Wow!
February is almost over, and the excitement never stops! My parental
units keep looking for solutions for me, and thanks to other families
they came upon the ActivCycle. This little thinguie is automatic and
should make my legs rotate as if I were riding a bike! All at a slower
pace, of course. What should be the benefits? Basically this is almost
basic training for the big gun: the MotoMed. The benefits of such a
physical therapy machine are many:Greater flexibility of muscles,
tendons, ligaments and joints; Improved circulation, digestion and
metabolism; Reduced fluid retention, swelling and cramping;
Lower blood pressure; Reduced osteoporosis; and self
confidence, improve mental, health and reduce pain. But enough with the
PT lesson, on with the show!
As you can see here Daddy already put on my AFO on my left foot. My right foot is ready for the task...
Here
Daddy is finishing putting my right AFO. These are very important to
help keep my feet and ankles. For those who do not know, AFOs
(Ankle-Foot Orthosis) are externally applied and intended to control
position and motion
of the ankle, compensate for weakness, or correct deformities.They
control the ankle directly, and can be designed to control the knee
joint indirectly as well. AFOs can be used to support wasted limbs, or
to position a limb with contracted muscles into a more normal position.
They are also used to immobilize the ankle and lower leg in the presence
of arthritis or fracture, and to correct foot drop.
So,
after my AFOs are on, Daddy places my foot on the pedals of the
Activcycle. Mommy put industrial velcro on the pedal and the AFO so my
foot stays put. No slipping here! Daddy makes sure I am well stuck to
the pedal and places the blue pedal strip over the AFO.
So
there you have it. Both feet are well strapped, and then Daddy turns on
the machine. He monitors my hips as I have very mild displacement and
must be watched closely. The school PT recommended that I begin with 5
minutes and then go up 5 minutes at a time. Sounds good to me! Here's a
video of my 5 minute session. Today was Day 3. Loving riding this!
So
far this has been the second main excitement of this week. Mommy and
Daddy are looking for other PT options: Aquatic therapy (formal PT in
the pool, something we kinda did during Summer in my apartment's
inflatable pool... It is a pity that we can't keep the pool filled all
year long... We need the living room for other stuff) and Hippo Therapy
(therapy using specially trained horses). It is all very exciting, so I
am crossing fingers so one or both of these therapies can come true!
The
first excitement came in on Sunday, when Mommy finished adapting a
Figit Friend for me. Godfather Steve sent me the purple Figit for
Valentine's Day (codename Willa), and Mommy followed a
tutorial
so I could actually play with it. Next on her to-do list is a creating a
pageset so my "voice" from my communication device can give commands
to Willa (I think she did a prototype, but my Tobii is on repair so I'll
have to wait a bit to try that). This is so cool! Here's a video of me
playing with Willa using my 2grams switch:
Ending
the week of excitement, Mommy re-submitted the form for Make a Wish, so
I should expect their contact soon. I'm glad Mommy did that, her first
form got lost in cyberspace. I can't wait for what can come true! Gotta
start thinking hard for a big wish!
GOD: Thanks for
keeping me healthy, and for everything You bring me. Thanks for helping
my friends, for allowing so much healing all around me! Allow me to keep
on being an instrument of Your Peace and of Your Love. Always in your
hands, always grateful, always believing. Amen.
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