If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward. -Martin Luther King, Jr.
Hey There Everyone!
Sorry we were MIA for a few days, we are so emotionally and physically exhausted here! And on top of that my computer charger broke! No Bueno! So I will catch you guys up with all the progress Silas has made. I have to say he is a completely different kiddo! On Saturday we had our six sessions, and a start to one of our meltdown days. They said in our parent meeting that you should expect to see kids melting down on day three or four. He had meltdowns both days, but still did so amazing. On Sunday Silas did such incredible things. He was chosen by Svetlana for a demonstration in the morning in front of all the core specialists to show them new technique. She found the technique while they were in California last week. It is a technique that helps to open the fisted hands, and keep them from going back into their fists. Silas did amazing being demonstrated to them! And the technique worked! His hands have been so open! She also showed them a couple other techniques on him after. A move that is really going to help Silas with his spasticity. Instead of forcing his legs to bend if you pull down on the leg first and then push it up to bend it allows the leg to bend so much easier! Svetlana calls this "smart work" and she is absolutely right. We cannot force Silas into these positions. His body will allow it if done properly. Just like we should not try to pry his fingers out of the fists. Instead there is always a different pathway or neuro reflex to use to get the body to respond properly. After we had our demonstration we went to our first breathing class. We were able to smooth Silas' chest out to allow for easier breathing, help with reflux, and much more. Picture Silas' chest and rib cage to be like crumpled up paper or tinfoil. What was done in this session was incredible work. At the end it was if the paper or tinfoil was completely smooth now. His chest felt so flat. The whole look of it changed. This is going to be very important to learn this technique for help with his breathing and reflux issues. After breathing we went to Stephanie for tactile. We were trying to get Silas to engage during his session and we were playing around with trying to get him to say Mama. He said it, THREE TIMES!!! It was the most amazing experience, not only to hear him purposefully say it for the first time, but to share the moment with Steph our home therapist who helped to guide us into this direction of therapy! At the end of our session Silas went into meltdown mode again and we decided to take it easy in Archetype and work with him on his side on the couch. Silas brought his hands up to his mouth, which he never does, and CHOMPED down onto his finger! Ouch!!! This is so amazing though. For him to make that connection is incredible. He has now integrated the fact that he has fingers, not just a fist, and that his mouth is very powerful! Now that he has done that he will probably never do it again. He brought his hands up after and very nicely put them in his mouth and took them back out without chomping them. In repatterning we were at a parent meeting, but his therapist got him to calm down and have a very successful session. She had him crawling across the therapy table with her cues and help, and was able to get him into fetal position and stay in it without spasming out of it. This is huge. In oral facial Silas had a lot of his sucking and swallow reflexes worked on, and work on his eyes as well. The asymmetry of his face has started to shift so I am looking forward to taking our after pictures and comparing. Silas already looks so different then when we first arrived. He looks longer, and his face looks more defined. His feet are much looser and his toes less cramped. His overall personality and body language is so much more mellow and way less spastic. Silas had a very good neurostructural session to end our day and first four days for that matter. He really wants to crawl! And he had started this process!! He just needs some simple reminders and he will be off and running soon, baby proofing here we come! Although all these great things have been happening, let me tell you, this conference is in no way easy. It is emotionally, physically, and mentally challenging. This is 64 hours of therapy in eight short days. Not only are these kiddos enduring this intensive therapy, but they are also detoxing from it. Silas has been dry heaving, throwing up, achy, and very exhausted. He is such a trooper though. All of the toxins in his body are flushing out of his system, and he is changing by the minute. Thankfully Matt arrived Sunday night which was perfect for some much needed Dada time. Although when Matt arrived he still wasn't himself. He is a much more mellow version of himself. I cannot wait to see what these next four days bring, it is going to be amazing though, I know that for sure. We had a free day today to relax and reboot our systems and it was so necessary! Silas had a hard day still detoxing from the work. Very hot and cold and back and fourth with his emotions. But we had amazing moments in between the hard times. He went swimming with Mama and Dada and had an absolute blast, he is such a little fishy. He played with Dada and tried crawling a little, hiking his butt in the air, so cool! Now he is sleeping soundly and getting ready for another long day! Thank you to all who are following along with us on our journey, this is simply life changing and the most amazing and rewarding experience I have ever had. There is so much love and healing here with all these families and therapists. I am so grateful to be here. Here's to four more days of amazing life changing intensive therapy for our little guy! Goodnight all! -Mama Brown
Sorry we were MIA for a few days, we are so emotionally and physically exhausted here! And on top of that my computer charger broke! No Bueno! So I will catch you guys up with all the progress Silas has made. I have to say he is a completely different kiddo! On Saturday we had our six sessions, and a start to one of our meltdown days. They said in our parent meeting that you should expect to see kids melting down on day three or four. He had meltdowns both days, but still did so amazing. On Sunday Silas did such incredible things. He was chosen by Svetlana for a demonstration in the morning in front of all the core specialists to show them new technique. She found the technique while they were in California last week. It is a technique that helps to open the fisted hands, and keep them from going back into their fists. Silas did amazing being demonstrated to them! And the technique worked! His hands have been so open! She also showed them a couple other techniques on him after. A move that is really going to help Silas with his spasticity. Instead of forcing his legs to bend if you pull down on the leg first and then push it up to bend it allows the leg to bend so much easier! Svetlana calls this "smart work" and she is absolutely right. We cannot force Silas into these positions. His body will allow it if done properly. Just like we should not try to pry his fingers out of the fists. Instead there is always a different pathway or neuro reflex to use to get the body to respond properly. After we had our demonstration we went to our first breathing class. We were able to smooth Silas' chest out to allow for easier breathing, help with reflux, and much more. Picture Silas' chest and rib cage to be like crumpled up paper or tinfoil. What was done in this session was incredible work. At the end it was if the paper or tinfoil was completely smooth now. His chest felt so flat. The whole look of it changed. This is going to be very important to learn this technique for help with his breathing and reflux issues. After breathing we went to Stephanie for tactile. We were trying to get Silas to engage during his session and we were playing around with trying to get him to say Mama. He said it, THREE TIMES!!! It was the most amazing experience, not only to hear him purposefully say it for the first time, but to share the moment with Steph our home therapist who helped to guide us into this direction of therapy! At the end of our session Silas went into meltdown mode again and we decided to take it easy in Archetype and work with him on his side on the couch. Silas brought his hands up to his mouth, which he never does, and CHOMPED down onto his finger! Ouch!!! This is so amazing though. For him to make that connection is incredible. He has now integrated the fact that he has fingers, not just a fist, and that his mouth is very powerful! Now that he has done that he will probably never do it again. He brought his hands up after and very nicely put them in his mouth and took them back out without chomping them. In repatterning we were at a parent meeting, but his therapist got him to calm down and have a very successful session. She had him crawling across the therapy table with her cues and help, and was able to get him into fetal position and stay in it without spasming out of it. This is huge. In oral facial Silas had a lot of his sucking and swallow reflexes worked on, and work on his eyes as well. The asymmetry of his face has started to shift so I am looking forward to taking our after pictures and comparing. Silas already looks so different then when we first arrived. He looks longer, and his face looks more defined. His feet are much looser and his toes less cramped. His overall personality and body language is so much more mellow and way less spastic. Silas had a very good neurostructural session to end our day and first four days for that matter. He really wants to crawl! And he had started this process!! He just needs some simple reminders and he will be off and running soon, baby proofing here we come! Although all these great things have been happening, let me tell you, this conference is in no way easy. It is emotionally, physically, and mentally challenging. This is 64 hours of therapy in eight short days. Not only are these kiddos enduring this intensive therapy, but they are also detoxing from it. Silas has been dry heaving, throwing up, achy, and very exhausted. He is such a trooper though. All of the toxins in his body are flushing out of his system, and he is changing by the minute. Thankfully Matt arrived Sunday night which was perfect for some much needed Dada time. Although when Matt arrived he still wasn't himself. He is a much more mellow version of himself. I cannot wait to see what these next four days bring, it is going to be amazing though, I know that for sure. We had a free day today to relax and reboot our systems and it was so necessary! Silas had a hard day still detoxing from the work. Very hot and cold and back and fourth with his emotions. But we had amazing moments in between the hard times. He went swimming with Mama and Dada and had an absolute blast, he is such a little fishy. He played with Dada and tried crawling a little, hiking his butt in the air, so cool! Now he is sleeping soundly and getting ready for another long day! Thank you to all who are following along with us on our journey, this is simply life changing and the most amazing and rewarding experience I have ever had. There is so much love and healing here with all these families and therapists. I am so grateful to be here. Here's to four more days of amazing life changing intensive therapy for our little guy! Goodnight all! -Mama Brown
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