Updates On The Atlanta Trip

First off I uploaded the pics yesterday with no explanation. My apologies as I was so excited and sent them right from my phone.  The iPhone app did not let me type text for the picture. 

 One of the milestones that will assist Rachael in her healing is if she can bear weight on her feet.  Being that her upper body strength is weak due to 2 years of either being in a wheelchair or in a bed, she needs support to begin to bear the weight on her feet.   The contraption she is in provides support for her upper body and support for her knees so that she does not slip out of the device.  in the pictures, her body weight is not supported at the knees, most of the weight is on her feet!

So, she is bearing weight on her feet.  This is a major deal.  You will notice a sneaker on her right foot in the pics.  That is the first time that she has had a sneaker on since the accident.  We wish to thank Dr. Oneil at Kennedy White for his artistic work in straightening out Rachael's feet.  He really did and incredible job. 

We are all very excited about what Rachael is learning at Shepherd.  They often speak directly to her and not through her mom.  Nancy has already been given some helpful information. 

They use the ball to stretch out her muscles and help her to regain some sense of place and balance.

To Nancy's merit, they praised her for taking care to stretch Rachael's legs out so that she did not contracture or permanatley stiffen up. They have told her that Rachael's healing window is wide and slow. She is still on the mend.

Today they did some ball work with Rachael, stretching her out on a ball.  Tomarrow she will get intense botox therapy which should help losen up the muscles. 

They are working on the best avenue for communication.

 

 

 

[caption id="attachment_828" align="alignleft" width="225"] Using stretch techniqes including adding a light weight to her lower legs, the gang at Shepherd have gotten the both legs nearly straight.[/caption]

Her legs are straightening out well in therapy.  Normal practice is to push down on the knee.  At Shepherd what they do is put weight on the feet or calves and the leg lowers to a straighter point much more easily. 

 

 

Her eyes are the big question.  It is again not known exactly what she can or can not see.  They are attempting to find a 'low vision' opthamologist.  They work with folks like Rachael to learn just what they see.  We do know she can tell light and dark as well as objects passing in the front of a light.  We are not sure what else she can see.

Hanna and I will be traveling next Thursday Lord willing.  Aunt Mary, who lives in NC, left her car here so we are going up to take it to her and then drive Nancy and the girls home. 

Tonight they had a great time hearing Sweet Brown on YouTube and Rachael thought it was hilarious. 
So Rachael is doing great and working hard.  Not a lot of down time.  'Ain't nobody got time for that!'