When I told Natan my positive feelings about watching him work with Maggie without having to list goals and address concerns, etc., he told me there are no goals. Well, not like that anyway. His short term goals were teaching her to roll, sit, crawl and stand, plus proper transitions between. But as he saw Maggie was standing great and bearing weight well, he had her take steps, then he knew he could put her in a walker. He knows what he's doing but says it's more about feeling than thinking. Now, this isn't to take anything away from Maggie's previous therapists or meetings we had with social workers, Natan's methodology is unique to him, he created it after being a physical therapist and seeking to fulfill the gaps he saw.
Week two we were in walker mode. Daniel and Will arrived over the weekend and with them came Maggie's pink gait trainer from home, stripped of all the supports. It's not the best walker, but we couldn't get another one fast enough. Walker aside, Maggie did more walking this week period. Natan held her legs for safety/guidance and a little support but she was doing it on her own. The steps were hers, she was supporting her trunk, he wasn't moving her legs or anything, it was all her!! She's doing great with this and the walker too- she has to walk into the room with it before she starts working on everything else. At the beginning of the week, she was none too pleased, crying plenty. By the end, she was doing really well. Now, we're not ready to send her on down the sidewalk by herself or anything like that, but she's making great progress. She also did a lot of work on the ball- all this prepares her mentally and physically for supporting her own weight and balancing while walking. I cannot express the joy I feel seeing Maggie accomplish so much. She started crying again now- Natan attributed that to Daniel and Will's arrival- she's seeking to gain sympathy and an 'out' from new parties. Still, she works through all the crying and has come so far the last two weeks. Her movements are smoother and her trunk support is much better, which leads to all the other movements improving.
He's also talked with us about her diet. He wants her on an 80% raw diet - mostly fruits and vegetables, some nuts and beans of course and potatoes. He does not want her eat meat, dairy, grains and of course sugar on a very rare basis- she can have honey- and he very much recommends juicing. This is a tough transition for sure because dairy comprises a huge part of Maggie's diet. And being her mama's child, she loves the sugar. She can still have birthday cake, just wants her sugar consumption to be scarce. The diet, of course, falls right in line with his holistic approach and properly feeding the body- she needs wholesome nutrients enriching her body so she can accomplish her goals. We've learned so much from Natan. This will be the most difficult change to implement.
They love playing in our shower at home too...I don't know what that's all about. :)
