Hello all,  January has been huge.  Matt is now eating daily.  He has gone from chocolate cake, to potatoes (not a favorite), to pancakes and now re-fried beans.  The latter was Lisa’s idea since it was something he always liked (go figure).  He’s eating daily and the volume keeps increasing almost daily.  He seems to be rediscovering taste and seems like he’s really missed it.  Along with all of this, Matt was put on a antidepressant over the past month.  That’s something that’s is commonly prescribed about this time with these type of cases.  The biggest change so far that I’ve seen, and we’re told these types of meds take weeks before the full effect is achieved, is his emotion.  He has become very emotional.  Lot’s of sad and at times he almost looks as though he’s ready to break down.  We have been told that this is due to Matt realizing his situation.  That part has been tough for us.  I’ve talked him through those times when I see it coming on.  Just give him encouragement and positive input.  I remind him of all the progress he continues to make and encourage him to keep working hard like he has been and that’s what will help him return to a more fulfilled life.  He takes it in and sighs, then he seems to move through it.  He knows what he has to do, he’s still Matt and as all of you who know him well, he’s a real hard worker.  All of that is still there and with encouragement he does work extremely hard and accomplishes more each day and moves forward each week. 

One of the routines I have with Matt is when I get up I go check on him.  He’s usually awake but not always.  When he is I tell him what day it is, the time the weather all that stuff.  When I’m ready to go to work, I go in to let him know.  I tell him what or where he’s going for the day for therapy and with who.  Then I tell him I’m leaving, ask for a handshake which every morning he reaches up and gives me, usually with a warm smile or smirk.  Lately, I’d say over the past couple of weeks, when I tell him goodbye, he verbalizes as he is looking at me.  To me it’s like the thought is there to say bye dad or something like that and he tries to get it out.  It always gets to me and I stop and come back to try and get more out of him and he’s just intensely starring at me with his big brown eyes trying to communicate.  It’s such a good feeling and it’s gradually becoming part of our daily routine.  He wants to say something to me and he’s trying.  I really want that to happen some day……………………….

I’m still working on getting a computer set up for Matt that he can work some simple exercises with.  I’m also thinking about set him up a face book account so that maybe he can have some interaction with some of his old friends.  Matt doesn’t ever see anyone anymore so I thought it might be a way of making it easier for him to work toward some interaction.  Get him thinking about things outside of therapy.

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