Hi Everyone,
Today is Corey’s 3rd Evaluation Day for the GoBabyGo Cafe research project. I was going to wait and post her results this evening but I cannot wait to share what I just witnessed!
Part of the research data includes input from family and from the subject on how the skills that are strengthened have improved the subjects quality of life outside the Cafe. We have been asked to record anything we witness Corey achieve that may be new or improved.
Our morning ritual is Corey calling out to me when she is awake and ready to get up. She pulls herself to a sitting position, swinging her legs to the floor (that was a big accomplishment 6 months ago!)
I help lift her to a standing position, she side steps to a bedside commode and I help her sit. The commode is the easiest position for us to help her get dressed.
After she tends to her personal hygene, (another big accomplishment which includes putting on a plastic glove, reaching for the toilet tissue, unrolling, tearing the tissue, caring for herself, removing the glove and disposing of both glove and tissue paper) she is then ready to get dressed.
We have been working on Corey dressing herself. Normally she can get her right arm and head into a shirt but continually gets ‘stuck’. Recently, she has been able to add putting on her right sock. She can also put on her right shoe.
This morning Corey;
1. reached for her bra and put her left/right arms through the straps, lifting them to her shoulders (I fastened the back hook)
2. reached for her long sleeve pull over shirt. Placed the bottom of the shirt in her left hand to hold it open. She maneauvered her right arm into its proper sleeve, pulled her head through the top and used her right hand to find the left sleeve (up until today the left hand and arm shared the neck opening). Her left hand found its proper entrance and as she stretched out her left arm, she shimmied the excess fabric to finish the task. Using her right hand, she pulled the shirt down front/back to properly fit. (I did not give one que!)
3. I handed her her underwear. She leaned forward to get her right foot through. Her left foot usually contracts and she cannot lift her knee or foot in this position. Foreseeing this stumbling block and excited she was doing so well, I suggested she start with her left foot. She placed the brief on the floor, sat up, lifted her right foot to ‘step on it’. She leaned forward with her right hand to stretch the band. She kicked her foot forward, as it lurched upward, she trapped it in the brief. Once she pulled her heel through, she could move her hand across the band to lift and help her right foot through. She pulled the brief above her knees and let out a huge sigh.
4. Next, her socks. Right foot…no problem. Her usual procedure, she wiggles her right hand into the opening of the sock. She leans down, spreads her 5 fingers to open and cups her toes as she inches her foot into the sock. She then pulls front and back to clear the heel and lift it to her knee. She sat up and asked,
C – “Can you put on the left”?
M – “No way…you’ve got this”, kneeling infront of put my hands under her left heel to help lift and balance her foot.
Corey used the same techniqe with the left. Her contraction caused her toes to lock/point to the floor. Her concentration and tenacity overcame the obsticle…she put on her left sock for the first time!
5. Using her newly discovered brief technique, her yoga pants was her next accomplishment.
6. Last but not least, she put on her right sneaker and pulled the laces…tieing the laces will come…
This process took 90 mins but when she finished, she let out another deep sigh, smiled and looked at me, “THAT was incredibly hard but I’m really proud of myself”.
The last time Corey dressed herself was October 1st, 2010…I am overwhelmed with emotion! My tears of joy and complete awe will have to speak for me. This evaluation day is already a success, xoxo