Another Great Day

Today Matt had another 3 hours of physical therapy. It was another successful day. He did something new today too so that was very exciting. Matt was able to lift his arm up to grab and touch. Normally he moves his arm and hand from side to side but to actually lift it up to the ceiling is a little harder. But today he was able to do it, and once he got the hang of it he just kept lifting his arm up. It was really neat. We also gave him a small basketball and held the hoop out in front of him and told him to put the ball in the hoop. He did! He's really doing well with the commands and following through with what we ask him to do.
After that we got him onto his bench and had him sitting up. Once he was sitting Matt just held his head up and was able to balance himself. With no help. We had he standing too and he's getting so much better with his posture and holding his head up high when he's standing. He looked so good today standing up. He was so tall! Matt is also really starting to put more pressure on his left foot now too. His left side is a little slower than his right, the left side also does not have as much sensation as the right. It is getting a little better but his right side will do whatever you want it to.

Continuing to make progress

So the last entry I wrote was pretty exciting right? Well I have even better news today! Two days ago Matt's PT sat him up and when he sat up and got his balancehe helf his head up on his own and was able to sit there by himself with no help! So his PT and his mom decided to see if Matt could turn his head from side to side. So they tried...and...he did it. This is the first time Matt has turned his head on command while sitting up. So awesome! Okay so to me that's pretty amazing and you would think he wold be pretty tired after all that right? Well not quite yet. After they put Matt back to bed he was moving his hands around and moving his fingers alot. So they gave him a water bottle to see what he would do with it. They asked him to try and unscrew the water bottle cap. So Matt went to unscrew it. He was successful! so then they asked him to screw it back on, again he was successful! Can you believe it? Because I cant! I can't believe how well he's doing. It seems like just yeterday we were in the hospital being told this was it. But here we are a few weeks out of the hospital and Matt is performing on command, moving around, standing, sitting, using his hands, holding his head up, that hospital couldn't have been more wrong about Matt and what he was capable of doing. Like I said before Matt is going to blow us all away. He will go down in the history books as one of the most strongest fighters in the world. He is a miracle. God had plans for him, and all I know is that God is in control of this situation, not anyone else.
I look forward to every new day that comes becuase Matt continues to show us new things every single day. It's like that song, "I don't want to close my eyes, I don't want to fall asleep, and I don't want to miss a thing." It's hard leaving him becuase I really don't want to miss anything new. I'm so proud of him! I know I say that alot but I truly am.
On a personal note, it'a so amazing seeing Matt work so hard at all these things. We are able to do these things everyday but we take advantage of them. I realized that if you just take a few minutes out of your day to think about everything that you have in your life and the things you are able to do, you will realize life isn't as bad as we might think. Be thankful for being able to get out of bed everyday, to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner and to eat whatever we want, to drive a car, to yell, scream and cry when we want, to speak whats on our mind and most importantly to say I love you to the ones we hold closest to our hearts. Before this accident I used to sweat the small stuff. Now, I don't think anything could ever get to me or bother me, because nothing will ever be as bad as it was on March 28th. Even now there are days when I think, how am I going to get through another day? And then I think about what Matt must be thinking. How frustrating it must be to be locked up inside your body not being able to communicate with others around you. Wanting so badly to speak and get out of bed. So if Matt can get through another day so can I and so can everyone else.
Matt is my inspiration.

What an amazing feeling!

I don't have a lot to speak about today. But I did want to share something that happened today. Matt gave me something that I have been waiting 6 months for! Matt gave me a hug today! It was the best feeling in the world. I was leaning my head on his chest just talking to him when I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him. He then wrapped his arm around my back and gave me a squeeze. =) I was so surprised and excited that I just started crying. I was so happy. When Matt saw me crying he then took his hand and started rubbing my back. He had this look on his face like if he could talk it would be to tell me "don't cry." I can't even begin to explain how amazing that feeling was. I wanted to freeze time right then and there. I'll never forget that moment. It's crazy how after going so many months without someone touch or hearing their voice can affect you. Just with his slight touch today I felt like I was floating. It's amazing how just one touch can make you fall in love all over again.

The things that Matt has been doing and will continue to do is such a blessing for his family and I. There is so much relief that is lifted when we see such progress. It's helps so much to see Matt continue to do things and get stronger an stronger with each new day. The way his brain is healing is truly amazing and an answer to prayer. We all have so much hope for Matt and our future. Thank you so much for the continued prayers for us all. Matt is getting there, it's slow, but he's healing. Keep the positive thoughts coming! =)

HE's doing AMAZING!!!

Today Matt blew us all away! He is doing so much. We have been working so hard to get Matt to listen to commands and follow them. And he does. His mom started asking him to do things like open your hand, close your hand, take this from me, give it back, touch this, touch that. It was amazing! He did all those things. Once I got there I started asking him to do things, like touch my hand, face, nose. He did, it was almost breath taking. I just couldn't believe he was doing all these things. He's only had 7 sessions with his physical therapist and he's doing all these things!! I never thought he would be doing all this so fast and so soon. It's amazing. When I ask Matt to open his hand and he does it, or when I ask him to touch his nose and he his lifts his hand up to his nose. Or when I ask him to take something out of my hand and he does, then I ask him to give it back to me and he does. Awww!!! I'm speechless! I can't even begin to explain how good this feels. He looks so different, he looks like he knows hes doing good things.
Another thing he was doing tonight was swallowing water from his mouth. His mom was giving him a spoon that was dipped in a cup of water and putting the spoon in his mouth. Matt opened his mouth for the spoon and swallowed the water. He did this a lot. For one this is a good thing because he's swallowing and pushing his tongue back to push down the water. He wasn't biting the spoon when we put it in his mouth, and he drank quite a bit of water. This is a really good thing that he's swallowing on command, and listening to commands. Matt's coming along. He's doing it! He's really doing it. I'm seriously the proudest girlfriend right now. My biggest goal right now is to get him to be able to speak and move around on his own by Christmas. I know that is all everyone in this house wants. We just want Matt. It would be the greatest gift of all.

September 11, 2008

First I would just like to pay tribute to all the fallen hero's of 9/11/01. To all of their families and friends you are in my prayers today. Its been 7 Years but you will never be forgotten.

Matt showed his Mom and the PT nurse from Kaiser just how well he is coming along. Today his mom was holding a tissue in her hand and Matt grabbed the tissue out of her hand and just held onto it. So his mom thought well lets see what else you will grab. So she put a comb in her hand and told Matt to take to comb. He did, and he then continued to put it up to his head and comb his hair!!! Yes you read correctly he was combing his hair today. Now remember this is someone who was told that he would never wake up out of his coma, and if he did he would be a vegetable. Well guess what?! Matt is showing everyone just how wrong they all were. Even when Matt is having his teeth brushed he goes after the tooth brush and holds on to it. His Outside PT has told us that the things that Matt is doing shows that where his brain was damaged the neuron's around it are trying to figure a way to work their way around it and start doing the functions that part used to do. That means that Matt's brain is healing. It's been 51/2 months and we are already starting to see great healing in progress. It was the best phone call I could have gotten today. Hearing that Matt was combing his hair and he was able to continue to do it more than just once is such a huge step! Everything is baby steps but to me this is huge! This week he's combing his hair, next week who knows what he'll be doing. There was something different about the way he looked today too. I don't know maybe it was that he knew he had accomplished something so great today, maybe it was the excitement on all of our faces, maybe it was just satisfaction on his part. But whatever it was...it was good. I saw a different Matt today, I saw his personality come through tonight as I walked through that door. Nothing is ever to big to get through. I think Matt has shown everyone that.

*Keep Fighting to get to that point Matt!!! We are all here by your side, we love you more than you will ever know*

Okay here's a reminder for all you last minute people...

Matt's Tournament is 3 weeks away!!!! If you want to play you need to let me know ASAP! If you want to donate please mail me the donation. Make checks payable to Matt Ruiz. My address is 24005 Nectar Way Ramona 92065. If you want to sponsor a hole for the tournament please let me know ASAP! I need to have signs made for each hole. If you can't get me the money by this Saturday that is okay I just need to know who's playing. I will need names of each player.

Don't wait to long to sign up. It's going to be a lot of fun and you know you don't want to miss out on this!!!! Thank you again for all the help, donations, sponsors, and players!!!

Remember everything is going to Matt, his equipment, and his care.

September 8th, 2008

Today Matt had a visit from a speech therapist. We were able to find out what we should do and how we should do it. It was good to hear from an actual specialist about Matt's progress. He continues to make such great progress everyday, but to hear it from someone that actually works in the field daily, is so encouraging. She had him sticking his tongue out and touching it with a spoon. Matt listened to the command and then did it for her. She was able to move the spoon back a little further from his mouth and he still was able to touch the soon. Another exercise we can start doing with him is using a large flash card. One side will say yes and one will say no. Then you ask him a question and tell him to look at the yes side or the no side. First you want to introduce the cards to him and get him to recognize which one is yes and which one is no. Matt was able to look at both cards as she point to each one. If we continue to do this exercise with him he should be able to soon just look right at the yes or no with our command. So now we have two different speech therapists and two different physical therapists.
Matt has responded so well to his physical therapy. I can't believe how well he continues to do. Yesterday the therapist had Matt lifting his arm all the way to the ceiling. He asked Matt to lift his arm up and Matt did it. It was very exciting. He gets Matt to do things all the time. It is so awesome. He gets Matt to sit up and stand up. (With his help of course. Its about 20% Matt and 80% therapist) He's been trying to get Matt to hold himself up. We are just waiting to hear Matt scream out a bad word because Matt works so hard and he moans and groans doing his exercising. He gets mad a lot but you can see its because those parts of his body haven't been worked in a long time. He's just sore and tired. But he does such a great job keeping up with what he wants him to do. We are so proud of Matt. He is such a strong person.
As we head into another week I am holding onto hope that with another three days of physical therapy Matt will continue to do new things and continue to amaze us all.
Everyday is a new day. And we will take one day at a time.

September 1st, 2008

Well its a new month and of course with a new month Matt has to give us something new like always. Tonight I was just talking to Matt while he was sitting in his chair in the dining room, he did something that I just can't even remember and I said "cool Matt, give me a high five." not even thinking he would do it but I just said it and put my hand up. Well to all of our surprise Matt brought his hand up and gave me a high five!!! Praise God right!? It was crazy! I totally had to do a double take! Never did I think he would do it, or even that fast. It was amazing! Couldn't believe my eyes. But even better I did it again and again and again and he still continued to do it! It just stayed in his brain and he continued to remember what he was doing! Thats huge!
Its the little things, he pays so much attention to things we say and do. He files it away and remembers it later. This is another great step in his recovery process! We all just have to keep giving him stimulation and confidence that he can do this!
Everyday he seems to be more alert and focused. You see it when you talk to him. He just intently listens. If you say a joke or laugh you'll sometimes see him give a half smile. Its really neat to see. Everyday is one step closer. Especially with this new therapist. I am so excited to see what he£ll do next with him. Ive seen a huge difference in Matt since his therapist worked with him! This is what Matt needed a long time ago, but everyone in the hospital kept saying he wasn't ready. Well guess what? He was and still is ready! I said a long time ago he was going to be everyones living beathing miracle, and he will prove all those medical books wrong. Well watch out! Like his dad said tonight, Matt always wanted to be Superman when he was younger...I think Matt is going to get his chance. : )