take weeks to get it. Medicines are absorbed into the body faster under pressure so we would have to alter her medicine intake or arrange for treatment at a specific time to avoid complications.
The basics of Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy are fairly simple. The patient is enclosed in a chamber which is brought 1.5 to 2.8 times the regular pressure we endure every day. When breathing pure oxygen the oxygen is absorbed into the body not only by the blood but it is absorbed into the plasma, spinal fluid, and bone marrow. With a brain injury there are brain cells which are damaged but not destroyed, and the neurons are not getting proper oxygen because the blood cannot get into the constricted areas. When the oxygen finds another vehicle such as plasma and spinal fluid to get to these neurons they become active and brain pathways are strengthened. There is a theory that the oxygen in the bone marrow produces new stem cells which also aid in healing. Regular air is pumped in and exhausted at regular intervals to eliminate Oxygen poisoning. These treatments take 2 hrs. Deb will be going in the first few times for company to ease the claustrophobia of being in the tube. Shawna can watch TV and the sound is piped in. We also can hear what is going on inside the tube. For the first few "dives" the doctor will be there to make sure all is right. Later on some of Shawna's friends have volunteered to be a dive partner with Shawna.
Our Insurance company has agreed to fund the MRI and SPECT imaging to be done in Newmarket at the start of treatment and are also covering the first series of HBOT treatments. Shawna will have tubes put in her ears on Monday Mar 28,2011 and her first HBOT session on Mar 30,2011 at 400 pm. We will be doing 40 sessions at 1 per workday for 8 weeks. All other therapy has been cancelled for two weeks to see how things go. Later we will reintroduce the therapy in the early afternoons, and may increase the therapy depending on how she responds to the treatment. After the 40 treatments we will take a break to asses the results and determine if this was a success. If Shawna experiences more brain function we will dramatically increase other therapies to maximize opportunities for 3 months as we prepare for our daughter Jessica's wedding. After that we will continue with the HBOT sessions. If there is no discernible results looking at the imaging and physical results then we will continue with the regular therapy as we have in place for the last year or so.
We realize this is in God's hand and we continue to rely solely on Him for our daily bread. We are so thankful that He put this information on our path because nothing comes by chance but all comes from His fatherly hand. Others had brought this to our attention previously but on advice of our neurologist we were told not to pursue it two years ago. So it stayed buried till our neurologist passed away and we continued to try to find ways to assist Shawna. The medical field continues to develop and this type of treatment is accepted in USA, China and U.K. Studies have shown some fantastic results which we can only hope some of them Shawna can experience.
Isaiah 26: 3,4 "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD , the LORD is the Rock eternal"
Thanking you for your prayers
Al, Deb, Shawna and family
Saturday, January 22, 2011
3 years
Hello out there!
I don't know if anyone still looks at this blog but since Shawna is still unable to post for herself, I thought I would update her progress so far. Progress is very slow but there still is progress. We've been tweaking the meds and still working with new ones to improve initiation and response. The most exciting progress has been in the area of walking. This summer Shawna started walking with her right leg in her Grandparents pool. It was an amazing development. Rapidly through the summer Shawna progressed to taking 100 steps with her right leg only in chest deep water. By the end of the summer we were concerned this treatment would have to stop because there are no pools with 90 degree water that are chest deep. We tried to have her walk in the shallows and lo and behold she could still do it!. Off to the Valley Park warm recreational pool for the next sessions of pool therapy twice a week. From September to December Shawna improved dramatically. She not only increased the distance she could walk being supported, but also started to use her left leg, bending it at the knee and dragging the foot to neutral position. We stopped when it became too cold to transfer from the pool to the frigid temperature outside. By this time Shawna had managed to walk 16 lengths of the pool using both legs......approx 1000 ft! Simply amazing, praise God! She now continues to "walk" on the hardwood at home which is considerably tougher to do but still manages 6 trips from our living area into the kitchen with assistance approx 30 ft each trip.
Other areas of improvement are her ability to assist in getting out of, and into bed, sitting stationary, and standing for long periods of time in a standing machine. Her ability to swallow has progressed to 20 x 1.5 mls and sometimes if the timing is right 2 teaspoons of yogurt at supper in 1/8 teaspoon increments.
Oral communication is still an issue. Shawna has been vocalizing a lot but not consistent on a "need to basis". Most of the vocalization comes from excitement and spotanaity. Communication has been very consistent with long blinks for yes and two short for no. Her friends have been able to harness this communication style and have taken her out for many trips and visits to their homes, shopping and weddings etc with fantastic results. The engagement and stimulation she recieves from these outings ususally result in her being very revved up and unable to sleep. She wakes up laughing and very excited. Shawna's ability to follow conversations has also improved. Her laughter at funny parts of the conversation tends to improve the aura and bring it to a higher plateau where everybody is now laughing and clowning around.
Shawna with Grandma Bethlehem's tutelage has been doing a fantastic amount of hand-over and independant painting lately which involves her choice of colour and textured brushes. Hopefully this can help her to develop more finite control and point/touch abilities as she continues to complete pieces for an art showing scheduled for 2012(more news to follow when this comes closer).
I have been the recipient of some fantastic two armed standing hugs lately and she does not want to let go. Her left arm is starting to get more movement as is the left leg. Shawna can easily grab something that is put before her and has been scratching her chin and head lately.
Neurologically there will be some more work coming up in the near future at the General in the ABI clinic, but first we are taking her for a trip to Florida, breaking up the winter doledrums.
We continue to walk on the paths chosen for us and are thankfull for the continued support we recieve from our brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ. We rely totally on God's faithfull promises which always guide our path. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
Al, Deb, Shawna Bethlehem and family
I don't know if anyone still looks at this blog but since Shawna is still unable to post for herself, I thought I would update her progress so far. Progress is very slow but there still is progress. We've been tweaking the meds and still working with new ones to improve initiation and response. The most exciting progress has been in the area of walking. This summer Shawna started walking with her right leg in her Grandparents pool. It was an amazing development. Rapidly through the summer Shawna progressed to taking 100 steps with her right leg only in chest deep water. By the end of the summer we were concerned this treatment would have to stop because there are no pools with 90 degree water that are chest deep. We tried to have her walk in the shallows and lo and behold she could still do it!. Off to the Valley Park warm recreational pool for the next sessions of pool therapy twice a week. From September to December Shawna improved dramatically. She not only increased the distance she could walk being supported, but also started to use her left leg, bending it at the knee and dragging the foot to neutral position. We stopped when it became too cold to transfer from the pool to the frigid temperature outside. By this time Shawna had managed to walk 16 lengths of the pool using both legs......approx 1000 ft! Simply amazing, praise God! She now continues to "walk" on the hardwood at home which is considerably tougher to do but still manages 6 trips from our living area into the kitchen with assistance approx 30 ft each trip.
Other areas of improvement are her ability to assist in getting out of, and into bed, sitting stationary, and standing for long periods of time in a standing machine. Her ability to swallow has progressed to 20 x 1.5 mls and sometimes if the timing is right 2 teaspoons of yogurt at supper in 1/8 teaspoon increments.
Oral communication is still an issue. Shawna has been vocalizing a lot but not consistent on a "need to basis". Most of the vocalization comes from excitement and spotanaity. Communication has been very consistent with long blinks for yes and two short for no. Her friends have been able to harness this communication style and have taken her out for many trips and visits to their homes, shopping and weddings etc with fantastic results. The engagement and stimulation she recieves from these outings ususally result in her being very revved up and unable to sleep. She wakes up laughing and very excited. Shawna's ability to follow conversations has also improved. Her laughter at funny parts of the conversation tends to improve the aura and bring it to a higher plateau where everybody is now laughing and clowning around.
Shawna with Grandma Bethlehem's tutelage has been doing a fantastic amount of hand-over and independant painting lately which involves her choice of colour and textured brushes. Hopefully this can help her to develop more finite control and point/touch abilities as she continues to complete pieces for an art showing scheduled for 2012(more news to follow when this comes closer).
I have been the recipient of some fantastic two armed standing hugs lately and she does not want to let go. Her left arm is starting to get more movement as is the left leg. Shawna can easily grab something that is put before her and has been scratching her chin and head lately.
Neurologically there will be some more work coming up in the near future at the General in the ABI clinic, but first we are taking her for a trip to Florida, breaking up the winter doledrums.
We continue to walk on the paths chosen for us and are thankfull for the continued support we recieve from our brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ. We rely totally on God's faithfull promises which always guide our path. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
Al, Deb, Shawna Bethlehem and family
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