Summer Recap and DBS Adjustments

I can't believe summer is about to wind up and school will start back in 2 weeks! David has had a great summer with staying up late, sleeping in very late, watching his shows, playing his games, playing on the computer, a few fun times with friends, Special VBS, and a little bit of swimming.

Swimming

Getting David in the pool isn't the hard part. I just wheel him up to the edge of the pool, unbuckle his seat belt, help him stand, count to 3 and give him a little shove.  He goes in with a great big belly flop and loves it! He comes up grinning but has to be constantly reminded  to close his mouth so he won't gulp the water or choke.
It's getting him out of the pool that is the real trick! It usually takes 2 people. So that's why he hasn't been in the pool quite as much as I had hoped since we have to carefully schedule it around a time when Marshall is home so he can help me get him out.

Family Time

Probably the highlight of the summer was having Rachel, Michael, Caleb, and baby Abby come for a visit. It was so good to see them! David had fun holding Caleb's hand when he would squeeze by him. He also really enjoyed the chance to hold Abby in his lap for a few seconds.

DBS Update


Since the scare of possible seizures in May, Dr. Ledoux hadn't increased the stimulator all summer. But last Wed. we took David for a regular appointment and he increased the voltage to 2.5 and increased the width of the stimulators. I don't really understand what the second part means. Maybe I can get Marshall to go into a better explanation later. Since David has done well with the adjustments and since we really haven't seen any real noticeable changes yet, Dr. Ledoux decided to start taking a more aggressive approach. After he turned up the stimulator he had us wait in his office for about 45 min. just to be sure David didn't have any adverse reactions.  He seems to be doing fine although it may take several weeks to see any real positive changes.

Wheelchair, Speech Devices, and Such

With the possibility that David's insurance could change when he turns 21 (next April!) we are trying to get  David set up with several pieces of equipment he has been needing.  We are in the process of the insurance waiting game and red tape again with another wheelchair. Hopefully this go round will go more smoothly than the first time. At this point it looks like we will be putting in for a power chair. That's a scary thought considering David's sense of humor! I also hesitate about this move because it seems so final. I believe that David will get better but if he gets comfortable with a power chair, will he be motivated to get better or will he become lazy and complacent about it? Regardless of what kind of chair we get, one thing we know, it will be a chair that gives him a lot more support for his trunk and the ability to change positions.  We are also waiting to get the ok from insurance about a stander.  A stander will help David to be in a standing position safely for short periods of time, which will help strengthen his muscles and bones. The last piece of equipment we are looking into is another speech device. His AlphaSmart has worked wonderfully. But as his ability to speak has gotten progressively worse we are seeing the need for a device that can do more and will meet his needs a little better. In our research we have found a few apps with the ipad that have been created especially for people like David. So, therefore, we are looking into getting him an ipad by the time school starts.

This has been a rather long-winded post!  Hopefully I won't wait as long for the next update!

Thank you so much for keeping up with us. We appreciate all the questions of concern and especially your prayers. Our God can do great things!

God bless!
Dayna