March 2004 Update
March has brought spring and even summer-like weather to Colorado, and Marla is loving every minute of it. With the temperature regulation difficulties caused by her brain injury, she is frequently cold–so she in particular is glad for the arrival of spring.
Marla continues to make strides and progress in her speech and with her injured right arm, through a combination of hard work, dedication, and help from Leo and Mary. Leo works tirelessly with Marla on physical therapy each day, while Mary continues to help her with speech exercises, interactively and on the computer, where she is using a new software program called CHAT.
In testing on February 18th, Marla got some good news concerning her injured right arm. Nerve and muscle testing revealed that she has retained enough nerve and muscular function to be able to have some use of the right arm and hand. Currently, the plan is for surgery on her right elbow, which she lost in the accident, sometime in April. The main purpose for the surgery will be to remove the excess bone deposits that have built up in the injured area, a common side effect of brain injuries. While operating, her surgeons will observe and evaluate her arm to explore the potential for further action. It is not known, at this point, if it is feasible to replace her elbow with an artificial joint. Elbow replacements are very rare in comparison to knee and hip replacements, and are usually only done on the elderly. Since replacement elbows have an estimated lifespan of only 10-15 years (not nearly the amount of research has been done on elbow replacements as on knees and hips), Marla could ultimately need several replacements. Her orthopedic surgeons will know more after April’s surgery.
Marla continues to visit Glacier Peak elementary school weekly. After a recent visit to friend Steffie Brouillette’s art class, Marla returned home and used her chalks to produce a beautiful rendition of Van Gogh’s Starry Night. See the Photos Section for a picture of her work. Her artistic abilities are amazing, left-handed, and is great therapy for her mind! On March 12th, Marla and Mary enjoyed an evening dance at Craig in an early celebration of St. Patrick’s day.
During a trip to Glenwood Springs March 20-25, Marla and Mary took a half-day float trip down the Colorado River. They really enjoyed the scenery and the wildlife, which included views of the 2nd largest Great Blue Heron rookery in the State of Colorado. Mary is a big Heron fan, so she and Marla really ooh’ed and ahh’d at the site of this graceful and beautiful bird.
Next week, the week of April 6th, Marla will undergo evaluation at the University of Colorado department of speech therapy for possible participation in a week-long art therapy program this summer. In addition, she is still in the process of applying to attend the BIAC (Brain Injury Association of Colorado) Outdoor Challenge Camp this July in Breckenridge. We are hopeful and excited for her to get the opportunity to participate in these programs.
As always, thank you for checking in on Marla’s progress, and for your wonderful messages of encouragement. Each is an inspiration!