August 21, 2006
Today Gary had another rehab session. The therapist had him do the same exercises as before, with the addition of lat pulldowns. She also told him to start incorporating those scapula extensions that the PT at Shepherd had told him to do (and which he had been doing haphazardly), telling him to do at least ten repetitions every time he did a depression weight shift (she then had him do three sets of ten – that’s the exercise where after you lift your seated body up by your hands, you do the extra “push-down” of the shoulders). The therapist told him that it would be by developing the muscles used in this exercise that he would get the extra inch or so of lift he needs in order to do his transfers independently. She emphasized that that was what was going to make the difference between he himself doing the transfers without a board and me having to be there with him, so I think he’ll now be more diligent at that exercise.
Oh, and there was one more exercise. As we were driving away from the rehab place, I said to Gary that I didn’t know if he’d noticed, but I have been trying to drive less jerky, as he claims I do (and I reject that notion ;-)). He said it was all right, that my driving gave him balance practice. Hmm. Maybe they should incorporate that at Shepherd ;-).
We went to the courthouse and waited in line to get a handicapped placard; it looked like it was going to take forever, but the office had mercy on all of us waiting in the line and let the people simply renewing their tags go to a different line. So now we’ve got our placard, which will really help with the parking – up to now, at Kroger’s, for example, we’ve been parking rather far away from the entrance in order to get a space with an empty space next to it that we hope will remain empty until after our return to the car, so Gary has room for his transfers. The placard should also make parking at the university easy, because there are several handicap parking spots very near where Gary would enter the building to go to the math department. That was certainly the case today – we went to the math department from the courthouse, and found such a parking spot.
Like last Wednesday, Gary found his time in the math department today very energizing. He says he so appreciates just having the ability to go there, and to see the people in the department. Speaking of whom, Michel, Jack Brown, and Ed Slaminka dropped by. Gary’s computer monitor wasn’t working correctly, and Michel told him he was getting him a flat monitor, so as to make more room on his desk. Jack and Ed went off to find a replacement for now, and Ed carried it in. Ed then spent time encouraging Gary to go with him to the golf course soon. :-)
Michel asked Gary if he’d be interested in doing a directed reading in the history of math with a student, and after asking me whether I thought that would be okay (the concern being his level of energy), Gary said sure – he likes teaching history of math.
After a couple hours we headed back home. On our answering machine we got the message from our supplier that insurance won’t pay for the power-assist wheels. We will pay for them out-of-pocket.
In the mail we got another anniversary card from Mom G. This one with a check. Woo-hoo! My mom also sent us a check, so now we’re rolling in the dough ;-)
Gary opened package number six from Norma. This one pertained to Hoonah, Alaska. There was a pocket calender entitled “The animals of Alaska,” a postcard of Icy Strait Point, and a ceremonial cedar chip – the chips are evidently traditionally added to the fire at Campfire Point by all visitors to the Strait. Norma said the highlight of the day was seeing a pod of orca whales swimming through the strait.
In preparation for our evening routine, Gary did a transfer using the board while I just supervised. We had talked to the OT this morning about the fact that Gary wants to do this kind of transfer (with the board) unsupervised; he thought that if he practiced it a day or two with me watching, and he did the transfers well, that he could do that kind of transfer with me not around. I wasn’t comfortable with a day or two – I thought a week (at the minimum, but I didn’t say that, because I figured he’d never agree to more than that!). The OT said it was whatever we were comfortable with, but thought it should be more than a day or two. She thought he should try it often enough with me just supervising so that various situations arose and were handled. Like, what if the board slipped slightly (which it sometimes does, maybe because he doesn’t get enough height and sort of takes it with him), would he be able to handle that?
So, our plan is for him to use the board at least a couple times a day with me just supervising, until we’re both comfortable with him trying it unsupervised (or at least as comfortable as I’m going to get – anyone have a periscope I can borrow?). That way, if there’s some time like in the afternoon that he wants to take a nap and I’m off to writing group or something, he can just get himself in and out of the bed.
But the rest of the times he does the transfers, we’ll stick to the way we’ve been doing it, without the board, since he won’t learn to take those big hops without the board without lots of practice at them (not only do the therapists not want him becoming dependent on the extra piece of equipment of the board, but some transfers, like those between surfaces of different height, especially where the difference is great, are not possible to do independently with a board).
All for today.
Today Gary had another rehab session. The therapist had him do the same exercises as before, with the addition of lat pulldowns. She also told him to start incorporating those scapula extensions that the PT at Shepherd had told him to do (and which he had been doing haphazardly), telling him to do at least ten repetitions every time he did a depression weight shift (she then had him do three sets of ten – that’s the exercise where after you lift your seated body up by your hands, you do the extra “push-down” of the shoulders). The therapist told him that it would be by developing the muscles used in this exercise that he would get the extra inch or so of lift he needs in order to do his transfers independently. She emphasized that that was what was going to make the difference between he himself doing the transfers without a board and me having to be there with him, so I think he’ll now be more diligent at that exercise.
Oh, and there was one more exercise. As we were driving away from the rehab place, I said to Gary that I didn’t know if he’d noticed, but I have been trying to drive less jerky, as he claims I do (and I reject that notion ;-)). He said it was all right, that my driving gave him balance practice. Hmm. Maybe they should incorporate that at Shepherd ;-).
We went to the courthouse and waited in line to get a handicapped placard; it looked like it was going to take forever, but the office had mercy on all of us waiting in the line and let the people simply renewing their tags go to a different line. So now we’ve got our placard, which will really help with the parking – up to now, at Kroger’s, for example, we’ve been parking rather far away from the entrance in order to get a space with an empty space next to it that we hope will remain empty until after our return to the car, so Gary has room for his transfers. The placard should also make parking at the university easy, because there are several handicap parking spots very near where Gary would enter the building to go to the math department. That was certainly the case today – we went to the math department from the courthouse, and found such a parking spot.
Like last Wednesday, Gary found his time in the math department today very energizing. He says he so appreciates just having the ability to go there, and to see the people in the department. Speaking of whom, Michel, Jack Brown, and Ed Slaminka dropped by. Gary’s computer monitor wasn’t working correctly, and Michel told him he was getting him a flat monitor, so as to make more room on his desk. Jack and Ed went off to find a replacement for now, and Ed carried it in. Ed then spent time encouraging Gary to go with him to the golf course soon. :-)
Michel asked Gary if he’d be interested in doing a directed reading in the history of math with a student, and after asking me whether I thought that would be okay (the concern being his level of energy), Gary said sure – he likes teaching history of math.
After a couple hours we headed back home. On our answering machine we got the message from our supplier that insurance won’t pay for the power-assist wheels. We will pay for them out-of-pocket.
In the mail we got another anniversary card from Mom G. This one with a check. Woo-hoo! My mom also sent us a check, so now we’re rolling in the dough ;-)
Gary opened package number six from Norma. This one pertained to Hoonah, Alaska. There was a pocket calender entitled “The animals of Alaska,” a postcard of Icy Strait Point, and a ceremonial cedar chip – the chips are evidently traditionally added to the fire at Campfire Point by all visitors to the Strait. Norma said the highlight of the day was seeing a pod of orca whales swimming through the strait.
In preparation for our evening routine, Gary did a transfer using the board while I just supervised. We had talked to the OT this morning about the fact that Gary wants to do this kind of transfer (with the board) unsupervised; he thought that if he practiced it a day or two with me watching, and he did the transfers well, that he could do that kind of transfer with me not around. I wasn’t comfortable with a day or two – I thought a week (at the minimum, but I didn’t say that, because I figured he’d never agree to more than that!). The OT said it was whatever we were comfortable with, but thought it should be more than a day or two. She thought he should try it often enough with me just supervising so that various situations arose and were handled. Like, what if the board slipped slightly (which it sometimes does, maybe because he doesn’t get enough height and sort of takes it with him), would he be able to handle that?
So, our plan is for him to use the board at least a couple times a day with me just supervising, until we’re both comfortable with him trying it unsupervised (or at least as comfortable as I’m going to get – anyone have a periscope I can borrow?). That way, if there’s some time like in the afternoon that he wants to take a nap and I’m off to writing group or something, he can just get himself in and out of the bed.
But the rest of the times he does the transfers, we’ll stick to the way we’ve been doing it, without the board, since he won’t learn to take those big hops without the board without lots of practice at them (not only do the therapists not want him becoming dependent on the extra piece of equipment of the board, but some transfers, like those between surfaces of different height, especially where the difference is great, are not possible to do independently with a board).
All for today.
posted by Peg Daniels at 8:46 PM
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