Overall, Ryder is as healthy and active as he was before he got sick but we still have a long and winding road ahead of us.  His grip strength continues to improve, and the few movements he can make get stronger as the weeks go on.  We were told that if he’s ever going to regain functional use of his arm, we have to get his shoulder back up into the right location.  So for now, we are focusing on strengthening his shoulder.

We are still utilizing physical and occupational therapy services and chiropractic care to strengthen Ryder’s arm and shoulder and maintain mobility.  We’ve also recently started a couple of new therapies… a bit of an “it-can’t-hurt-to-try” approach.  We’re applying Sacred Frankincense (known for its cancer-fighting and regenerative properties) to his neck a couple times a day.  We’ve been experimenting a bit with KT Tape (elasticized kinesiology tape) to add support to the shoulder joint, but Ryder hates wearing it.  And we also started cold laser therapy.  It’s too early to tell if any of these new additions are working, but it’s worth a shot!

Spring is in full-swing, and in California that means overnight temps are warm enough to entice people to crank up the solar pool heaters.  It was still too cold for my liking, but the boys (and their cousin Tirzah) could hardly wait to jump in yesterday at my in-laws’ house.  Over the last four+ months, we’ve had a few opportunities to chat with Ryder about swimming (which he looooooooves).  At first, we were unsure if he’d be ready for the water by summer, so we tried to prepare him for the possibility that he’d have to sit out.  Even as he got stronger, I assumed that he would still need to wear a water wing on his right arm to keep him balanced in the water.  Recently, we realized that the pool will be an incredible way to veil therapy in an activity he really enjoys.  Praise the Lord, we were right!  He cannonballed right in (without a floaty), swam around like a pro, and we had to bribe him to get out an hour later.  Ryder’s grandpa even joined him for a therapy session of his own since he just had a double knee replacement.

Lots of hard work (and FUN!) on tap for this summer!