Hi Everyone,

We have a lot of good news tonight! First of all, we’ve got another week…Corey’s approved until March 8th.

Glad you’re all sitting down to read the team report…
Speech; Corey is trying to respond verbally. She has had increased moaning/humming. She isn’t connecting the sound with the motion of her mouth but she’s trying. The tongue is a muscle and like any muscle that hasn’t been used, she needs to relearn how to use it. Corey does swallow to manage her saliva; however, she needs to learn how to use her tongue to swallow food. She has not been cleared to begin eating or drinking just yet so the feeding tube will continue to be her source of nourishment.

OT reported Corey extending and retracting her arm consistently. They placed a small plastic piece of fruit in her hand and she retracted her arm to bring it to her mouth. Similarly, she retracted her arm as she held a spoon. This exercise will prepare her for eating independently. OT tested Corey’s communication skills with thumbs up, pointing her finger and squeezing her hand. Through a series of questions, the team tested her cognitive awareness; she alternated each hand gesture upon command consistently 8/10 times.

PT has the most exciting entry to Corey’s report. The team pushes Corey’s wheelchair to a stationary bike. It only has the front wheel with peddles. As she sits in her chair, she peddles the bike. There is a motor that assists the patient’s momentum, but there also is a counter that measures the patient’s participation. Corey definitely participated about 70% of the motion and increased her time from 10 to 15 minutes.

When Corey is prone on her stomach, she has now increased her time holding her head independently to 15 minutes. While sitting upright she balances her torso and holds her head independently for 5 minutes. But the most amazing news to share is the following…

Since the muscle block the therapists see a positive change in her range of motion in both her legs (especially her left which had the greatest tone). I mentioned that this weekend Corey was standing (with assistance) between 5-7 minutes. Yesterday, three therapists positioned Corey to a standing position. The team has one therapist in front, one behind and one at her feet/ankles to help her stand firm. They asked Corey to take a step forward. Her strongest leg is the right leg. She lifted her knee and took her first step! The therapist at her feet assisted her left foot to follow. With that structure in place, the team helped Corey take 10 steps forward!

Corey…don’t even worry about asking, ‘Mother May I’…you GO FOR IT honey! What a week you had. I was amazed to hear everything you accomplished. I must admit, this was the best parent/teacher conference I’ve ever attended!! Keep it up kiddo. You’re on a roll. We’re so proud of you! XOXO