Every weekday at Craig offers a full schedule of therapies geared towards each patient's challenges and current abilities. Marilyn's head continues to "clear" and she is getting better and better at dealing with day to day routine. Additonally, her left side gets stronger every day. Here's an example of Marilyn's schedule this week.
7:30am - Wake up, order breakfast and eat.
8:30am - Occupational therapist arrives - pick clothes for the day (without forgetting every item you are supposed to wear and change into them despite a weak left side).
Wash face, comb hair, brush teeth.
9:00am - Propel wheel chair with feet to Orientation class. Review what day it is, read daily news articles, practice memory assignments.
9:30am - Go to Physical Therapy. Extensive mat exercises, balance ball workout, practice walking and left leg stability.
10:30 - Go to Occupational therapy - work on left arm and left hand strength, fine motor coordination.
11:00 - Wheel down to Speech Therapy office, practice visual recall, mental organization, memory retention.
11:30 - Lunch, practice eating with left hand.
1:00 - Pedal stationary bike.
1:30 - Work on jigsaw puzzle.
2:00- Mat class, yoga and stretches geared towards individuals current physical ability.
3:00 - Speech therapy, round 2.
3:30 - Meet with neuropsychologist.
When not in class or in therapy, Marilyn and I practice a lot. Today she sucessfully tried writing with her left (dominant) hand for the first time. We practiced eye exercises to help bring her left eye in line with the right. (She currently has double vision but glasses with tape over part of the lens of the left side alleviate this.) At dinner, we practice eating with her left hand. She constantly works out her left arm and today broke all records by lifting it and extending it fully above her head. Our conversations consistently integrate the skills we have both learned to help her organize her thinking and improve her short term memory.
As Marilyn continues to improve, the days will become more full and challenging and the therapy will continue to be adjusted to her increasing abilities. All toward the goal of bringing back the Marilyn that was before the accident.
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3 comments:
yahoo marilyn,
sounds like you are progressing at record speed!! good to hear!! we have been thinking about you a lot during our vacation to portland, oregon and santa cruz, ca. we are going to be in denver on saturday and we hope to visit you then. maybe we can even go out to dinner !!! we'll see, but either way alex and i look forward to seeing you and hanging out with you at craig!!
thanks for all of your posts and keeping us up to date G. you both rock!!
love and hugs, chris and alex
On Thanksgiving Day Marilyn’s father and I arrived in Denver Colorado to spend Thanksgiving and Friday with Marilyn and Gareth. On the way to our hotel my cell phone rang and it was Marilyn wondering when we would arrive at the Craig. I told her as soon as we check into the hotel.
When we arrived at Craig, Marilyn and Gareth gave us a tour of this amazing place. Being a Holiday everyone had the day off. It was pretty quiet so we could get a good look at where miracles occur. After the tour we went to the employee cafeteria for Thanksgiving dinner that was offered to the Patients and their families by Craig. The turkey with all the trimming was delicious and the company was wonderful. This Thanksgiving we had a lot to be thankful for. After dinner Marilyn and Gareth show so the pictures of their last vacation with the two dogs. Some of the pictures you see in this blog.
On Friday we sort of followed Marilyn around she went and did a tie die project and then went for her eye exam. We went to the family lounge and waited. Margaret her PT came in and introduced herself and invited us to her next therapy session. She also told us that Steven, Marilyn’s brother was right she was definitely challenging them. Bob and I watch as Margaret the PT and Tanya the OT had her walking the parallel bars twice and pushing a shopping cart across the room twice. Marilyn is truly my miracle child and she has picked herself up after this set back in her life and continually challenges herself to be the very best she can and her father and I are extremely proud of her.
Today, Marilyn called to tell us Thank you for coming and she told us about her Saturday Pass to go to Gareth’s parents home to visit their pups. What a pleasant phone call. Gareth said this is the start of many more passes to get out and do things.
To Gareth who is at her beck and call you are a gentleman among men and YES I can see Marilyn doing the same for you if the situation was reversed. I also see the two of you walking and talking out of Craig on January 18th to continue a full, active and happy life in Dolores. God go with you both.
Love
Mom
You go girl! Keep your chin up. I'm thinking of you everyday, Marilyn. It's so wonderful to hear of all you're doing. I so look forward to seeing you both home again.
Love and hugs,
Sujan
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