Hi Everyone,
Corey had an inconsistent day. Brian reported that she did very well in the morning responding to multiple commands. However, PT was less successful. Sue tried to get Corey to kick two different colored beach balls reciting a pattern command. Such as, yellow, yellow, green. She could not get Corey to respond too much. On a positive note, Corey did “kneel walk” across the matte. Sue positions Corey on her stomach then lifts her to a kneel-stand position. She then helps Corey shift her weight as she tells Corey to walk with her knees; moving one knee at a time to cross the matte. Corey was successful with the right knee and I assisted moving her left. It was an amazing exercise to watch!
PT is in charge of teaching me how to transfer Corey. She can be moved manually or with a Hoyer lift. Manually, I stand in front of Corey, lean her forward against my shoulder, reach behind her bum, rock to the count of three and then in a sweeping motion (using my legs not my back) swing her from her wheelchair to the bed and or matte. This technique will be useful; however, it will begin to physically wear on me if used day in and day out.
The second option is using the Hoyer lift. The mechanical lift is a portable machine that is positioned in front of Corey. There is a sling with straps that are placed behind and under Corey’s body. The straps are strategically placed on a cross bar. Using the remote control, the bar lifts, pulling the straps and sling around Corey’s body like a hammock swing. It actually reminds me of the picture of a stork holding a baby swaddled in a blanket. Once Corey is in the air, we can move her from the chair to the matte or to the bed. It can even be used in a shower or at the commode. This is going to be an invaluable tool for us when we go home.
I must say that my favorite part of the day was when I first arrived. Corey was asleep but woke when she heard my voice. After her stretch, she looked at me, smiled and hummed as if to say Hi! What a wonderful greeting…I’ve been holding onto that all day.
Part of my training is also trying to process the next steps in Corey’s recovery. I have to admit, I’m scared. When I looked internally at where these feelings were coming from, I realized what I was frightened by was the unknown. There are a thousand questions that rush through my mind on a daily basis. How do you plan when you don’t have any answers? The answer is; you can’t. My fear leads to insecurity and doubts that challenge my self confidence.
I always thought that confidence came from past experiences. The more I thought about it, confidence is not about what has already happened. It’s about moving forward and creating the best of what we’re given. Confidence is an attitude I can choose, not an evaluation of what I’ve already been through. Clearly, I’ve never had any experience in what I’m dealing with today!
Corey, I am learning that confidence does not come from who we know or where we’ve been or what we’ve done. It comes from our choice to do what we know we have to do.
We know what we need to do; don’t we honey? We have to work hard, don’t give up and don’t lose sight of our hopes and our dreams. Rest now, tomorrow will be a step closer to making those dreams come true, xoxo