The Board of Re-Education

Several people have asked about the standing "box" or standing "board" that the therapists have been using with Ian. It's actually less of a box and more of a board that tilts and is on wheels. Imagine a 4'x8' sheet of plywood that pivots like a see-saw and can be locked at any angle. The board has straps to hold him on it, and the whole contraption is on wheels.

The purpose of the board is to re-orient him to the upright position. He's been in a prone position for the most part for over three months, and his body thinks that's normal now. Getting him upright again will require a gradual re-education. During the few times he's been in the standing box, he's been at about a 75 degree angle. For those of you who weren't math majors in college we all walk at a 90 degree angle, so he's just a little tilted back. He doesn't like being in it, though. The nursing staff were laughing, apparently, when they put him in his wheelchair from the standing board, because Ian let out a long heavy sigh as if to say, "finally, I'm out of that torture board."

With all this activity in various therapy sessions, he's often pretty worn out. In the past, we've wanted to provide as much stimulation for him as possible to wake him up. But, if you visit these days, don't worry about trying to wake him up. If you visit and he's asleep, let him sleep; he's probably experienced plenty of stimulation during the day. The next day will likely bring just as much stimulation, so he needs to rest up.

Thanks for praying....

Steve