Better News At Physical Therapy

The ARJO Walker

Although the news from Swallow/Speech and Occupational Therapies has been dismal, the good news is that Bob is making some real progress in Physical Therapy. So much that the PT therapist has already "passed" him on his evaluation and extended his therapy for three more weeks. This past week, the therapists finally got him "out of the parallel bars" and on the floor moving with a specialized walker called the ARJO.

I wish I had a photo of Bob using this device, but unfortunately I am always called into duty during this therapy to push the wheelchair behind him in case he collapses....

As the therapist had warned me, it is not a pretty sight. Bob's balance is still very poor and his gait quite unstable. He pretty much has to lean on the U shaped padded tray as he cannot stand up very straight and he leans far over to the left nearly toppling it over. He is moving his legs much better, no more knee buckling!, but he walks in a sort of bad imitation of a stiff 1950's movie robot, and is having a very difficult time with foot placement.

We make a strange sort of parade through the therapy room. Bob in the walker with a therapist on each side hanging onto his gait belt, trying to hold him up straight, while another therapist behind him helps him with foot placement and me, bringing up the rear, pushing the wheelchair.

But he was able to walk 20 feet on Thursday in this device!