Small but Important Progress

Yesterday I watched Fred do some interesting physical therapy. Bridget, his therapist, helped him stand and she had him stand at a fairly high table. The object of the exercise was to see how long he could stand. In order to take his mind off the standing, he was asked to match cards on the table to cards mounted on a board. He had his right hand flat against the table so he felt safe and he managed to stand up two and a half minutes almost completely unsupported. Brigid had her hand lightly against his back when he started but I noticed that about ten seconds in, she moved her hand back a little so she wasn’t supporting him even lightly.

Today she filled out the monthly report on what he had been doing and the goals for next month since he has just completed his first month. I am amazed how far he has come. Almost every day he is walking with a walker upright and with no support except the wheelchair being pulled along behind him to help him feel safe so if he feels he is going to fall, he can sit down. He does exercises with weights to improve the strength of the muscles in his arms. I wasn’t there to see it today, but apparently he went to the bathroom in his wheelchair, put his right hand on the arm of the wheel chair and reached out with his left hand, grasped the bar on the wall and with no help, pushed with his right hand and pulled with his left getting himself up to a standing position!

He is working very hard and I am VERY impressed!

Give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way.

– Native American prayer

And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.

– Anaïs Nin