Hey ya’ll, thanks for keeping up with us! I am excited to share some updates with you guys on the amazing things that Jared is continuing to do here at Pate.
My apologies for the big gaps in between posts; not just Jared, but my sister and I also have busy days and weeks, and sometimes it is just hard for me to find the time, sit down and collect my thoughts and put it together in an enjoyable way for you all to read.
Jared is still fighting, and pushing his way through the weeks in his therapy sessions. I think the biggest change in the last couple of weeks is his diet. His speech therapist and us are working on getting him off of pureed foods and onto the next step, which is "mechanical soft" foods. He does a great job at chewing, we are working with him on strengthening his swallow and doing so in a timely manner.
He is very "busy" as I have mentioned before, and he is always wanting to reach for things, stand up, and walk even. It truly is amazing to see him getting stronger and more intuitive every day! Here are just a few notes from his therapy sessions to catch ya'll up, much of it are things he has been doing already, it is a lot of working on consistency or leveling up with those same tasks and exercises. Now that there is cooler weather on the horizon, we are hoping to get outside a bit more with Jared, more car rides and of course we are enjoying football season watching Texas Tech and of course, the Cowboys!
Physical Therapy: ALL THE WALKING! Jared walks everyday with his PT Jenny, they try him on different types of walkers, (LiteGait, Eva, Nimbo, classic walker) he is getting stronger and initiating more positive steps with his right side. They are working on his standing balance more often, she usually tries to make it something fun or an activity, such as standing to throw a frisbee since he loves disc golf, standing and hitting a punching bag; this week I got a great video of him kicking a soccer ball with both feet. He still works on the NuStep machine but he has leveled up, to where it adds more resistance to it, he usually does that machine for 20 minutes in his afternoon sessions, in addition he has started working on a recumbent bike as well. Something that both PT and OT are working on these past 2 weeks with Jared is toileting, now I know Jared would hate me talking about this with the whole world so I will keep it short and not go into too much detail. Truth is, a big part of him being able to come home and not needing 24 hour care is him being able to go to the bathroom himself or at least be able to communicate that he needs to use the bathroom. So his therapists are working with him every couple hours to go to the bathroom just as he used to use it pre accident.
One of the fun little comments we get from his PT is that Jared is very curious, when he is walking down the hall with them he wants to explore. Every door he passes, he wants to stop and open, sometimes he will turn into other people's offices to say hi; if he passes different chairs, he wants to sit in all of them! So his therapist uses those “distractions” and turns them into therapy, working on sit to stand, standing balance in order to open the doors, and turning his feet and pivoting for those moves.
Occupational Therapy: A lot of occupational therapy’s sessions have been strengthening his right arm and hand, Chloe his OT, does a lot of stretching and flexing using 2lb. weights for exercises. OT has been more aggressive with working on ADLs and getting him to use his right hand for things that he has been doing with his left already, like brushing his teeth, washing his face, helping getting dressed, and even feeding himself with either of his hands. As I had mentioned along with PT, OT has been working with Jared on getting him used to using the bathroom again so he can ditch the catheter for good!
Speech Therapy: I have said it in the past but in my mind his speech therapist is the most important to Jared, Raegan determines when and what Jared gets to eat. He is progressing from a pureed diet to a mechanical soft diet, which is exciting for both us and him. Before he was eating lots of mashed potatoes and applesauce and now he is eating things like pasta, finely chopped up chicken, soft beans, and veggies; we have tried some ravioli, and we even tried him on some pancakes soaked in delicious syrup, which he loved! Along with eating, he is working on his voice, he practices answering questions and repeating words and phrases back to SPT. His vocal cords are intact, we just need them to get stronger which will increase the volume! They work on tongue strengthening exercises using a device called IOPI, and work on different breathing exercises using a spirometer-- all things to help with his speaking, and swallowing.
I had some great friends come to visit, and I know she did't want me to go into too much detail about her on here but I am going to ignore that and do it anyways. I like to give love and shout out to those who show it to me, my family and of course Jared. So quick mention, my dear friend Yasmin, a previous co-worker of mine, she has been a rock for me! From the very first day, when I got the call and was headed up to the hospital, she came up there with a bag of essentials for me and came for support. In the very beginning when things were crazy and either moving too fast or too slow with things, she was always there for me to cry with and to yell at or just be a sounding board for me. She visited Jared when we were in the nursing home when he was still in a coma, and so now she got to see her prayers in action with all the change that has happened since the last time she saw him. A sweet and comical moment that we did catch on video... Yasmin had brought out some snack for her little one, and Jared decided he wanted some too, so just as her little was grabbing a handful and shoving the "puffs" in his mouth, so was Jared! I am so grateful to this human and both Jared and I were thrilled to visit with her and her family.
Continued Prayer Requests:
Continued insurance coverage for Jared here at PATE.
Getting our bathroom renovation started in a timely and affordable manner.
Jared's voice to continue getting stronger so he can better communicate with everyone.
Strength and mobility to increase along the right side of his body.
Strength and patience for myself as we navigate all of these things alongside Jared.
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