Although it was a short week of therapy, it was a good week!
AJ continues to work on transferring, building strength and learning adaptive techniques in order to increase his independence. He tried a couple of new things this week - the standing frame and a driving simulation.
Standing Frame: It was exciting for AJ to be in a standing position again. He said it felt weird to be so tall! After 2 1/2 months of sitting, he's getting a new perspective of just how tall his 6'3" body really is :)
Here are some benefits of standing:
Increases bone density and reduces the risk of fractures
Stretches muscles, preventing the onset of contractures
Improves respiration and voice control
Enhances circulation and blood pressure
Aids digestion, bowel function and bladder drainage
Improves skin integrity by relieving pressure developed by sitting
Improves wellbeing, alertness and sleep patterns
This is the 2nd time AJ has tried the standing frame. The first time his blood pressure dropped so low while he sat in the upright chair that they couldn't take him to standing. This time he took some blood pressure medicine that helped him remain stable. He went up 5 times and stayed stood for a maximum of 5 1/2 minutes. He will keep working on this until he can tolerate standing without the medication.
Driving Simulation: One thing AJ looks forward to doing again when he is able is driving. This week he tried a driving simulation in order to evaluate his abilities. We were able to identify his strengths and set goals on what will help him progress to a level of being able to drive. Here's a video of him doing some simulated driving for the first time. He'll need a little more practice, but pretty good!*
*Note - The computer was not calibrated correctly so the brakes don't work.
That is why his speed is so high while he is pushing on the hand brake!
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