A Busy June...

It's been a busy couple of weeks at the Morgan household. Jake just finished his three week OT/PT intensive, he's had five therapy appointments a week in addition to aquatic therapy, stretch therapy, acupuncture and nuerofeedback (the last three being part of his year round schedule). It's always amazing to me to see how much progress he makes during these mini intensive sessions. This one was focused on strength training in his legs, reducing the tightness in his left arm and better grip release. They push him really hard too...fast walking on the treadmill, single leg presses, balancing on his left and going up/down the stairs. I honestly don't know how he continues to have such a good attitude and work so hard at all of his appointments, especially at 8:00 in the morning, but he does.

We did manage to fit in some fun stuff too. Week before last, he and Luke attended a day camp through Adaptive Adventures. They got to water ski, paddle board, kayak and bike. It was all adapted so Jake was able to participate in everything. I couldn't quite imagine how he would be able to water ski, they had a little chair attached to a mono ski with two outriggers off to the side for balance. He got the full experience of skiing behind a boat but in a completely safe way. I also love that they include the siblings, Luke didn't get to water ski but he did get a "really awesome wild tube ride" behind the boat. They were completely wiped when they got home but they both couldn't stop talking and telling me all about it. They ask that a parent attend with kids under 14, so Todd went and got to experience all the excitement first hand (and take pictures for me.)

After that long day at camp in 90+ degree weather, the next morning Jake asked to go bike riding again at Wash Park. We hadn't planned on going since we figured he'd be too tired, but off we went. We all biked together this time and he made it about 3 1/2 miles before his legs got too tired.

This past Saturday we went to Cave of the Winds in Colorado Springs. My parents had taken Luke
during one of their outings while Jake as in the hospital. It's something Jake has wanted to do since last summer. It's a 45 minute guided tour, about a half mile with 200 steps and a lot of narrow winding paths on sometimes slippery ground. It's a really cool tour and he did awesome. If you haven't been (and aren't claustrophobic) I'd highly recommend it.

We finished our day in the Springs by visiting a bike shop that specializes in recumbent bikes like the ones Jake's been riding at Wash Park. Todd and I have been talking about getting one for Jake and needed to get more education on some of the different features and what would be best suited for him. It something he seems to be enjoying, is great "fun" therapy, and would allow us to start taking bike rides again as a family. The bikes are quite an investment, so we want to get something that will last and grow with him. The store was really helpful and we feel a lot better equipped to make a decision. We all got to take a spin around the parking lot, they are really fun to ride.

Hard to believe June is almost gone, hoping July is a little less hectic!

Bike Ride at Wash Park

We had a great start to our weekend on Saturday morning at Wash Park, so much so I was on the verge of happy tears. This was the first free Saturday morning we've had in months and it was so nice to spend it in a beautiful park as a family.

For the past 9-10 months, stretch therapy and acupuncture have occupied most of our Saturday mornings because there just wasn't time to schedule them during the week. With summer here, we decided to move them to a weekday so we could do some other things on the weekends...that led us to Wash Park which is a really popular park near downtown Denver. We met up with Adaptive Adventures and the Children's Hospital Sports Program for a bike ride. We did one with them last summer and it went pretty well all things considered. I mentioned to Jake they were offering the rides again this summer and he said he'd like to try it again. 

We could not believe how much better he did this time. He had no issues holding on to the handle with his left hand and was even able to brake a little. It took a little work to get into a peddling rhythm, but once he got it, he just took off. As an added bonus, it was great therapy for his left leg. The really cool thing was they let Luke use one of their bikes too so they were able to ride together. Todd had also brought his bike and I figured he and Luke could go ride and I would walk and help Jake like I did last time. Things

didn't quite happen that way, Jake didn't need my help. The three of them were all off riding and I couldn't keep up on foot, which was actually really cool. I got to follow behind them watching them ride together and it literally filled my heart with joy. It was a gorgeous morning, the park setting was amazing and they were just two brothers cruising along....it all made me so happy. There were of course times when Luke turned into a speed demon, but then he'd stop, wait, and ride with Jake for awhile. Todd told me later (since I was out of earshot most of the time) that Luke would give Jake encouragement to get up a little bit of an incline or go a little faster, and Jake responded. They rode about 2 1/2 miles around the park and Jake was wiped out by the time they were done. He did tell me as soon as we got back to the car that he wanted to come again. Here is a really short video clip I was able to get after one of their stops http://youtu.be/AC5RcXsGL-I. 

Can't wait until next time when we can all ride together!