Hi Everyone,
We continue to work on Corey’s left arm and leg.
I’m happy the botox worked with her left arm but the left toes are still curling. Corey’s brain appears to be working against the first series of shots in her leg. The calf muscle is huge and will most likely need the next round before we see the significant changes we hoped for from the first round. Despite the stretches we do 2-3 times a day, her muscles are still tight. Some of her tone has decreased but range has not increased. Natalie is considering making Corey a new brace to be worn overnight hoping that will help.
Anne remains encouraged. She is noticing increased range of motion in all of Corey’s left arm/hand muscles.
Corey does not know or remember Anne despite seeing her twice a week; and obviously does not remember her from her inpatient days. Each session we reintroduce her to Anne. Corey’s overall anxiety has heightened since we began OT but we’re working through it. We’re back to helping her label her emotions and talking her through her outbursts.
Anne placed a magazine on the table asking Corey to use her left hand to open the magazine and page through it.
C – NO! What’s wrong with my right arm, it works fine. You don’t have to read a magazine with your left hand.
(She picked up the magazine with her right hand and threw it across the room, kicked the table out of the way and grabbed my arm to pull herself away from the table)
M – Corey, that’s unacceptable behavior. Adults don’t throw temper tantrums when they get angry.
C – SOME DO!
M – Ok, that might be true but we want you to talk to us. This is not about the magazine, what’s frustrating you?
C – (after several No’s) I can’t do it
M – I bet you can. Don’t say you can’t before you even tried
C – (after several “No I can’t’s”)…it won’t work, that arm doesn’t work and I’ll fail.
M – (a lightbulb moment…fear of failure)…there’s no such thing as fail, you only fail if you don’t try. we don’t want you to turn each individual page, turn 20 at a time if you want, we just want to see how well your hand and wrist move through the motion of turning.
C – I WON’T, I CAN’T DO IT!
M – do you remember cheerleading? remember when you were learning the front flippy thing you used to do (she always smiles when I forget the technical term for her gymnastic moves)…you were nervous about doing that but you kept trying until you got it.
C – the front flippy thing is easy compared to this! Turning a page is really hard!
M – (THERE IT IS…THAT’S THE REAL ISSUE)…Thank you! Thank you for telling us why this frustrates you. I know it’s hard now but guess what, when Anne met you 3 1/2 years ago you couldn’t open the magazine with your right hand.
A – …and you definitely couldn’t throw it across the room!
Everyday we peel the layers of the onion to reveal the underlying emotions. Fear, anxiety, frustration, anger and fatigue try to undermine her stamina.
BUT…
everyday;
multiple times a day,
…Corey (literally) fights and pushes through it.
Anne raised the cover of the magazine as Corey lifted her left hand palm down, pinched several pages with her fingers, bent her wrist as she rotated her hand upwards and turned the page on yet another new accomplishment…never give up and never give in, xoxo