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!
Showing posts with label Improvements. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Improvements. Show all posts
Sunday, January 21, 2007
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!
Monday, December 18, 2006
More exciting improvements!
On Saturday, Charb stayed overnight for the second time! We had a busy day and he was exahusted by the evening. The next morning, Rachel and Chantal decorated the Christmas tree as Charb looked on. He seems to be looking forward to Christmas and opening his presents because he is enthusiastic whenever asked about the subject.
Charb has continued to show progress in the past couple of days. For example, we can now effectivly communicate with him by getting him to answer questions by nodding for yes and shaking his head for no. Charbel can answer a range of questions in this manner, even questions about wrestling, bodybuilding, pictures, and past events! This is very exciting!
Charb has also shown that he knows how to count and to do math! When asked to show numbers on his fingers he can do so, and he can also do addition when asked by holding up the correct number of fingers on his hands!
In another development, Charb has shown that he still remembers Arabic. Today we asked him to point to various parts of his body in Arabic and he pointed to every single one without hesitation!
A few small examples of how far Charbel has come over the past weeks. We are learning of new abilities everyday and keep praying that he will make a full recovery. It's amazing to know that he has retain so much knowledge and recolection of the past. We are so proud of him and all of his efforts, and we hope to see more and more improvement each day. We'll keep you posted!
Charb has continued to show progress in the past couple of days. For example, we can now effectivly communicate with him by getting him to answer questions by nodding for yes and shaking his head for no. Charbel can answer a range of questions in this manner, even questions about wrestling, bodybuilding, pictures, and past events! This is very exciting!
Charb has also shown that he knows how to count and to do math! When asked to show numbers on his fingers he can do so, and he can also do addition when asked by holding up the correct number of fingers on his hands!
In another development, Charb has shown that he still remembers Arabic. Today we asked him to point to various parts of his body in Arabic and he pointed to every single one without hesitation!
A few small examples of how far Charbel has come over the past weeks. We are learning of new abilities everyday and keep praying that he will make a full recovery. It's amazing to know that he has retain so much knowledge and recolection of the past. We are so proud of him and all of his efforts, and we hope to see more and more improvement each day. We'll keep you posted!
Thursday, December 14, 2006
New Developments
Every day we are discovering Charbel's new abilities. Each and every day we are happily surprised at all the progress he is making and the challenges that he is embracing.
1) Charbel is at the point where he doesn't like to be in his chair anymore. He is constantly moving his head off the headrest and trying to hold it up on his own. When asked if he wants to get out of the chair, he nods, and attempts to lift himself out! He grabs dad's arms and pulls himself up! It's only a matter of time before he can get up and out of the chair!
2) Hand and finger coordination - Charbel is now pointing to various objects and people with his index finger. He is also able to pick up small objects, such as balls and bracelets and he can (slowly) place them in his opposite hand. The right hand is a lot quicker and more controlled than the left hand, but he does have movement in the left, although it takes much more effort to accomplish tasks.
3) Greetings! Charb can now wave hello and goodbye with his right hand, and he loves to shake hands and give 'high five's'! He also gives thumbs up and thumbs down signs for 'yes' and 'no' and answers a range of questions in this manner.
4) Love of exercise - we have noticed that Charbel has remained passionate about exercise, even now. He enjoys his daily workouts greatly, and puts a lot of effort into lifting, pulling and gaining strength in his arms. He especially loves to arm wrestle! He waits for dad to count, 'one, two three, GO' and then off he goes with a lot of power. The other night, he couldn't sleep and so he was arm wrestling with the nurses!
5) Nodding his head - a couple of days ago, mom taught Charb to nod his head for yes, and shake his head for no. He has caught on to this, and has started to use this method to communicate with us when we ask him questions.
6) He understands Arabic! The other day his grandfather was talking to him in Arabic on the phone and was asking him to lift up his arm, and Charbel was doing exactly what he said.
7) His appetite is back! Charb is very interested in eating. Right now he is just allowed to sample very small bites of pudding and soft foods...we have to take him to Halifax for a swallow test in January so that we can determine how well he is swallowing and we can go from there.
1) Charbel is at the point where he doesn't like to be in his chair anymore. He is constantly moving his head off the headrest and trying to hold it up on his own. When asked if he wants to get out of the chair, he nods, and attempts to lift himself out! He grabs dad's arms and pulls himself up! It's only a matter of time before he can get up and out of the chair!
2) Hand and finger coordination - Charbel is now pointing to various objects and people with his index finger. He is also able to pick up small objects, such as balls and bracelets and he can (slowly) place them in his opposite hand. The right hand is a lot quicker and more controlled than the left hand, but he does have movement in the left, although it takes much more effort to accomplish tasks.
3) Greetings! Charb can now wave hello and goodbye with his right hand, and he loves to shake hands and give 'high five's'! He also gives thumbs up and thumbs down signs for 'yes' and 'no' and answers a range of questions in this manner.
4) Love of exercise - we have noticed that Charbel has remained passionate about exercise, even now. He enjoys his daily workouts greatly, and puts a lot of effort into lifting, pulling and gaining strength in his arms. He especially loves to arm wrestle! He waits for dad to count, 'one, two three, GO' and then off he goes with a lot of power. The other night, he couldn't sleep and so he was arm wrestling with the nurses!
5) Nodding his head - a couple of days ago, mom taught Charb to nod his head for yes, and shake his head for no. He has caught on to this, and has started to use this method to communicate with us when we ask him questions.
6) He understands Arabic! The other day his grandfather was talking to him in Arabic on the phone and was asking him to lift up his arm, and Charbel was doing exactly what he said.
7) His appetite is back! Charb is very interested in eating. Right now he is just allowed to sample very small bites of pudding and soft foods...we have to take him to Halifax for a swallow test in January so that we can determine how well he is swallowing and we can go from there.
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