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August 4, 2007

Improvements Abound!!!

Taegan's physical therapist measured her range of motion (ROM) in her legs on Thursday and the improvements were quite significant!

She measured her ROM on her last visit, just before we left for the HBO treatments. So these changes have occurred since her last visit, obviously as a result of the hyperbaric oxygen treatments....

Taegan's hip abduction increased by 20 degrees on her right leg. On her left side, she improved 10 degrees. Hip abduction is the movement you make when you lift your leg straight out (away and to the side) from your body, while keeping your knee straight.

She also improved 15 degrees on her right side with her hip flexion. On her left side, little change, if any was noted with this movement. Hip flexion is if you would lie on your back and raise your leg straight up into the air, keeping your knee straight, and trying to get it as close to your shoulder as you can.

Both of her ankles remained the same in measurement, which was a bit of a disappointment, but I'm extremely happy with the muscle changes this most recent HBO session has helped her achieve. We could potentially see more improvements up to two months down the road from this last set of 40 HBO treatments. The oxygen will continue to 'dissolve' inside her blood stream for up to two months.

It's extremely important right now that we hit all her therapies really hard. The oxygen has awakened dormant neurons in her brain, and also has encouraged new capillary growth. We now have to 'train the awakened neurons' by making sure she gets all the therapy sessions she can receive. I'll be increasing the time spent working with her here at home on all her stretching exercises and speech techniques etc.

Taegan's had a growth spurt too during the past month. She's gotten taller, her hair has grown quite a bit and her feet have grown. Even her finger nails grew like wild fire while we were out in NC. I had to cut them twice a week! Since we've been back, everyone has noticed that she's taller.

Her speech continues to flourish! She comes out with new words almost daily! Her latest phrase is "Uh-oh! I get it." She's so animated when she says it too! She had her first speech session Thursday as well, and she was coming out with all kinds of words and phrases I'd never heard before. She has SO MUCH locked inside her brain, she just needed a little oxygen to help it come out. :-) She was saying "Mine" during speech, and "what?" and "yes" and "I want it" and "I did it!" Oh, and one of her favorites now is, "I know." And she says it appropriately, that's the funniest thing. She started that one while we were out in North Carolina. While in the bath tub, I told her the soap was slippery, and she matter of factly said, "I know."

She's still doling out hugs and kisses too! You can't ever have enough of those, that's for sure!

Thanks to all of Taegan's earth angels for making these accomplishments possible for her.... it is most definitely the hyperbaric oxygen treatments that are awakening our daughter before our very eyes!!!!

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