With the 'ups' there are also 'downs'! AJ has definitely been improving overall, but he continues to push past the hard things by embracing the disappointments with a positive determination.
His blood pressure continues to be an issue as we try to find the perfect amount of medication to help regulate it. On Thursday he couldn't participate in OT (which is always a bummer) because he felt too faint and weak.
In the afternoon his tripod sitting with the PT wasn't as strong as it has been which was disappointing to AJ. But he kept working hard at it! The therapist introduced AJ to a new tripod position where he sits with his arms in a front position instead of behind him. AJ picked up the balance of the front position quickly! As he learns to maintain his balance in this position and switch from back to front, he will gain the ability to transfer from surface to surface.
The PT also showed AJ how to conduct a pressure release in his power chair by rocking side to side. Since AJ has not yet regained feeling or movement in the trunk of his body, he has to manually shift his weight in order to keep the blood flowing through the tissue he sits on. Pressure sores can result from neglecting this process! The PT showed AJ that if he tilts his head and reaches to the side with one arm far enough his rear will come up and the pressure will be released. Then he can repeat the process on the other side. To keep from falling, he must hook his opposite arm on the chair's arm rest to anchor him and then use that same arm to pull his body back up. This was an extremely difficult task to perform. The stretch and pulling was painful and exhausting. It also looked like it was hard for AJ not to feel nervous about falling over! After trying this a couple of times he was exhausted and needed to rest. This is definitely something he will continue to work towards!
Visitors and notes still brighten our time here and strengthen our hope as friends give encouragement and connect with AJ and us during this difficult time. Thank you so much for taking your time to send us messages, visit and keep up on his progress!
*The hospital prints off emails and delivers them to AJ in the mornings. If this is something you'd be interested in, the web site to do this is: https://healthcare.utah.edu/hospital/email.php
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