Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Cold and flu season...
Charb has had a cold for the last couple of days, complete with coughing stuffy nose and a temperature - so he's been taking it easy. He has been drinking a lot of fluid, water, juice etc, and he hasn't lost his appetite, so that's a good thing! Hopefully it will pass in a couple days and we can get back to his rigorous daily routine!
Slow but steady progress
Charb did well this week. On Wednesday he visited the eye specialist in Kentville who confirmed that Charbel can see (although the clarity of his vision remains uncertain). He says that since Charbel is still in a phase of recovery, nothing needs to be done with his eyes right now. Eventually he may need surgery to realign his eyes, but he thinks we should wait and see if this can correct itself in time.
Charbel is still having trouble with reading letters and seeing small objects. It is difficult to know whether his inability to read is because his vision is blurry, or because his brain cannot recognize the symbols. We’re hoping that more extensive professional testing can be done to determine the extent of his ability to recognize visual stimulus (hopefully this will be part of the rehab plan in Halifax).
Despite questions about his vision, Charbel has made strides this week in his ability to write. It seems that he is gaining greater control over his right hand and as a result, his writing is much clearer. Over the weekend he wrote several words, such as our names and small messages such as “hello” etc. His writing is improving greatly, which is very exciting. Still, Charb finds writing rather frustrating, and he tends to have trouble with certain letters such as “h” so he just starts scribbling on the board – other letters he doesn’t seem to have problems with.
This weekend Charbel also started doing more things on his own, such as brushing his hair and holding a cup to drink on his own. Charb also started drinking from a straw this week! (videos in the photo album) He’s always thirsty and tells us this by pointing to his throat and making a sign with his hand as if he is taking a drink. Today he had some chocolate milk for the first time and loved it!
We have seen a little progress this week with the left arm and leg (and my little, I mean little) but still it’s progress. He is starting to move the left foot more, and can slightly move the left leg, but still cannot bend the knee or push down with the left foot. The left hand/arm has been improving also, but it is still very slow, and he cannot extend his left elbow so that it is straight. Working on the left side will be important in the coming weeks of rehab so that it continues to get stronger in preparation to stand. The right leg is doing really well, and Charb can bend the right knee, push down with the right foot, and move the right leg up and down.
We tried to help Charbel stand the other day, but it took four people to help him up and have him (almost) standing upright. His core body is still not strong enough to be able to hold himself up, so this is the most important thing (in addition to straightening his angles/feet) in order to start standing and eventually walking. Right now, Charbel experiences some pain when we try to stand him up, because his muscles are very tight in some parts of his body. But we continue to try and sit him up and stand him up so that he can get used to that sensation again and start reusing those muscles.
We have a long road of hard work and recovery ahead but we’re all up to the challenge!
Charbel is still having trouble with reading letters and seeing small objects. It is difficult to know whether his inability to read is because his vision is blurry, or because his brain cannot recognize the symbols. We’re hoping that more extensive professional testing can be done to determine the extent of his ability to recognize visual stimulus (hopefully this will be part of the rehab plan in Halifax).
Despite questions about his vision, Charbel has made strides this week in his ability to write. It seems that he is gaining greater control over his right hand and as a result, his writing is much clearer. Over the weekend he wrote several words, such as our names and small messages such as “hello” etc. His writing is improving greatly, which is very exciting. Still, Charb finds writing rather frustrating, and he tends to have trouble with certain letters such as “h” so he just starts scribbling on the board – other letters he doesn’t seem to have problems with.
This weekend Charbel also started doing more things on his own, such as brushing his hair and holding a cup to drink on his own. Charb also started drinking from a straw this week! (videos in the photo album) He’s always thirsty and tells us this by pointing to his throat and making a sign with his hand as if he is taking a drink. Today he had some chocolate milk for the first time and loved it!
We have seen a little progress this week with the left arm and leg (and my little, I mean little) but still it’s progress. He is starting to move the left foot more, and can slightly move the left leg, but still cannot bend the knee or push down with the left foot. The left hand/arm has been improving also, but it is still very slow, and he cannot extend his left elbow so that it is straight. Working on the left side will be important in the coming weeks of rehab so that it continues to get stronger in preparation to stand. The right leg is doing really well, and Charb can bend the right knee, push down with the right foot, and move the right leg up and down.
We tried to help Charbel stand the other day, but it took four people to help him up and have him (almost) standing upright. His core body is still not strong enough to be able to hold himself up, so this is the most important thing (in addition to straightening his angles/feet) in order to start standing and eventually walking. Right now, Charbel experiences some pain when we try to stand him up, because his muscles are very tight in some parts of his body. But we continue to try and sit him up and stand him up so that he can get used to that sensation again and start reusing those muscles.
We have a long road of hard work and recovery ahead but we’re all up to the challenge!
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Great weekend
Charb had an action packed weekend. He had many friends come to visit, and as always was very happy to see them, and sad to see them go! Charb has been home since Friday, and won't be going back to the hospital until tomorrow afternoon. This weekend, in addition to his usual activities, we took Charbel up to KES (his old high school) to watch his sister, Chantal, wrestle in her first tournament of the season. Charb was definitely in his element there! He had a great time. He had the chance to see some of the wrestling coaches and players that he knew from his days as a wrestler – which meant a lot to him. Plus, he brought some good luck (and good advice) to Chantal who won a very exciting match!
In terms of improvements, Charbel is steadily getting more alert and active every day. This weekend, he was a lot more expressive, and we were able to have normal conversations with him - with a great deal of interaction on his part. It's amazing to know that he understands 100% of what is said to him and around him. For him to be able to ask questions and carry on a conversation is an absolute miracle. On top of all that, he is absolutely hilarious, and we're always laughing. Sometimes it’s difficult to even remember how hard and desperate our lives were only a couple short months ago. We are very, very fortunate.
Please check the photo album link for new photos (Jan07) and videos (Videos January) from this weekend!
In terms of improvements, Charbel is steadily getting more alert and active every day. This weekend, he was a lot more expressive, and we were able to have normal conversations with him - with a great deal of interaction on his part. It's amazing to know that he understands 100% of what is said to him and around him. For him to be able to ask questions and carry on a conversation is an absolute miracle. On top of all that, he is absolutely hilarious, and we're always laughing. Sometimes it’s difficult to even remember how hard and desperate our lives were only a couple short months ago. We are very, very fortunate.
Please check the photo album link for new photos (Jan07) and videos (Videos January) from this weekend!
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Working on speech
The past couple of days I've been working with Charbel on speech by giving him a word and asking him to make a sentence out of it. He always has a relevant sentence, and most of the time they are hilarious!
A couple of examples:
I gave him the word 'tax' -he said, "Rachel, pay my taxes!"
I gave him the word 'clean' - he said "I am very clean"
I gave him the word 'dirty' - he said, "Rachel is very dirty"
I gave him the word 'write' - he said, "Write me a book" I asked him a book about what, he said - "A book about sex"
I posted a couple of videos of him saying sentences. In one I gave him the word 'road' and he says, "The road is very dangerous"
In the other video, I gave him the word 'sand' - he says, "Give me all the sand in the ocean."
You can watch them for yourself in the January video's in the Photo Album
On another note, Charbel's appetite is back to its pre-accident levels! Last night around 2am, he woke up and called the nurses to tell them that he was hungry. They gave him a pudding, and when he was done, he said "I'm very hungry, I want more" so they brought him another. Charbel fed himself, and when he was done, he said he was still hungry! So they brought him a rice pudding, and he ate that too...and of course he asked for more! But that was all they could give him, so soon enough he was sleeping again, thanks to a happy stomach!
That's all for now, keep up the prayers for a full recovery!
A couple of examples:
I gave him the word 'tax' -he said, "Rachel, pay my taxes!"
I gave him the word 'clean' - he said "I am very clean"
I gave him the word 'dirty' - he said, "Rachel is very dirty"
I gave him the word 'write' - he said, "Write me a book" I asked him a book about what, he said - "A book about sex"
I posted a couple of videos of him saying sentences. In one I gave him the word 'road' and he says, "The road is very dangerous"
In the other video, I gave him the word 'sand' - he says, "Give me all the sand in the ocean."
You can watch them for yourself in the January video's in the Photo Album
On another note, Charbel's appetite is back to its pre-accident levels! Last night around 2am, he woke up and called the nurses to tell them that he was hungry. They gave him a pudding, and when he was done, he said "I'm very hungry, I want more" so they brought him another. Charbel fed himself, and when he was done, he said he was still hungry! So they brought him a rice pudding, and he ate that too...and of course he asked for more! But that was all they could give him, so soon enough he was sleeping again, thanks to a happy stomach!
That's all for now, keep up the prayers for a full recovery!
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Overall, a great week
First of all, my apologies for being slow on the updates this week. Since starting a new job a couple of weeks ago, my time with Charb has been limited except for on the weekends, so here’s an update about the major events of this week:
Exercise:
Charbel’s right side is continuing to get stronger and more coordinated and he is able to use his hand for actions such as feeding himself with a spoon, holding a cup, holding a pencil and scratching his nose, ears, eyes, head etc. (which he does a lot of). Unfortunately, the left side is still really slow compared to the right, with the left hand showing more signs of movement than the left leg. For example, Charbel can bend his right leg at the knee and kick his foot forward, but with the left leg, he can hardly move his foot off the foot rest. We are working with him constantly to use his left hand/arm more as well as to gain enough strength to pick up his foot/leg. Robert brought him a small bicycle that he uses to strengthen both his arms and legs (video on this in the photo album in January photos)
Also this week, Charb’s neck strength has improved dramatically, and he is able to hold his head up and move it around from side to side with more ease. This being said, he still has a pull to the right, and we have to constantly remind him to keep his head up and to the left. Today mom and dad sat him up on the edge of the tilt table and he was able to lift his head up and hold it for several seconds. More exercises for core strength are integral for beginning to sit in regular chairs and beginning to walk - lifting and holding his head up are the first steps in the long process of being able to walk and sit independently.
Eating:
In my last update I mentioned that Charbel is keen on feeding himself. Well this week, his appetite is back with a vengeance and he constantly tells us, “I’m hungry, give me more food.” Charb has been eating the usual ice cream (which he loves) and pudding, as well as some food that mom puts in the blender to feed him (such as meat, potatoes and vegetables). What he used to eat in one or two bites now takes him an hour to eat, but he really loves the taste and the novelty of eating again. Yesterday, after his third serving of ice cream, he said to me: “Rachel, I want a lot more food” and I said, “OK, when mom comes back” Charb said: “I want more food now, hurry up!” I had a really good laugh about that! Today I fed him a tiny piece of pancake mashed up with syrup – he loved it, he said, “This is awesome!” That one piece took about a half hour to eat, so it takes a lot of patience, and he’s never satisfied, he always wants more!
Vision:
Charbel’s vision seems to be improving but he still has difficulty moving his eyes to follow objects. For example, he cannot track objects with his eyes, instead he moves his whole head toward an object. If we tell him to move his eyes left or right, he moves his head and his eyes stay stationary. But, we know that Charbel can see, because we have tested him by holding up fingers and he tells us how many we are hold up. Or, for example, mom does something with her mouth or tongue and tells Charb to copy her, and he can do it. The extent of his ability to see clearly, or see colours is still very questionable, as is his ability to see numbers and letters. We are hoping that we will be able to have tests done on his vision in order to asses how much he can see.
Memory:
Charb’s memory of the past is pretty amazing. For example, we have been singing with him the lyrics of some of our favorite childhood songs and he remembers almost all the words! Also, the other day, I was asking him questions about exercising, for example, I would say, “What exercise should I do if I want to work out my biceps” and Charb would say, “Bicep curls” then I’d say, “Abs” and he’d say “Sit-ups.” It’s pretty amazing how much he remembers, we quizzed him about everything from wrestling, to animals, to world capitals, and his responses were 95% correct (100% correct on questions related to sports – go figure).
Today was a really good day for Charb. He was extra talkative and loving, I can’t even remember how many times he told everyone that he loved them today. He was super happy and used the word ‘awesome’ about 100 times. Today he also discovered his laugh! Chantal said something funny and we were all laughing and then Charb opened his mouth, showed us a huge smile and started laughing – it sounded hilarious – so of course we all started laughing harder, which made him laugh more.
It’s the best thing in the world to know that Charbel’s sense of humor is still intact. He was also very interactive today, listening intently and asking questions and making comments when appropriate. Unfortunately, he is getting a little lazy when talking, so it is sometimes difficult to understand what he is saying. Usually, we have to remind him to speak slowly, one word at a time, and then it is easier to know what he says. Otherwise, he keeps repeating it until we understand. Hopefully his speech will become clearer as time goes on and he regains full motor control over his mouth and tongue.
New pictures and videos will be posted by morning so check the photo album for updates!
Exercise:
Charbel’s right side is continuing to get stronger and more coordinated and he is able to use his hand for actions such as feeding himself with a spoon, holding a cup, holding a pencil and scratching his nose, ears, eyes, head etc. (which he does a lot of). Unfortunately, the left side is still really slow compared to the right, with the left hand showing more signs of movement than the left leg. For example, Charbel can bend his right leg at the knee and kick his foot forward, but with the left leg, he can hardly move his foot off the foot rest. We are working with him constantly to use his left hand/arm more as well as to gain enough strength to pick up his foot/leg. Robert brought him a small bicycle that he uses to strengthen both his arms and legs (video on this in the photo album in January photos)
Also this week, Charb’s neck strength has improved dramatically, and he is able to hold his head up and move it around from side to side with more ease. This being said, he still has a pull to the right, and we have to constantly remind him to keep his head up and to the left. Today mom and dad sat him up on the edge of the tilt table and he was able to lift his head up and hold it for several seconds. More exercises for core strength are integral for beginning to sit in regular chairs and beginning to walk - lifting and holding his head up are the first steps in the long process of being able to walk and sit independently.
Eating:
In my last update I mentioned that Charbel is keen on feeding himself. Well this week, his appetite is back with a vengeance and he constantly tells us, “I’m hungry, give me more food.” Charb has been eating the usual ice cream (which he loves) and pudding, as well as some food that mom puts in the blender to feed him (such as meat, potatoes and vegetables). What he used to eat in one or two bites now takes him an hour to eat, but he really loves the taste and the novelty of eating again. Yesterday, after his third serving of ice cream, he said to me: “Rachel, I want a lot more food” and I said, “OK, when mom comes back” Charb said: “I want more food now, hurry up!” I had a really good laugh about that! Today I fed him a tiny piece of pancake mashed up with syrup – he loved it, he said, “This is awesome!” That one piece took about a half hour to eat, so it takes a lot of patience, and he’s never satisfied, he always wants more!
Vision:
Charbel’s vision seems to be improving but he still has difficulty moving his eyes to follow objects. For example, he cannot track objects with his eyes, instead he moves his whole head toward an object. If we tell him to move his eyes left or right, he moves his head and his eyes stay stationary. But, we know that Charbel can see, because we have tested him by holding up fingers and he tells us how many we are hold up. Or, for example, mom does something with her mouth or tongue and tells Charb to copy her, and he can do it. The extent of his ability to see clearly, or see colours is still very questionable, as is his ability to see numbers and letters. We are hoping that we will be able to have tests done on his vision in order to asses how much he can see.
Memory:
Charb’s memory of the past is pretty amazing. For example, we have been singing with him the lyrics of some of our favorite childhood songs and he remembers almost all the words! Also, the other day, I was asking him questions about exercising, for example, I would say, “What exercise should I do if I want to work out my biceps” and Charb would say, “Bicep curls” then I’d say, “Abs” and he’d say “Sit-ups.” It’s pretty amazing how much he remembers, we quizzed him about everything from wrestling, to animals, to world capitals, and his responses were 95% correct (100% correct on questions related to sports – go figure).
Today was a really good day for Charb. He was extra talkative and loving, I can’t even remember how many times he told everyone that he loved them today. He was super happy and used the word ‘awesome’ about 100 times. Today he also discovered his laugh! Chantal said something funny and we were all laughing and then Charb opened his mouth, showed us a huge smile and started laughing – it sounded hilarious – so of course we all started laughing harder, which made him laugh more.
It’s the best thing in the world to know that Charbel’s sense of humor is still intact. He was also very interactive today, listening intently and asking questions and making comments when appropriate. Unfortunately, he is getting a little lazy when talking, so it is sometimes difficult to understand what he is saying. Usually, we have to remind him to speak slowly, one word at a time, and then it is easier to know what he says. Otherwise, he keeps repeating it until we understand. Hopefully his speech will become clearer as time goes on and he regains full motor control over his mouth and tongue.
New pictures and videos will be posted by morning so check the photo album for updates!
Sunday, January 7, 2007
Becoming more independent
Charbel's drive for independence is back! He's starting to take the initiative to do things on his own now. For example, yesterday mom had a cup in her hand and was giving Charbel water with a spoon. Charb grabbed the cup, brought it to his mouth and tried to take a drink. Now, he can hold the cup and take a drink all on his own! He also started to feed himself with a spoon yesterday! The first time he did this he was eating ice cream with mom and he grabbed the spoon to eat. Then later on that day, I was feeding him lemon pie and he took the spoon from my hand and fed himself until all the pie was gone! (Then of course he asked for more)
This is a great improvement from a couple of weeks ago when he tried to feed himself but he didn't have the coordination or strength to reach his mouth. He can also reach to the back of his head - yesterday I saw him reaching back to scratch his neck, I was very impressed! Today he also tried to put his shirt on by himself without anyone telling him...he grabbed the neck and tried to pull it over his head. Charb's determination continues to amaze me!
I promise to upload some videos of Charb talking and eating tonight so check the photo album for updates.
This is a great improvement from a couple of weeks ago when he tried to feed himself but he didn't have the coordination or strength to reach his mouth. He can also reach to the back of his head - yesterday I saw him reaching back to scratch his neck, I was very impressed! Today he also tried to put his shirt on by himself without anyone telling him...he grabbed the neck and tried to pull it over his head. Charb's determination continues to amaze me!
I promise to upload some videos of Charb talking and eating tonight so check the photo album for updates.
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Charb's talking continues!
Charb is doing very well with his talking. His voice is getting stronger and louder everyday. He is also starting to become more interactive and responds by talking even when talked to indirectly (ie, without being asked a question). The speech therapist at the hospital in Windsor is very happy with his progress so far. Charbel has problems pronouncing certain letters such as ‘b’ ‘g’ (its hard for him to say good, go and great, for example) and ‘d’, so his speech therapist has given him ‘homework’ to practice making various sounds and saying certain words.
Here are some funny stories to show how much personality Charbel has retained:
Yesterday Robert came to work with him as usual. Mom asked Charb if he wanted to work with Robert and he said “no.” When mom asked him why, he said, “I don’t feel good.” When mom asked him what was wrong he said, “I feel sick.” There was nothing wrong with him, he was perfectly fine before Robert came, but he just didn’t feel like exercising that day, so he was making up excuses! We thought it was pretty funny!
Today dad was talking to Anthony, a friend of Charbel’s about coming over to play the guitar some night. Dad said “Anthony will play, and I’ll sing for you Charb” – Charb’s response was “Oh NO!” with a huge grin on his face.
We laugh a lot now with Charb which is wonderful…the joy is back in everyone’s lives. The important thing is that he seems to be happy and prepared to overcome all the challenges that face him, and we’ll be supporting him all the way.
Here are some funny stories to show how much personality Charbel has retained:
Yesterday Robert came to work with him as usual. Mom asked Charb if he wanted to work with Robert and he said “no.” When mom asked him why, he said, “I don’t feel good.” When mom asked him what was wrong he said, “I feel sick.” There was nothing wrong with him, he was perfectly fine before Robert came, but he just didn’t feel like exercising that day, so he was making up excuses! We thought it was pretty funny!
Today dad was talking to Anthony, a friend of Charbel’s about coming over to play the guitar some night. Dad said “Anthony will play, and I’ll sing for you Charb” – Charb’s response was “Oh NO!” with a huge grin on his face.
We laugh a lot now with Charb which is wonderful…the joy is back in everyone’s lives. The important thing is that he seems to be happy and prepared to overcome all the challenges that face him, and we’ll be supporting him all the way.
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