New Treatments

Hi Folks, Ella's progress continues to move forward. We are working another doctor on the pulmanology team, Dr. Collins, who we absolutely love, and she has some new ideas for Ella's care. Specifically she is getting an additional treatment from a respiratory device called an inexsufflator or cough assist machine. You can check out this YouTube to learn more about the cough assist (http://youtu.be/oUMyb9h2-2w). Dr Collins is hopeful that the cough assist will help Ella move around her secretions to the degree that she grow to clear them on her own or at least to get to the place where she doesn't need to be deep suctioned and will only briefly suctioned through her mouth.

Treatment aside Ariella had a really good day. We had some trouble getting her on the breathing mask for her afternoon session, but once she got settled the rest of the afternoon wet well and she had a really good night.

Her good night carried over into a good day today. She had a really productive physical therapy with a therapist that is trained in cranial-sacral therapy. This is a kind of chiropractic massage that is intended to move the cranial-sacral fluid (spinal fluid) to parts of the body where there is restriction because the fluid does not make it to those body parts on there own. Because of Ella's condition her spinal fluid is restricted to flowing freely to all parts of her body which leads to restricted mobility. The theory behind this kind of therapy is if we can bathe those body parts in spinal fluid we can increase her mobility.