Monday, July 9, 2012

We have some head movement!!!

Today is Monday, July 9, 2012... Almost 1 month since Max came on on June 14th.  Today I  am happy to report that we finally have some more head movement! I was beginning to give up hope.  Perhaps Max is just good and tired of all the manhandling, and flipping and flopping around he's had over the last few days.. (He went on a road trip this weekend)

This morning after I got him up, fed him, he went to the bathroom, etc.. I left him in bed on his stomach in a straight line, and his head propped up on his travel pillow (which I originally bought so I could lay him on the side that his feeding tube port is on.. but as it turns out that is an EXCELLENT head and neck support for someone who has no neck control!). I took #2 out for his run and when I came back, Max's body was still in the straight position, although his head (and the pillow) were completely turn to the right towards the door. (Have no idea if he meant to look at the door or not but that was where he was facing.)

I thought he must have accidentally moved his head, until I had moved him into the living room and was getting him situated and I kept putting his head in a straight line with his body and then he'd push his head to the right.  I would put it back in a straight line and he'd push it back to the right again. Then I held his head in my head, with his head resting on top of my hand and I could feel the muscles in his neck moving and his head turned to the right. He repeated this a bunch of times before he got tired of it and closed his eyes.

And now that I think about it, twice yesterday, while I was hanging out with him, he actually lifted the top of his head up to yawn, not just his lower jaw.

I've spent the last few days, making him do things that make him move his neck - like tickling his nose until he sneeze, and a few times he'd move his head away before I'd even touch his nose, and giving him wet willies so he'd shake his head. These are all reflex actions but they still use the muscles and I thought maybe that might help remind the muscles what they are supposed to do.

It's a start... everything is a start!  But he keeps getting a tiny bit stronger with each thing and I realize we have to practice a lot! It does take a lot of time out of the day to work with him as much as he needs, and I don't always get the chance to do it as much as he needs but sure do try. I wish there was a good doggie rehab center close by where they could work with him all day long to get those muscles going again.. 

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