MNRI DC 5 Day - Day Five

our fitfth day, our last day here. 

Today was our LAST DAY at Conference! So sad, I feel like I could do at least 3 more days or so, now I really have a perspective as to why 8 day conferences are so important for these kids, it just allows so much more time for amazing integration to take place! I am so so excited that we are signed up for an 8day conference in January! This will be amazing for Silas to get these intensive conferences this close together. The earlier (age wise) you start them the better, it just allows for such a deeper level of integration when their brains and bodies are that resilient.


Silas did so amazing today! You’d think by day five he would be so tired and warn out...and while he his tired you could tell he was still so present in his sessions. Wow, what a difference from January in FL...he was still so lethargic then, he still had all those nasty toxins from all of the seizure meds he had taken for his first year of life, he body was just still so resistant to the therapy because of the brain trauma. This conference he is so present during his therapy, he is tolerating his tummy, melting into the table and letting his brain rest. And he was so vocal all day! You can tell a huge difference in his ability to focus, to make eye contact when people are talking with him, and to really looks at their faces and study them.  There was so much reciprocal vocalization between us, especially between him and his Dada. 


His first session he had tactile with Amy. Matt was lucky enough to be treated at the same time as Silas and experience some tactile with from of the therapists in training. Silas did great with Amy, all he needed was the music from his ipad signing time show, he actually rarely needed the visual from his ipad all week, huge difference from January...he needed a visual flashy distraction for every single session, which of course is not the best for his brain, he is able to take in the therapy so much better without the visual stim. But of course he did need his light up sound toys a lot, be we tried to turn them off when he didn’t need them, and towards the end of the conference the music was almost enough for him to stay calm during his sessions. So that in itself is a huge difference. Dr. Masgutova even liked one of the songs playing so much that she asked for us to email where to find it to her. She says there are some singers that have a certain calming tone to them, it really does calm him right down. Nice to know that she approved his music. 

Second we had archetype with Jean. I was able to spend his session with a therapist in training and have archetype done on me. It was not only awesome to have the therapy done to me, but to also feel it so that I know better what it feels like for when I do it on him, how much pressure to apply (less pressure on him because he is smaller) and how the movements feel. Silas did great on his tummy during this session, and they were able to get so much done. Jean is so excited to continue his home program with him in Maine, you get such a “high” from these conferences and a much needed motivational boost to get into the swing of things back home. I also think having a shorter distance in between conferences will be better because I will feel much more motivated with his program knowing that he will be seen again soon, and I will be able to see if what we were doing back home helped! (Which it will! I know it!) But the neat thing about these intensive therapy conferences is that even if I didn’t even touch him with the MNRI method, it would still integrate in his body for up to four months! That how intensive and deep this therapy is, so much so we cannot touch him for five days with his MNRI program to give his body and brain a rest and let it integrate and organize all the new information he received. 

We had lunch after his first two sessions. Lunch was cut short so we could have our closing ceremony with all the families and therapists before everyone had to leave after the day was over and catch their flights home. Closing ceremony is so fun!!! Theres singing, and celebration, and so much love! It started out with the whole group of therapists signing to everyone. Then a short explanation of how to carry on at home with the program. Then all children were presented with their medal and certificate and dvds to follow along for the home programs! Silas was awake and alert and so happy for closing ceremony. In January he was sound asleep and so lethargic. What a difference! I am so grateful we found this therapy for him, it has changed our lives. We were able to share a little bit about Silas’ successes with the group and also some helpful information for families to fly for free to the conferences. The closing ceremony gave us a great energetic boost to finish the rest of his day! Normally he and Dada nap during lunch, so Silas didn’t get to nap this time. I thought he would be a little crankier and tired due to not getting a nap in but he must have felt the energy too because he was more awake and vocal than ever! 

Silas had re-patterning with Tanya after the ceremony. He did really well with Tanya on all of his different techniques. Then Dr. Masgutova came over to treat him with her! We got to see her FOUR TIMES during conference including his assessment. SO AMAZING! In Florida we only saw her twice. She is just so incredible. To see her work just makes my jaw drop every time! She told us she was able to find two discoveries with Silas during his time there. One was the now famous “Silas Foot Tendon Guard” and also a moro point on Silas that she was able to access. Normally his moro point would be right where his gtube is so we wern’t able to get to it on his right side. Instead she found a different moro point on him avoiding the gtube! Amazing stuff!  Moro points are very important to use with MNRI on these kiddos, so it’s amazing she was able to adapt to him and his tubie! Because she is such a genius with the human anatomy, she knew right where to go for him. I hope someday we will be lucky enough to have more time working with her, like a full hour long session even! It would be so incredible. 

Silas had his oral/facial and visual/auditory integration after Tanyas session, and it was so fun! I was blown away with his vocalization and his acceptance for her working in his mouth. She was able to get some amazing work done. He even started to move his tongue laterally, which is SO cool! The ability to move your tongue laterally (back and fourth, to the sides of your mouth) allows for so much growth, not only for eating to clean out your cheeks and push around food, but for  language, verbally being able to move your tongue to make new sounds, and also for gross motor skills like rolling over! So the fact that when she had her finger in his mouth and he was moving his tongue to the side to touch her finger was HUGE FOR HIM! See...things that we take for granted, things that seem so simple, are things that Silas cannot do and NEEDS to be able to do, we are getting closer everyday! She taught me so many cool techniques to use that will help with his inner oral integration, and i’m so excited to start it with him!!! He was so so so vocal during his session, I took some great videos! I unfortunately cannot post them for liability reasons, if someone were to try to mock a technique and didn’t know correctly how to do it that wouldn’t be good! But wow was he chatty!!! Never have I ever seen him so happy while someone is inside his mouth! Normally he would scream! That in itself is huge!!! 


Our last session of the day was neurostructural with Svetlana’s Nephew Elvin. We feel so lucky to have gotten on his team for conference, he is definitely a genius and a healer like Svetlana! At only 22 years old he is doing incredible work for these kids! He was so professional and so effective with his work. Our last session with him was awesome. He showed us incredible easy techniques to get Silas’ feet to relax, his feet are so cramped up with his spasticity, so much so that his second tow is often hidden and pushed down under his other toes. It is so hard to get it to come up at the same level but Elvin did this for his toes within 30seconds!!!! He showed us how to do this for him at home, he said the more we work with it the better it will get. I mean...it was magical! His once cramped up feet were flat! Then the work he was able to do with Silas on his stomach was amazing. Silas was happy, and vocal, ON HIS STOMACH!! Amazing! 

Overall, absolutely amazing day!!! Such an amazing conference overall! I am so so proud of him for all of the progress he made, and for the endurance he had throughout the conference. He stayed so strong the whole time. I cannot WAIT until we go to San DIego in January to the 8day conference! We secured our spot, so now we just have to come up with the funds! Thank you to all who donated to get us here, I ask that you please share this life changing journey will all those around you and fight for us to get to another conference. It is all about quality of life. This therapy is a lifestyle for us now, and a necessity. It is what works to help heal him from his traumatic brain injury. We would have never come this far if we hadn't found MNRI. If you know companies, individuals, anyone that would like to make tax deductible donations please message me, we have a non-profit account with Annie's Angels Memorial Fund! We appreciate all those who make it possible to give Silas this therapy! SO THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts!! Stay tuned for progress reports of Si back at home with his home program!!!