From: Ava Powell
Date: May 7, 2000
I have been in San Antonio with Lynne, Russell and the boys for 2 weeks and I am excited about the progress Lynne is making in her recovery. She can come to a standing position using her own weight, so whenever I help her, it is more to steady her than to use any of my energy to help her stand or sit.
She can use forks and spoons with regular handles. We went out to eat both Sundays while I was here, and she did very well. She can drink from a glass that is large enough to get both hands around and not too heavy. She is weaning herself away from the straws and sipper-seals!
I have seen her sign her name a couple times and she did a fine job. It is still difficult for her to grip a pen to write, but with much concentration and patience she can do it. They brought her computer from her desk at work so she can work from home and it is now in their bedroom. They installed voice activated software and soon discovered that they needed more memory, and that, hopefully, will be installed this week so she can really get to work! Now Lynne responds to work related e-mail, is involved in conference calls and other phone calls from work. Last week Russell took her to the office one day for a staff meeting, so she is getting back into things there.
Besides all of this, she is still very involved in therapy 3 days each week. I have seen her walk with a walker with only one therapist holding onto a belt that has been put around Lynne's waist. Her steps are very steady, and I'm confident that it won't be long until she can walk with a walker unassisted. One day last week when she was using her walker, they took the "long way" to OT--about 400 feet! Wow, was she tired, but she kept working those hands anyway. She was recently reevaluated in OT and showed gains in most areas--especially in her grip and pinching strength as well as the range of motion in her arms, wrists, and fingers. In the peg-board test, with both hands, she cut her time in half from the last time she took the test. We continue to thank God for all of this progress, and now we are praying especially for Lynne's endurance each day as she resumes more responsibilities while continuing to improve.
The first week I was here, Lynne had a follow-up MRI, her first since surgery. Then last week she and Russell met with Dr. Vollmer, her surgeon. The before-and-after-surgery film was very impressive. The spinal cord was completely decompressed. The doctor told Lynne that she has cervical kyphosis--an unnatural outward curvature of her neck; however, nothing will be done about that at this time. He thought she was doing very well, and he will order special exercises to be done in therapy to strengthen the muscles in her neck and help regain the range of motion there.
Eric and Aaron both got gold metals at the LTC convention in Houston that was mentioned in the last update. I took them to the award ceremony the first Wednesday I was here. Yesterday was another big day for them because they launched the rockets they have been building in science class! They both had a beautiful launch--straight up and out of sight! After all the students had the opportunity to launch their rocket, they had "drag-racing" where 4 rockets were launched at the same time. After the drag-race, Aaron was able to find his rocket again, but Eric's went so high and far that we never found it again!
Russell had a break from school last week, but he will be back in classes again Monday and Wednesday nights this week. I think he did a beautiful job of making the house accessible for Lynne and her chair. Their house is all on one level, so that is really a blessing. Russell has done a great job of caring for Lynne, but he also encourages and helps her do things for herself. He got her a flip-top toothpaste so she can open it herself. She uses an electric toothbrush and she can reach the water at the sink from her chair, so she can brush her teeth and wash her face and hands unassisted now. She can remove her nightshirt and put on her daytime shirt mostly unassisted, She has difficulty pulling her shirt down in the back because she says that her hands "get lost" behind her and she can't tell what she is doing. She can put on her own shoes and socks, but still needs help tying them. Sometimes her hands don't want to cooperate, but they are much better than when I was here in January.
I'm really not ready to go home, but that time has come again and I must. I thank God that I have had this time here, and praise Him for the strength and confidence He continues to give all of us each day.
Thanks again for all of your prayers and cards and letters of encouragement. Please continue to pray that Lynne can build up up her endurance as she continues to resume additional responsibilities.
May God bless each of you
Ava Powell (Lynne's mom)
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Date: May 7, 2000
I have been in San Antonio with Lynne, Russell and the boys for 2 weeks and I am excited about the progress Lynne is making in her recovery. She can come to a standing position using her own weight, so whenever I help her, it is more to steady her than to use any of my energy to help her stand or sit.
She can use forks and spoons with regular handles. We went out to eat both Sundays while I was here, and she did very well. She can drink from a glass that is large enough to get both hands around and not too heavy. She is weaning herself away from the straws and sipper-seals!
I have seen her sign her name a couple times and she did a fine job. It is still difficult for her to grip a pen to write, but with much concentration and patience she can do it. They brought her computer from her desk at work so she can work from home and it is now in their bedroom. They installed voice activated software and soon discovered that they needed more memory, and that, hopefully, will be installed this week so she can really get to work! Now Lynne responds to work related e-mail, is involved in conference calls and other phone calls from work. Last week Russell took her to the office one day for a staff meeting, so she is getting back into things there.
Besides all of this, she is still very involved in therapy 3 days each week. I have seen her walk with a walker with only one therapist holding onto a belt that has been put around Lynne's waist. Her steps are very steady, and I'm confident that it won't be long until she can walk with a walker unassisted. One day last week when she was using her walker, they took the "long way" to OT--about 400 feet! Wow, was she tired, but she kept working those hands anyway. She was recently reevaluated in OT and showed gains in most areas--especially in her grip and pinching strength as well as the range of motion in her arms, wrists, and fingers. In the peg-board test, with both hands, she cut her time in half from the last time she took the test. We continue to thank God for all of this progress, and now we are praying especially for Lynne's endurance each day as she resumes more responsibilities while continuing to improve.
The first week I was here, Lynne had a follow-up MRI, her first since surgery. Then last week she and Russell met with Dr. Vollmer, her surgeon. The before-and-after-surgery film was very impressive. The spinal cord was completely decompressed. The doctor told Lynne that she has cervical kyphosis--an unnatural outward curvature of her neck; however, nothing will be done about that at this time. He thought she was doing very well, and he will order special exercises to be done in therapy to strengthen the muscles in her neck and help regain the range of motion there.
Eric and Aaron both got gold metals at the LTC convention in Houston that was mentioned in the last update. I took them to the award ceremony the first Wednesday I was here. Yesterday was another big day for them because they launched the rockets they have been building in science class! They both had a beautiful launch--straight up and out of sight! After all the students had the opportunity to launch their rocket, they had "drag-racing" where 4 rockets were launched at the same time. After the drag-race, Aaron was able to find his rocket again, but Eric's went so high and far that we never found it again!
Russell had a break from school last week, but he will be back in classes again Monday and Wednesday nights this week. I think he did a beautiful job of making the house accessible for Lynne and her chair. Their house is all on one level, so that is really a blessing. Russell has done a great job of caring for Lynne, but he also encourages and helps her do things for herself. He got her a flip-top toothpaste so she can open it herself. She uses an electric toothbrush and she can reach the water at the sink from her chair, so she can brush her teeth and wash her face and hands unassisted now. She can remove her nightshirt and put on her daytime shirt mostly unassisted, She has difficulty pulling her shirt down in the back because she says that her hands "get lost" behind her and she can't tell what she is doing. She can put on her own shoes and socks, but still needs help tying them. Sometimes her hands don't want to cooperate, but they are much better than when I was here in January.
I'm really not ready to go home, but that time has come again and I must. I thank God that I have had this time here, and praise Him for the strength and confidence He continues to give all of us each day.
Thanks again for all of your prayers and cards and letters of encouragement. Please continue to pray that Lynne can build up up her endurance as she continues to resume additional responsibilities.
May God bless each of you
Ava Powell (Lynne's mom)
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