TIRR Week 1

Hello friends and family,

Mom has now been at TIRR for one week and we are encouraged by the progress she has made. On Tuesday, an ENT Doctor did a scope of Mom's throat and cleared her for the Trach removal. The Trach was taken OUT Wednesday morning and this immediately allowed Mom to begin getting a few words out. By Thursday and Friday she was able to repeat complete sentences for the speech therapists. Her brain is working faster than her body and she can be hard to understand when she rushes to tell us something. When she slows down she can clearly tell us what she wants. She was also given some food and liquids to test her swallowing ability and can regularly now have ice chips, small spoonfuls of ice-cream and some orange juice nectar!

Her physical and occupational therapy has been intense as they have been working with her to sit on the side of a bed and steady herself and they have also raised her up into a fully standing position to put weight on her legs. All of this is tough as she hasn't been able to move much at all for three months and all of her muscles have to be reawakened. Because of her extended immobility, she now has casts on both legs and her left hand and forearm. She also has a split cast for her right arm to wear at time. When all are on she looks like she was in a bad accident but they are all needed to correct muscle tone in her feet and arm positions. Hopefully they will be taken off soon as she does not like any of them and let's us know about it!! She likes to tell Dad that it's okay if he takes off the casts! {Not true!}

This week should continue with increased levels of therapy and we are expecting that she will be here for six to eight weeks.

Thanks once again for all thoughts, prayers, support, cards, yummy food, flowers, plants, visits, text messages and emails. They all have been warmly received!

Love, Rachel and John Sedlak