Taylor had her first outpatient rehab sessions at Ranchos Los Amigos today. We met her speech, occupational and physical therapists, the neuropsychologists and neurologist for the first time. It looks like Taylor will have another awesome team working with her!
Today was mostly establishing Taylor’s “baseline” values. In speech, her cognitive function was assessed; in occupational therapy, the range of motion and the strength in her arms were assessed; and in physical therapy, her walking, flexibility and strength in her legs were assessed. All of this work tired her out, and Taylor took a 3 hour nap after we got home! Going forward, she will have sessions 2 days a week and lots of homework. The goal now is to get her back to independent living.
At night, when we were talking about the events of the day, Taylor explained that she experienced a “moment of clarity” in the speech therapist’s office. Taylor says that what she “sees” is no longer like looking through a rainy window but is just blurry. While in the speech therapist’s office, amongst all this blurriness, she realized there was a calendar there that clearly said “June,” but then it went away. It’s like her brain is trying to interpret the images her eyes are taking in, and in that instant, the correct interpretation was made. What an amazing moment of clarity!