| Mark goes to Bob Dylan Concert in Stockton on August 15. |
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Mark goes to Bob Dylan concert in Stockton on August 15, 2009
Here comes the excitement!
Our house mate, Terri, worked hard to plan a concert outing for Mark. Mark and Terri were going to Stockton, Terri's hometown, for the Bob Dylan concert. Mark loved Dylan ever since he was 3 years old. He has a brother 20 years older who may have influenced him and I must have had Dylan tapes in the car. I recall him saying, "You know what, Mom? Dylan sings about real people," (!?!?!?) when he was even younger than kindergarten.
He listened to many Dylan records when he was in hospitals and afterwards at home for a long time. This was the first time ever he was going to see and listen to the real guy, in real life.
The plan was made carefully leaving home at noon on Saturday and checking into a hotel before the concert. They went out for a big lunch, took some rest, and headed to the show. This is the first time ever in ten years Mark was out without his parents. This was really his own event.
That night, I received a call from Terri and Mark around 11pm when I was driving home from Santa Cruz for my Scottish Country Dance event. They were absolutely excited. Thupten, Mark's other home PA, is from Tibet and joined them for this concert and was impressed to see a true American legend
See some photos of his grand day out.
Here are some pictures from that day.
(Click on pictures to enlarge).
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| Therapy, therapies and therapists!!! |
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Dear Friends,
Mark's life has been changing for the last two years.
First of all, I apologize for not updating the website. We've been very busy and now I'm sitting down to write you, and to share some of the exciting changes and the challenges that Mark has been going through.
In 2006, his newly assigned Kaiser physical medicine doctor admitted Mark to Kaiser's rehabilitation hospital in Vallejo, California. For two weeks he was occupied with several evaluations needed to work out a treatment plan. As a result, the doctors recommended a brand new wheelchair which took over six months to receive. During his time in Vallejo, Mark participated in physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy, daily showing good signs of possible improvements.
In this period, Mark was really demonstrating his willingness to change and his possible capacity. Many who saw him on the street, at school and in shopping places kept on expressing that Mark looked quite different, and that his cognitive abilities had increased.
I could see that Mark was very tuned in to what was happening and not at all absent minded. He never missed a joke and would often laugh loudly. His acupuncturist, Dr. Dale White, who is very kind, always has a new joke whenever he sees Mark for an appointment, and I know sometimes it is a really bad joke that totally cracks Mark up.
Then, early in 2007, Letha Marchetti was introduced to Mark's life. She is an independent therapist with a lot of experience with many unique cases. She applied her intuitive abilities and creative approach to helping him through the long dark tunnel into a much brighter place. Letha has been helping Mark for nearly two years, now. She leads Mark walking throughout the hallway leading from the kitchen with his assistant on the other end. She helps to exercise his back and arms and knees, and teaches her methods to the support team so that all his assistants now provide regular physical exercise programs for Mark.
In 2008, a speech therapist began working with Mark so that he can be more initiative about communicating with others. They are providing Mark a new communication device. Together with this speech practice, a physical therapist who specializes in working on Mark's hands is helping to improve his hand/arm coordination so that he can use the communication device fully and functionally.
Each time when new therapies started, we had to process the initial interview sessions and explain Mark's living situation and his current environmental issues. We had to engage with his caregivers and school team to help him get to the appointments weekly. Fortunately, Mark's home caregivers and his Becoming Independent Day School (BI) teachers are all fully supportive and eager to encourage Mark to meet new challenges. Without their positive support, these helpful new therapies could not have been put in place and sustained.
Based on those environments, he regularly practices to stand over one hour daily, to eat bite-size pieces of sandwich with a fork, and frequently gets into a weight machine to practice walking at Being Independent, his school. Even if it's not an exercise time, he comes and goes from his room to the kitchen, peddling his wheelchair by himself!
Besides exercise, he has friends to take him out to movies, to play chess and to go out to some gatherings. In January 2008, when his birthday was held at the Ace in the Pub in Graton, California (next to Sebastopol), his friends brought a beautiful belly dancer to celebrate. You may recall the photographs I sent you of that festive occasion.
Mark has had wonderful, innovative caregivers. They have acted as his instructors and mentors in that they communicate and encourage Mark to do one more exercise or activity. He is not sitting alone watching TV at home. Thank you, Sharon, Pempa, Tashi, Tenzin and Terri-who is still coming back from time to time when I am not available. I would like to acknowledge Sonoma County's urgent care substitute service for sending very efficient and capable help when none of us were available. With the support of these people, I am able to go on one full-week out of town trip.
I also want to greatly appreciate Inge McCormick, who has been bringing her homemade TV dinners for Mark. For over nine years she helped me to not panic about running out of food or time to cook for Mark. He has been well nourished with real homemade food all of this time.
Mark will be 26 in January 2009, and we'll again celebrate his birthday and all of the positive achievements of the past year. He is clinically healthy and being as productive as much as he possibly can. Please keep supporting Mark, as he continues his journey of improvement and hope.
Hideko
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Image taken, July 27th, 2007
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