Day 3 Fish oil study!

As I begin to write this blog, I hear a helicopter bringing in yet another serious case to this hospital.  It is a common background noise here.  I can't help but stop and pray for that person, that family as many have done for us since the children's accident.  I've learned many things in the past weeks and one thing is your health/life and your family's health/life is something you don't take for granted!

We are thankful that we have something new to share today!  This morning the speech pathologist was working with Selah.  She tried lemon ice with her.  She licked, then sucked at the spoon then swallowed it!  She did it several times!!  Then the speech pathologist came back this afternoon and Selah did it some more.  We'd had had Selah up and on my lap for about 1.5 hours before so she was a little tired but she did cooperate.

Selah eating lemon ice!

Later the PT came and was able to work with her knees and ankles.  She said that Selah was more flexible than she had ever seen since the very first days right after the accident.  Within just a few days of the accident, Selah began to tighten up and lose so much mobility.  Now she is loosening up.  Her arms and hands are close to normal.  For weeks she wore splints on her arms/hands...those HATED splints are in the garbage now!!!!!!     I hated them, she didn't seem to notice them.....but they are gone:)  Selah had been more cooperative with the OT before but resisted the PT before today.  We are glad that the PT was able to see the range of motion that the OT has seen and maybe even a tad more. 

The GREAT thing is that Selah tolerated all that time up and 3 therapies WITHOUT storming!!!  No huge increase in blood pressure or heart rate:) 

Next Monday she will have the new tube in her trach that will enable her to breath through her mouth and make noise.  If she tolerates it then at some point (hopefully in the near future) it will be "plugged up' to see if she can breath completely through her mouth/nose and handle her secretions...if so she will no longer need a trach:)    We are hoping that she will get to that point soon!

I'm trying to keep my account as factual without trying to draw any conclusions.... I don't want to exaggerate but I will tell you that Selah has not stormed since Monday morning.....Monday evening is when she started the fish oil....today she was worked with for hours between us, the ST and PT and the ST for a second time....  not only that but the PT found her to be more flexible than ever before....and yet she never stormed.....  Her storms had been much better over the last few weeks but today she didn't even go over 110 heart rate at all during all the therapies and time up!  Before she would at least go up when she got upset and she could sometimes bring it down without us having to stop but sometimes she'd had to be put to bed and left alone so she could calm down.  At times it would take her 30 minutes or so to calm down to a normal heart rate.  We are excited about how well she tolerated things today and of course all that she did!

The sonogram showed the blood clot is still there but it is smaller.  She will remain on the medicine for awhile longer.  It should dissolve in the near future. 

PLEASE keep praying for Selah!!!!!!!