Jason takes the night shift, the tough one. Elena had a rough time with nausea and lack of sleep. I came in this morning to Daddy having some holding time. Elena is much much calmer when she is being held.
There were a lot of changes today: Elena has her bed elevated (reclining), she is able to lie on one side of her body (torso and waist must be in-line). Jason noticed while she was sleeping that her ankles were bent, which was new.
She had her first real visit with the physical therapist today. Elena wanted to get off her back, as it was uncomfortable--so the therapist just stood her up. Literally. Partial weight-bearing, with the intention of putting her heels down a little. At first Elena resisted, cried, asked for me--but after she was up, she was quiet and seemed to realize things were not so bad. I was amazed that she could do this so soon. And her feet? Almost flat! With her legs pretty straight, too!
After that, they did Passive Range of Motion (PROM). The PTs moved her legs to the point of resistance OR to a certain angle, as not to put pressure on her back. Important to note this is *not stretching*. Her range was AMAZING. We could definitely not achieve these positions without serious resistance (especially her right leg, which is in the bottom pictures.
That was the extent of PT in the morning--a big change for Elena, and a glimpse of what her legs might be like months from now. PT returned later in the day to do more standing, and they asked Elena if she would walk to me (she didn't want to, but "asking" wasn't exactly what the PT meant)--and E DID!! She walked 3 steps (with assistance, of course) but that was MAJOR. Her reward was I got to hold her, but she didn't have to be flat. It was fantastic.
After that, Elena got to sit in a wheelchair. This is a big deal b/c she's in a position other than lying down, and you have to have trunk strength to sit up. We went on a stroll around the 7th floor, with our Dora balloon, and even downstairs to the main floor to see the Coffee Ladies. The idea of going on an "adventure" out of the PICU made E very happy.
3 comments:
Amy I am glad all is going well. I was so nervous. I hope the recovery continues quickly.
Desiree
Wow! Way to go Elena! She looks wonderful. I'm so happy you're seeing results from the surgery already. Continued prayers for a speedy recovery.
I'm glad you posted pics. Makes the situation more understandable! She looks much better than I expected. Whew. Go Elena! And good job Mom and Dad. I am so glad you are blogging this. Can I post about it on my public blog? Maybe some people will know someone who can benefit from your experiences.
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