Update - 5/1/08
Greetings!
We rejoice that Matthew is doing well and continues to make progress. He is doing very well walking with the walker and now that his right arm can be straightened down to the walker, he is able to walk straighter. Matthew only uses the walker during therapy so he's not out and about with the walker, but we're thankful he's up on his feet for periods of time each day.
Please keep Matthew in your prayers for next Tuesday. The hole left from the removal of his feeding tube has not completely healed shut and it is still causing him discomfort (six months after the tube was removed). What has developed is fishula which is granulated tissue that formed around the feeding tube and when the tube was removed the tissue never healed or closed itself up. It is suppose to be out-patient surgery and we pray there are no complications to cause setbacks for Matthew.
We pray that Matthew heals well from this surgery because he is scheduled to attend camp from May 18-23. This is a special camp for head trauma victims and it will be a wonderful opportunity for Matthew and a well-deserved rest for Mom and Dad at home.
Matthew is getting more assertive and directs his own care. He lets his caregiver know that something needs to be done and when it isn't done immediately, he won't let the caregiver forget and repeats the need over and over.
Other improvements are: his vocabulary is improving and using larger words requiring higher level thinking; he does very well remembering details of a story if he hears it rather than trying to read it - it appears he may do better with auditory learning; and Matthew makes involuntary movements with his right hand (like reaching out to grab a cup without even thinking about it) and then he wonders what to do with it when he has it in his hand - this is a step in the right direction for him to be able to control his right hand even better.
Matthew got to go for a drive with a friend in a car (without the wheelchair) and he was thrilled!!! He operated the radio and was grinning from ear to ear the whole trip.
There will be a couple of fundraisers in June (with matching assistance from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans) to help with Matthew's care and medical expenses. The family does not have additional health care coverage so they have to rely solely on medicare. If you would like more information on how to contribute to the fundraisers, you may contact Thrivent insurance representative, Bob Boone:
Bob Boone
7220 W. 98th Terrace, Suite 230
Overland Park, KS 66212
816-590-9064
Robert.Boone@Thrivent.com
Thank you for any assistance you may be able to provide as well as your prayers.
Rachel Asburry
Matthew's Godmother
We rejoice that Matthew is doing well and continues to make progress. He is doing very well walking with the walker and now that his right arm can be straightened down to the walker, he is able to walk straighter. Matthew only uses the walker during therapy so he's not out and about with the walker, but we're thankful he's up on his feet for periods of time each day.
Please keep Matthew in your prayers for next Tuesday. The hole left from the removal of his feeding tube has not completely healed shut and it is still causing him discomfort (six months after the tube was removed). What has developed is fishula which is granulated tissue that formed around the feeding tube and when the tube was removed the tissue never healed or closed itself up. It is suppose to be out-patient surgery and we pray there are no complications to cause setbacks for Matthew.
We pray that Matthew heals well from this surgery because he is scheduled to attend camp from May 18-23. This is a special camp for head trauma victims and it will be a wonderful opportunity for Matthew and a well-deserved rest for Mom and Dad at home.
Matthew is getting more assertive and directs his own care. He lets his caregiver know that something needs to be done and when it isn't done immediately, he won't let the caregiver forget and repeats the need over and over.
Other improvements are: his vocabulary is improving and using larger words requiring higher level thinking; he does very well remembering details of a story if he hears it rather than trying to read it - it appears he may do better with auditory learning; and Matthew makes involuntary movements with his right hand (like reaching out to grab a cup without even thinking about it) and then he wonders what to do with it when he has it in his hand - this is a step in the right direction for him to be able to control his right hand even better.
Matthew got to go for a drive with a friend in a car (without the wheelchair) and he was thrilled!!! He operated the radio and was grinning from ear to ear the whole trip.
There will be a couple of fundraisers in June (with matching assistance from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans) to help with Matthew's care and medical expenses. The family does not have additional health care coverage so they have to rely solely on medicare. If you would like more information on how to contribute to the fundraisers, you may contact Thrivent insurance representative, Bob Boone:
Bob Boone
7220 W. 98th Terrace, Suite 230
Overland Park, KS 66212
816-590-9064
Robert.Boone@Thrivent.com
Thank you for any assistance you may be able to provide as well as your prayers.
Rachel Asburry
Matthew's Godmother
posted by Randy Asburry @ 6:02 AM
2 Comments:
At 1:37 PM,
Anonymous said…
How did Matt's surgery go? Was it outpatient as anticipated?
At 7:58 AM,
Anonymous said…
I emailed the Thrivent representative about the fundraisers, but he did not reply. Can you tell us about them in this blog?
a Sister in Christ, from Immanuel, Honeycreek
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