Mom arrived

Mom drove down to Regina to see Matt in action. She was a bit surprised to see so little equipment at the Wellness Center, but they seem to do well with what they have in place.
The first hour was spent just focusing on stretching. Mom really likes the people helping in rehab. The rehab staff (Andy and Owen)were so surprised on how much mobility Matt has with the severity of his injury. Surprisinly, the percentage rate of walking is 12% and The First Steps Wellness Center has already reached that goal, so we hope Matt will be bring the percentage rate up even more!
Matt stood today without a standing frame. He starts from a sitting position with some cushions under his bum. They place a transfer belt around his bum to help Matt stand, but Matt must use his own legs to get up and then must use his own legs to stand. The rehab staff are there to assist but really encourage him to do as much as he can on his own.
The staff can't believe how much core muscle Matt has. To test his strength, Matt sits on the plinth (table)and puts a 30% wedge behind his back with his legs dangling like he is reclined in chair. They made Matt sit up on his own. It took almost all his strength to do it and really struggled, but he did it!!!
They did some testing on Matt's left arm. Of course it wasn't great but they figure he has enough to work with. The shoulder is something they are working on to make it more functional. Long way to go with the arm, that is for sure.
With the anti-spasm medication, the therapists suggested Matt should decrease the amount of baclofen he is on, which must be down slowly.
I am trying to imagine Matt on a bike. Apparently they tried Matt on the the bike yesterday and he did really well. Today was not as good because he was so tired from the previous exercises.
The therapists also tried to get Matt on his knees and elbows but couldn't get him to stay in that position. They will try a different position tomorrow.
I am so excited about Matt giving rehab another try. It must be difficult to do (as we all know how difficult it is for the rest of us to get up and get exercise after a long hiatus!)Hopefully there is more in store, and lots more to write!