June 2014

6/19/14 (Rachel Hanson) David and I had the privilege of getting to celebrate our 2 year wedding anniversary together. It was much different and much better than last year! Last year David couldn't eat anything and was wiped out by just me wheeling him down the street to a coffee shop and little redwood grove and back. This year we got to watch a movie and go out to dinner. God is good. David is getting better at scooping and getting his food to his mouth more independently. He is able to eat just about anything now, which is awesome for him and easier for me! He just had a swallow study that revealed his swallowing has improved so that he's only aspirating on 10% of thin liquids. David's therapists are great. They really try to motivate him by incorporating things into therapy that he enjoys. The speech therapist is using David's favorite game, Rook, to work on speech articulation and multitasking. He has to teach the therapist how to play the game and I have to bite my tongue the whole session to keep from automatically "interpreting" for him. I have gotten almost too good at interpreting his speech so, at home, he can get along with mushing along and slurring words together and I'll get it. David's trunk control is coming along super slow but the PT is starting to make it a priority and we are integrating more at home. He got a few adaptive technology devices to make his computer more accessible. He is getting better at being able to type and open up emails, facebook, google searches, etc... with less help. He has a pair of funky glasses the OT is letting him borrow that have improved his vision so much that he could read the hymn book and read a story to Jocelyn for the first time since his accident!! The OT is also letting David drive in the driving simulator. David loves it!! Needless to say, he has lots of work to do before or if he ever drives again, but he does surprisingly well at braking for stop signs but needs work on staying on the road. We are still in the process of finding something that works for David and I to get a full night of sleep. I will be posting some recent "media" of David's progress.