6/21/2008 - Saturday
- 6/21/2008 10:00:00 PMBreakthroughWe have had Michael home for nearly four months now. Since our hellish arrival at the airport on March 4th, Michael has come a very long way. In particular his health has changed remarkably for the better.
When we left Moscow in March, Michael (then Yuri) would walk nearly stiff legged everywhere and constantly complain about his knee and his foot. At the time we didn't fully know what was wrong with either. I don't recall if I've mentioned this before but he was taking five different prescriptions when we came home. After our initial visit to our home doctor (who speaks Russian), we flushed two of them down the toilet and cut way back on a third.
Initial x-rays of his legs and feet revealed high levels of inflamation. Additionally he had a bad case of tonsilitus along with horrendas bad breath. Partly due his throat infection, partly due to rotten teeth. I have taken it upon myself to begin doing some home-grown physical therapy. I have him doing exercises such as:
- streatching
- walking/running on the tread mill for 10 minutes
- standing up and sitting down repeatedly in a chair
- doing squats with no weight other than his own body weight
- doing leg lunges
- climbing the stairs like spiderman
When we began all of this, Michael would cry and cry. He was very reluctant to move any more than he absolutely had to. He would cry in the evenings when it was time to get up off of his butt and walk to his bed. At times, he would refuse to move claiming that his legs hurt too much. He has made tremendous progress since those days.
Earlier this week, I took him outside for a run. Normally I would ask him to run so I could watch how he moved. He is a lazy runner. His running is more like a moderately paced walk. His arms move a little faster but the speed of his forward motion is not any greater than when he walks. In frustration, I took him by the hand and we began a slow trot around the yard. To him, it must have seemed like we were moving as fast as a car. He cryed and cryed as I pulled him along. "Please dad! Stop! Please!". I told him "no".
As we continued around the yard, he ran like he was out of control. His one arm was flailing about, his legs struggling to keep up and stay underneath him. Keep in mind that we are not running as much as we are moving at the pace of a fast walking adult.
Today, I decided it was time for another run. I said, "I want to see you run again today." He said "ok". I told him that I was going to hold his hand. Immediately he began to cry. Tears ran down his face and dripped off of his cheeks. Peggy asked him why he started to cry so soon - even before we began to run. He didn't know. I think he is afraid and is not used to telling himself that he "can". I grabbed him by the hand and off we went.
More crying - only this time, he kept up with me. "Stop dad! Please! Stop!". I said, "no". We ran all around the garden, around the trees and back to the porch. We both huffed and puffed gasping for air. He kept saying, "I can't run. My leg hurts". I said, "you did run! I saw you!". I told him we were going to do it again and this time I was not going to hold his hand.
Ready... Set... Go! Michael took off ahead of me. He did not run like an old grandpa as usual. He ran like a boy runs. We rounded the garden and he stepped on a picker. "Ouch ouch", he cried. I told him, "keep going". We ran past the trees and I said, "look at you go!". I could see his stride change from one of reluctance to one of confidence.
Later in the day while we were in the kitchen, Michael showed me a new amazing feat. He ran through the house on his toes. This is the same boy who would not stand on his toes in Russia. This the same boy I had to carry on my back through the airport in Detroit and Atlanta. This is the same boy who went down the stairs backwards in Chekboksary. This is the same boy who said, "I can't".
It was amazing to watch the light come on in his head. If he puts his mind to it, there is nothing he cannot do.
