TheraSuit Australia - Day Sixteen

Warm up and stretch... My foot is looking pretty good!

It's time to use it for practicing steps and growing muscles.

I am working so very, very hard!

Everything I do with Nico uses every single  ounce of energy. Everything I have, I give.

The exercises I have been working on are used to help me progress to the next one. I have built up my muscles pushing down, now it is time to use them to help me to lift up.

Using all my might to push with my arms and to use my abdominal muscles to sit up. I am going to have a little six pack when I am finished this next three weeks.

This is the way Nico would like me to sit all the time - putting weight on my arms. If I lean too far back, I need to use my triceps and core muscles to push myself forward. It will make me exercise on my own. I am much more alert now too. I am not sure if this is because of all the stimulation I am receiving, but I was looking around everywhere while I was sitting here.

I did some ball work today too. Using my muscles to hold my chest and head up off the ball. This will help to strengthen my neck muscles and make it easier to hold my head up.

I need those neck musces to help hold my head up when I crawl

 



This is a new execise for today and it just about blew Mummy away! I am moving my own legs forward in a crawling motion!!!

 All this exercise in the spider is teaching me how to take a step

One foot...

And then the other... and that is me taking steps - all on my own!

TheraSuit Australia - Day Fifteen

Warming up. When I am massaged more than stretched I really quite enjoy this! This is a photo of a stretch though.

I am being strapped into my gear and the weights are about to start.

I certainly am getting to know that I have a right side to me. My right arm and leg are starting to get some little muscles in them!

Nico is showing me how to use them. The same exercises on different days can activate different muscles depending on how I am strapped in and whether I am using splints or not.

One armed pushing! This isVERY hard for me. I am using only my right arm to push against Nico and activate my core muscles. It is so much harder when I don't have my stronger left side to compensate with.

And although all my photos of four point look almost identical, I am starting to get stronger with this one too.

Back in the spider... I am using my stepping action to kick the ball. I need to push up and take a big step to boot the ball.

Activating the vestibular system again.

 

Stepping to Mummy before I go home. I am starting to get some pretty good and independent steps in. (I would still need Nico to help me though - I am a long way off using the walker and stepping by myself)



TheraSuit Australia - Day Fourteen

Warming up, stretching and massage to start my day. Before I move on to weights on my arms and legs.

I am starting not to cry so much and to pay a little bit more attention. There are even times when I have  my eyes open!

This one is still so muh effort!

So is pushing down with my arms and legs

And especially this one. I can push 5.5kgs which is more than half my body weight!!

Four point! Practice is going to make perfect with this exercise! It is a very important one for me to learn.

I do some really great work in the spider. All the elastic bungees help me stay up straight and tall and it makes me use my legs to stay upright. My left arm is strapped down, which means I can only use my right arm to hold onto things and to push up on the cord while I bring my leg froward in a step

All these exercises are making me do some pretty good stepping. I don't even use the splints on my legs anymore! It is all me!!

TheraSuit Australia - Day Thirteen

Every morning at the start of each session, I look at Mummy with pleading eyes... I am tired... please take me away... I need a rest...

 

I work on pushing my arms down against the weight.

Nico is teaching me to reach across to my left side with my right arm. If I do it well I am able to give some back to Nico, with a big right hook!

Pushing up and stretching before I go into four point

Four point is starting to get a little bit easier for me now.

I just need to work on weight bearing on my arms.

More vestibular system stimulation

 and steps in the walker,

 

Then I am finished and I can rest. I still get therapy even when I am resting. Nico really wants me to learn how to use my right side so he has put sandbags on my left arm and leg

TheraSuit Australia - Day Twelve

Warming up with Nico. He warms me up with hot water bottles to release my muscles, then he rubs me all over with Arnica oil.

I am learning a new exercise where I push down on my arm. This is my first day doing this. I don't have a splint on or anything and I can push down 1kg of weight with my right arm.

I am pushing my leg down at the same time.

I find these exercises so exhusting that I even pause for a little rest in between!

We moved on to the exercise ball before putting on the suit. It is hard work for me to lift my body up off the ball - but I managed to do a few.

I am also starting to shift my weight from my arms to my legs in four point and I am rocking backwards and forwards on my own

I did some sit to stand exercises on the bench

And even some standing up!!

I can push on my right leg and get myself into a standing position

 

Spinning in the chair will help to stimulate my vestibular system. It makes me a bit scared being dizzy though!

 

 I am lucky to have Corey cheering me on. My steps are getting better and better.