Matt has been moving along very steadily over the past year with the Neuro-IFRAH therapies of Spencer and  Jon.  He has also been seeing Karen at the Challenge Center and she has done some amazing things.  All together they have brought Matt along ways from where Kaiser left him.  For about 2 months now Matt has been going to Kinematics Lab.  There approach is alot more mechanized although the process is similar, because of the machines, therapy can be sustained for much longer periods of time.  The repetitions of movement with the machines really change things up.  This combined with Lisa’s hard never ending work and commitment really have shown this past week.  After not having any real volitional movement in his left leg all these months, Matthew has connected!  He is now in just the past 4 days, begun to push and pull with amazing strength with his left leg on command!  It’s incredible.  We were feeling little bits intermittently over the past month but all of a sudden he knows he can do it and he’s working hard to show everyone he can.  He first looks stern when he starts and when he pushes you back he smiles!  He knows he’s doing good.  My guess is it must feel good.  I think what made the big change is a machine they call a Loco-mo.  It’s a treadmill type machine with a harness and parallel bars for support.  It has an assist mechanism for walking.  Matt’s only done it 3 times to date.  The first day he walked 141 meters.  The 3rd day, July 28, he walked 440 meters!  They have been cautious in their approach, slowly introducing it to Matt to see whether he can tolerate it but he’s done so well they have pushed the envelope and now he just goes.  He’s doing so well that it’s now going to be apart of every visit to the Kinematics lab.

Spencer saw for himself when he was out on Friday the 30th.  He approached it slowly and when Matt pushed himself back in his chair with his left leg, Spencer was so excited.  He said with both legs able to push, that’s a huge hurdle.  Next comes working on standing on his own when he can coordinate both legs together into one big push.  We’re all so excited.  More good things to come.  If you could see his face when he is working so hard and accomplishes the next step.  It’s so cool for us because we see he’s pleased with himself.

I’m not around most therapy sessions as I once used to be.  I’m working to keep up with living expenses and therapy cost which is still all out of pocket thanks to Kaiser’s lack of coverage and commitment to really doing what they advertise.  I will post Matt on the Loco-mo his first day, that’s all I have now.  I’ll try and add more photos as I’m able to pop in and get them.

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