Friday July 31

I was able to be with John during part of his speech therapy session and all of his physical therapy session today. I haven't actually seen John walk or climb stairs and I was in awe and complete amazement. The above photos were taken in the big TIRR gym. The photos of him waving are so great because the whole gym was waving back at him and it sort of reminded me of a person of nobility waving to his minions! His therapists shown in the photos are Desiree and Charles. John practices voice volume when he is on the second floor, his speech is good but he needs to get a bit louder (most of you won't believe that he needs to get louder but it's true!). You will see that John still requires a bit of stabilization and some help to make sure he doesn't fall but it gets better each day and he requires less help as the days pass.

If you can't read the quote on the wall, it says, "Man uses the tiniest strengths for the greatest purpose". That quote seems so appropriate in John's case and also the other patients receiving treatment at TIRR. This place is as spiritual as any I have been and it is absolutely a place of worship in many ways and miracles occur here. You can just feel the fact that a higher power is at work in this gym and there is strength returning, minds healing and lives changing.

The best part about being involved in this process is that everyone seems to know John and all of the therapists speak to him by name which is exceptional in that this facility currently houses around 200 patients. You almost feel like a band groupie or as if you are in a parade walking around with John! The gym area is a theatrical production of patients moving with their therapists through a myriad of equipment, noises and distractions. I constantly feel clumsy and in someone's way but they move through the area as if they are performing that all-cast number of any of your favorite musicals or the ballet.

Today was also great because while John was receiving physical therapy, he participated in music therapy. It looked like John had assembled a mariachi band as we moved down the hall but there is actually a very useful purpose to this music therapy combined with physical therapy. The guitarist (Kate) and another music therapist (Amy) play chords and help each other to give feedback about what needs to happen with the tempo and this gives John a cadence for walking or climbing stairs or whatever he happens to be doing. Heck, I think she even had a tomato picking song! They have to be able to walk backwards, to tempo, playing guitar and at times guiding John verbally. It sort of reminds me of Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire because she had to do everything Fred did backwards and in high heels! I would be hard-pressed to chew gum and walk so again, I just tried to stay the heck out of the way and snap pictures as they went along.


As we made our way down the corridor, we were headed outside and realized that it was pouring down rain. We haven't had much rain in these parts lately, so it was a bit surprising to see and of course as quickly as it started it stopped so after John took a quick break and we all enjoyed some music, we headed outside. There is a back courtyard which has a garden area with some herbs, vegetables and flowers. John pulled some weeds and was really drawn to the tomato plants. We also got to feel some raindrops on our faces and arms and since John has a clean-shaven head, he got to feel it a lot!XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
I wanted to close with the above picture. This is the first photo of John I have taken of him standing by himself without any assistance and the first time I have seen him do so. He is able to do this for about ten seconds but that is hard to show in photos. None of us could have possibly conceived of this level of progress even 30 days ago and although the photo isn't great, for any of us who saw him within the first few hours or days following June 2, 2009, it is astounding on all levels.