Muscle spasm and flaccidity following brain damage : Case Study 2
Case Studies
My notes on:
Neuromuscular system (optional background reading - being drafted)
Muscle Energy Techniques (counterpressure and isometric stretching - being drafted)
The case of MM
After seeing the BBC program on how the sleeping pill, Zolpidem, had woken up some people in a coma (see Introduction), I decided to post an edited version of my diary with the consent of MM's wife. MM has been able to achieve growing control over some of his muscles through counterpressure-based Muscle Energy Techniques. In his case, the therapy helped his clenched muscles relax allowing him to regain use of them. We hope that others coming out of coma would find this simple therapy helpful.
In summer 2008, we noted some almost miraculous effects when he was given Reiki. The Reiki seemed to give him the energy to do something, which we thought was beyond him, like having conscious control over his hands. Even though the effect was only transient, it made him and us realise that he was capable of these movements. So, the Reiki gave us an indication of where we should focus our efforts. But, we must confess that as of January 2009, it is still a struggle for him.
In April 2006, MM had an accident which caused extensive bleeding in the brain and perforation of his lung, starving his brain of oxygen for a while. He was in a coma for some months and remained in hospital for about 13 months. He was deemed to be in a vegetative state and was discharged to a nursing home since the medical team felt that they could do nothing further. All this time, most of his muscles were out of his control, with fingers curled almost into a fist, with toes contorted in crazy angles and with tension in most limbs.
In May 2007, when we first visited him in hospital, MM did not open his eyes; the lids were still swollen and heavy. I noticed that his fingers were able to relax a bit when he was stroked in some places like up the arm from the inner wrist, showing that there was scope for relaxation. If anything was placed in his palm, his automatic reflex was to grasp it tightly, like a baby does (see photo and palmar grasp on this wiki page). MM's grip was very strong and painful. MM did seem to be able to open his fingers on his left hand but this seemed to be involuntary.
I have a high pitched voice and old people find it difficult to make out what I am saying to them. But, I felt sure that MM could hear my voice and discern my speech. He seemed to respond after some hesitation to instructions which required limited movement, such as holding his thumb up or using it to pinch my hand, holding his other tense and tight fingers, with his thumb. When we came to leave, it looked as if he was waving to us. It might have been a coincidence but we thought that he was able to achieve some voluntary movement of his hand on some occasions but not others, suggesting that he was in a minimally conscious state.
We were haunted by MM's condition when we left. If my father, a dying man aged 93, could regain some measure of control through the gentle technique of counterpressure, I thought MM might also benefit since he seemed to be able to hear and respond. He had been an active sportsman. As a sportsman, he would have the determination and the will to re-train his muscles with a little bit of counterpressure and encouragement from others. The technique is not as demanding or as painful as physiotherapy can sometimes be - it seems to work through feedback to the central nervous system (brain and not just the spinal cord). However, I am not a professional therapist. So, I was rather apprehensive and consulted the oracles, which seem to imply that I should encourage MM to make an effort to pull himself out of his locked-in state.
In June 2007, we were very pleased to hear from his wife that he had settled well in the nursing home. When we visited, his muscles were still contracted and spastic and his eyes were still shut. I tried the method of counterpressure on him while my husband and his wife were discussing something else. I first explained what I was about to do and said that he should not be disappointed if he could not exert any control over the muscles on his initial attempts. It was the mental attempt that mattered and his own mind, brain and nerves will do what is needed subconsciously while he was relaxing after the mental exertion. He had to will his muscles to push/pull against the gentle pressure I exerted, depending on what I was doing and saying. He was then to relax and not attempt it any further until I said so.
He was instructed to breath in, hold his breath to a count of seven (need not be precise) and then do as instructed. I curled my fingers into the tightly curled fingers of his left hand (which was slightly less clenched than the other) and exerted just enough pressure so that he could feel it and then asked him to tighten his fist while I resisted it to a count of 7. He was to let go mentally and physically when commanded and relax while I slipped my hand out. To my utter disbelief, the fingers loosened a bit. So, I called his wife and my husband and after he had had a little time to relax, we did this again. We all watched with joy as his fingers uncurled further. I asked his wife to watch so that she could do this herself on subsequent days since we do not live in the same town and can only visit him about once in 3 weeks.
After a short rest, I hooked my fingers round his now not so tightly curled fingers and asked him to pull against the tension as I pulled his fingers and arm with it towards me and jiggled it slightly from side to side to make a little game of it. We were all urging him vocally during this time. As I let go, I asked him to straighten his hands and to our amazement and delight he did! While they were straight, I asked him to try and separate his fingers and open them out. We could see that he was trying but with limited success. A bit of counterpressure may have helped but I did not want to do too much in this first session. I then tried the same on his even tighter right fist, which also relaxed.
When I rang his wife later in the week, she said that she had worked with him for 10 mins each day and that he seemed to relax and look more comfortable as a result. However, he was tensing up again after abut 10 mins. I myself have only applied counterpressure on one visit to date (28/06/07). I do not know if MM can regain complete control of his muscles and will provide an honest update here.
If you decide to explore counterpressure please note this caution. If your attempt seems to cause pain, you must stop. You may not be applying counterpressure appropriately. Remember that pain is a natural defence mechanism to immobilise organs and joints damaged by arthritis, accident, tumours and other conditions. An osteopath, trained in use of counterpressure, will be able to advice and help.
2 July 2007
When we arrived, MM's left hand was open and relaxed. Although he made slight movements with it, he did not seem to be able to signal in any way, such as by raising his thumb. I asked him if he could give us a yes in any way but we could not be confident if he could. His wife had been giving him soft balls and a stuffed doggy and said that he seemed to like squeezing the dog in particular. There was no improvement in his right hand.
Although his left hand was relaxed, the wrist was very tight and contracted. We spoke to him and I then asked him to tighten the wrist even further against my counterpressure. I think I messed up the breath control, but when he was asked to push against my hand, his face did get contorted showing that he was trying even if he was using all the wrong muscles. When he relaxed, I was able to get some tension out of his wrist.
We do not know if it was intended, but MM then moved his left hand over his body and up to the right hand. Although we could not be certain, I took it to mean that he wanted me to relax his right hand. But, on this occasion, counterpressure did not release the grip of his fist. So, I just stroked his hand and lower arm and then just hooked my hand into his fist and gently swung his hand and arms, hoping that he got some feedback and reassurance even if not relief.
At one stage, his wife opened his eyes to show how bloodshot it looked. Later, when we were saying that the fact that he was not blinking did not help, I saw him trying to blink several times but his eyes would not open.
when we were about to leave, I tried to get him to wave - but he did not seem to be able to. But, when I leaned over and said bye bye, he seemed to mouth bye bye. It does look as if he has minimal consciousness at the very least.
24 July 2007
MM was tense when we arrived. I was able to relax the fingers in left hand with MET. His wife & I applied Mag Phos in aqueous cream as suggested by Waleda. When she asked him to stick out his left leg towards her, he did so - and he did this twice. He seems to have better control over the movement of his left leg now - but he seems to be suffering from restless leg syndrome and was hitting it against the bed rail. We applied cream behind ears, inside wrist, ankles and in webs of fingers and toes.
The left wrist was still locked in cramp. I asked him to tighten his wrist even more against my counterpressure. His eyes popped open - this is the first time he has done this in my presence. He craned his head forward and strained visibly, staring with unfocused eyes. The wrong muscles were being used (mainly facial muscles) and I could sense no movement in the wrist or arm. But, when I asked him to relax and let go, the wrist (which had been tightly bound) relaxed. I could straighten it and showed his wife how it could be rotated quite freely right back and forwards without spasm or pain.
When we placed the ball into his left hand., he initially clutched it. I then saw him trying to lift the index finger. He was able to fully extend it while holding the ball with the other fingers. With a physical prompt from me, he was able to lift some of the other fingers up one at a time.
When I asked him if he could make a sound, there was no response at first. But, for the first and only time that evening he made a guttural sound, which made him cough. No conclusion to be drawn from this.
His wife was holding his left hand while we were talking. I saw him strain his face as if he was trying to strain against her hand. When she obliged and when we asked him to relax, he was able to straighten the fingers in a relaxed way.
I tried to see if he could clutch the side of the bed and use it for therapy - but he did not latch on to the idea. Need to think of some way in which he could try and relax his muscles when he is on his own.
1 Aug 2007
An osteopath was engaged to see MM. He could not take him on as a patient but was willing to show his wife and son the method of passive stretching. I produced a report on the meeting for his wife and made a video to assist recall of precisely how the therapist used his hands and body during various manoeuvres.
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MM was very alert during this session. His eyes were wide open and quite well focused. He certainly was able to let the osteopath know when it hurt - but this might have been a reflex. In any case, the osteopath told us that we were unlikely to do MM any harm with what we were trying.
2 Aug 2007
I took a video of MM and he looked straight at the camera and was attentive. I then sat next to him and talked to him and he looked me in the eye and paid attention. This was remarkable progress within a week.
Seeing that his hands and wrist were quite relaxed, I decided to get him to co-operate in isometric stretching of his elbow. During the post-stretch relaxation, I asked him to try and lift his elbow off the bed and keep his arm and hand extended. He managed that and held the arms up from the shoulder for a few seconds.
I let him know that I was pleased with his achievement and let him know that I knew that he must be feeling frustrated at the slow pace of recovery. But, he was regaining more and more control.
29 Aug 2007
MM had pulled out his feeding peg on Monday 27th Aug and had not fully recovered from this incident when we visited. He seemed very distressed and in pain. I used counterpressure to relax his hand and asked him to show me where the pain was. He bent his left leg at the knee with a jerk and held out his hand to just below the knee. The muscle on the outside of the leg just below the knee was hard and stiff like bone. I asked his wife to feel this and said that MM was probably having excruciating pain, which could be relieved by MagPhos - a biochemic tissue salt which I used for my cramps during the hayfever season. However, since MM could not swallow, his wife was too afraid to put anything in his mouth.
I asked MM to try and bend his leg at the knee further while I resisted it. He was able to do this and when he relaxed, I kneaded the muscle with my right hand in rhythmic moves. The muscle relaxed and I asked his wife to feel the difference and note the difference in facial expression, which was much more relaxed.
MM also clutched at another muscle on the inside of his thigh. I grasped this part of the thigh with my left hand and the muscle below knee with my right and kneaded and palpated rhythmically on the leg - pressing and letting go on the leg while kneading the muscle. As the leg muscles relaxed, his facial muscles also relaxed. However, the muscles seemed to go into spasm again when I let go. So, we rubbed MagPhos 6x in water and aqueous cream on bony parts and on these muscles and just hoped that some of the salts would find their way into the blood stream. We only stayed an hour - so I don't know whether MM derived any benefits from the 'ointment'.
The main thing to note was that MM now had growing control over the use of his left hand. He could direct the hand to where he felt pain. But, he was still making movements with his elbow on the bed for support - and got very upset when he could not lift the elbow off the bed when I asked him to. His wife also said that they were making some progress with YES/NO communication through blinking. Also, for the first time since May, we saw MM move his right leg. I came away wishing that I could spend more time with MM at this critical stage of recovery.
17 Sep 2007
MM looked tense and was throwing his left leg about. I noticed that he was moving his right leg a little as well from time to time. I relaxed his clenched hand and asked him to show me where it hurt. But, he was sort of flinging his left leg around instead. The calf muscles were not particularly tense. I felt it was time to work on his very twisted left foot - the toes were flexed up and towards the other leg, the foot was curled down and inwards. The foot did not have much give when I started, and I thought that it would be too confusing for MM to try and straighten it one go.
So, I decided to take out the inward curl of the foot first. There was no way in which I could forcefully straighten his foot. So, instead we went through MM breathing in, holding his breath and pushing further inwards into the curl while I resisted it. I could not feel any muscle movement on his part but when I asked him to relax, I found that I could straighten his foot quite easily. The foot was still bent down in a crazy angle but without the inward twist of the toes and metatarsals. In this position, I could also get the toes into a more normal position and encourage him to feel the difference between the twisted and normal positions.
When I was showing the corrected foot to his wife and my husband, I pointed out that the foot will keep twisting back. But, as with the left hand, the motor neurons seem to be capable of re-wiring themselves as in the case of Terry Wallis. Since MM could not easily reach his foot, he needed some supportive therapy - but stressed that steady recovery can only be made through MM's full participation rather than passive stretch. As I said this, MM wiggled the front of the foot sideways as if to say that he will work at it. We all laughed - my husband and I were quite exhausted after having a stream of staying visitors - and MM's response was like a tonic, just what we needed to buck us up.
I encouraged MM's wife to feel how, apart from the locked downward twist of the foot at the arch, the other muscles were now quite relaxed and easily moved. I could now rotate his foot at the ankle and bend the metatarsals sideways and up and down.
I then took MM's hand and asked him if he could reach his foot. Initially, his left arm and hand fell limp on the bed. But, while were conversing, MM reached out to his foot, grabbed it by the ankles and pulled it towards his stomach - almost in defiance. We let him know that we were really thrilled. He has come a long way - he clearly understands what is being said and can control his left arm and hand albeit through great determination and concentration.
We only stayed an hour but I feel so elated every time I think of MM and his progress and cannot wait to see how he is progressing.
1 Oct 2007
We arrived before MM's wife and noted that MM looked very relaxed - his calf muscles did not seem to be in spasm. The left foot was no longer twisted inwards from the arch upwards with the toes stuck up. The foot and ankle were much easier to move. But, there was still a downward bend to the foot, which was difficult to straighten. MM was no longer thrashing his leg about but was now constantly wiggling his foot. There was a plaster on the right foot and it could have been due to him hitting the foot of the bed which was a bit short for him. It could equally have been a bed sore. Both his feet were cold.
His wife said that he was able to blink and he did so when asked. I tried to get him to make noises but he did not. He seemed to be trying to swallow, which made him cough at times. His wife said that she had started to put homeopathic Mag Phos tablets under his tongue. It might be coincidental but I wonder whether that had relaxed his muscles, as expected. We noted that there was now a very noticeable difference between the right and left feet, showing the loss of spasticity in the latter.
We all agreed that if MM could regain control of his right hand as well, he could do a lot more to help himself. The right hand was very clammy but apart from the bend at the knuckles, the rest of the hand could be easily manipulated. The wrist was definitely freeing up. I took MM's left hand and put it on his right hand and kept saying that he could use the left to help his right hand. I then hooked my fingers round his and lifted his arm and asked him to tug at my hand even if he could not do it. I did not feel any resistance or immediate effect.
I told MM that he was going to be alright, stroking his hair, face and hands - and said that all that we needed now was a smile from him. After some delay, his wife remarked that he was smiling - and so he was with the left side of his face which is the side which also contorts when he in pain.
We think that MM will now make good progress with his left side - he is going to struggle to make similar progress with the right side of his body - but we are optimistic.
13 Nov 2007
I was unable to visit MM. His wife informed me by phone that he was more relaxed but still had times when he was tense and thrashing his legs about. Up until now, she had only been giving him 4 pillules of Mag Phox 6x at night. We thought that it might be helpful to give him a further dose on days when his muscles were tensed up. MM can now sit comfortably in his wheelchair for long periods. The family were confident that MM was now involved in their conversations since he switches his gaze and attention to whoever is speaking.
It is still early days yet - but we remain optimistic. She said that she was going to start him on Kali Phos which works well with Mag Phos.
30 Nov 2007
MM's wife said that he could turn the TV on and off by pushing a button on a tray but he was unwilling to show that to us. She felt that Kali Phos had made a difference. MM was much more alert and relaxed. He was able to focus on the person talking to him and look them in the eye. It was so touching to seeing him lift his face and look really intently at her when she spoke to him.
His left foot was still bent down such that the middle cuneiform bone was sticking out as if it was a displaced ankle bone. He kept flicking his leg and foot as if he was trying to free it. I asked him where he felt pain and he stroked the area from the base of his calf down to the ankle. The muscles in his left leg were no longer in spasm. There seemed to be little blisters on one of his toes in the right foot. His right eye was infected and red. I asked him to try making any noise he could but the only noise he made was coughing.
The right hand was sweaty but no longer in a fist. But, as with his left foot, it seemed to be locked in an L-shape bend at the knuckles. The other finger joints and the wrist were now relaxed. I cannot remember why we laughed during our conversation and his lips and eyes lifted as if in a grin. After working on his right hand for a while, I talked to him about the progress he had made with his left hand and how his right hand was now so much better. I put my palm facing up on his chest near his right hand and asked him to try and move his right hand into mine. It did not matter if he could not do it but he was to take a deep breath and hold it and imagine that he was able to move his hand into mine. Very very slowly he was able to almost roll it into mine. This was another milestone - he was acquiring very limited control of his right hand.
We decided that our priorities were to:
1. Relax his left foot - which would give him control over the whole of his left side. His wife could then just focus on helping him tone his muscles.
2. Relax his right hand so that he could use both his hands to help himself. We knew that this would take more time.
21 Dec 2007
MM was sat in his wheelchair facing away from the door when we arrived. On hearing our voices, he was craning his neck almost towards his right shoulder to greet us, even though we believe that there is little sight in his right eye. While greeting him, I picked up his right hand and noted that it had not altered much. He seemed more concerned to show me his foot. When I asked him where it hurt, he pointed at the area above the left heel. His left hand was tense and his fingers were curled, but this could have been because he was in a chair. I picked up his foot and he was watching what I was doing. On previous occasions, with the foot was buckled in the middle, only the middle cuneiform bone was protruding like the ankle bone does on our feet. His ankle bone had been hardly visible. Today, the ankle bone and another bone were now starting to protrude. His foot seemed to be improving but was far from normal or comfortable. I asked him if he could move his right leg. He jiggled it very slightly - this was an improvement. He then put his left foot under the right knee and tried to lift the left leg. Perhaps he was trying to tell us that he was trying; or, perhaps that was his way of keeping up the conversation.
Mag Phos had helped to relax most muscles and Kali Phos has helped him maintain his attention and mental focus. We were there for over 1.5 hours and he was alert throughout. We now needed to find something to free up the taut tendons. A friendly orthopaedic surgeon told me that the deep muscles could still be over active causing contraction of the attached Achilles tendon. My husband and I know from experience that Homeopathic Ruta Gravelons (the herb rue) can relieve pain in sprained tendons and bruised bones. In general, we have only had to take one or two doses to get over such problems. My reference books (e.g. by Bartram) and online sources indicated that this was the best remedy for strained tendons. These tablets are quite hard unlike the biochemic salts, such as Mag Phos, which dissolve very easily in the mouth. So, his wife will have to crush the tablets and dissolve them in a little hot water and give it to him a drop at a time. His wife had not done this as yet. While we were there I decided to dissolve a couple of tablets in hot water and give the foot a fomentation with it. He seemed to like it since he stuck his thumb up - his signal for yes. I added more boiling water as the water cooled and continued the formentation before drying his foot and slipping his sock back.
While we were doing this, a friend, her daughter and grand daughter came to visit. He looked at them in acknowledgement, especially at the 11-month old child who was trying to communicate with him. While we talked I tried to stretch and straighten his foot. But, I could tell that he was not co-operating fully as he had done on previous visits. Perhaps it was because he was sat up, or perhaps he just could not tug against my pulling at his foot while holding his toes. The foot did straighten but buckled again when I let go.
Later, the visitors gave his wife their Xmas card and she held it front of him and told him about it. Without thinking, he reached out with his left hand and got hold of the card between two of his still curled fingers. We were all thrilled and he must have surprised himself. His wife opened the card out and MM held it up for quite a while until his wife took it off him.
MM's wife had wrenched the tendons in her knee and was still limping. So, we all thought that she could try the Ruta Gravelons tablets herself before giving it to MM. It is only a shot in the dark but it is well worth a try.
11 Jan 2008
MM had just come off antibiotics for a chest infection. On first sight, he seemed to have regressed. He was in bed, sweating profusely. All his muscles were contracted and his face was in pain. We felt so sorry for him and thought that he would have to start all over again. But, this was not so. We were able to return his hands to the state they had been in when we last saw him quite quickly and I was working on his left leg when his wife arrived.
She said that she had been giving him smears of chocolate, beer, red wine and other tastes to stimulate his recovery. Apparently he really savoured the beer, licking his lips. She was also letting him sniff different smells.
She was walking normally but said that she did get the occasional twinge. She had been taking Ruta Grav but it is difficult to say if her rapid recovery was due to that. She had not tried Ruta on MM yet. We made MM more comfortable in bed and I resumed work on his left leg and foot to relax the muscles. I managed to straighten the left foot and found that I could take out more of the bend . The cuneiform bone was less protruding and the ankle bone was becoming more prominent. The foot was not back to normal but it was a lot better. MM made a noise when I tickled his foot, making his wife alarmed. When I said why he had made a noise, he seemed amused and more so when I said that I was coming back to tickle him.
MM was tending to thrash his leg from one side to another as he had done before. I tried to get him to push towards the bottom of the bed against my resistance instead to work more muscles. We tried to get MM to grasp his leg as close as possible to the ankle and to tug at it while pushing his leg away. If he could do this, he could help himself a bit more when he was on his own. He did make an effort but compared to his performance on 17 Sep 07, he seemed to have difficulty gripping. So, he has to relearn this again. Perhaps we should defer judgement since he had been quite ill.
His change of mood from dejection when we arrived to humour when we left shows that MM appreciates company. MM's wife had taken early retirement in November to spend more time with him. They mean so much to each other and we love being with them.
1 Feb 2008
MM was out of sorts and very dozey during the 2 hours we were there.
25 Feb 2008
MM very alert after a bath. Although it takes him a while to respond, the left side is quite good now. So, started to focus on the right side. The right foot, which had been twisted and rigid, had more give and could be straightened by stretching. But, MM had no control over movement. But, when asked to pull against my fingers with right hand (which is still not relaxed), MM strained with his head titled forward. He was using his arm muscles but not his fingers to pull my hand. Even so, this was a first for him and we were all very pleased that he was gaining control.
Since MM has a strong left hand and arms, I hooked his left hand over his right and tried to get him to feel how he could exercise himself. Although he paid attention and watched what was being done to his hands carefully, he has yet to work this out himself. We were confident that he will.
On my return home, I read an email from my brother about the film The Diving Bell And The Butterfly, based on a book written by a 'locked in' man after awakening from a coma. He did this by just blinking with his left eye. See http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:U6HCrROn00EJ:www.nytimes.com/books/97/06/15/reviews/970615.mallon.html+Jean-Dominique+Bauby&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=uk
MM can blink to say yes - we hope that he will be able to communicate more in due course.
I looked around for a suitable chart but those on sale are for children and are over decorated with pictures. So, I made one myself (here is the word document) and had it printed onto an A3 card and laminated.
17 Mar 2008 On this visit:
- a carer, who obviously loves her work, came to see MM. She talked affectionately to him, teasing him, kissing him and putting her cheek to his lips to get him to kiss her. As she talked sweetly, he responded by making some murmuring noises; his wife did tell us in the past that she thought he was trying to tell her I love you when she was being lovey-dovey to him. MM put the back of his hands to the carer's face and gently stroked her face and her hair - he apparently has been doing the same to his wife. He obviously appreciates their loving/caring for him.
- Joints are loosening up even on the right feet - but MM is still thrashing his left leg about, in discomfort even if not in pain. Right hand still locked in Edinburgh position but MM obliged by tugging at my hand with his arms (not fingers) when asked to pull at my fingers. I massaged his hand and put it over the end of the arm of the wheelchair. A little later, he was looking at me while pulling at the arm of the chair with his fingers. All his body language was saying that he was trying very hard to help himself.
When MM saw the chart, he was very interested. Up until then he was turned and leaning towards where his wife and my husband were sat talking. On seeing the chart, he sat up and looked hard at it and wanted to hold it. He was able to:
- instinctively scan the chart from left to right
- look at the letter (or word) being referred to
However, since he seemed to want to hold the chart, he could not also point to it. I asked him if he liked the chart - and he blinked. I then asked him if he thought it would be helpful to him. He blinked again. So, this looks promising - he may find a way of using it to communicate.
After I returned home I thought that we could:
- ask him to look at the letter he wants
- ask him if he wants that letter or word - eg. M (for MM)
- he can then blink to say yes or do something else to indicate no.
If he can do this, it would be a lot easier/faster for him.
7 Apr 2008 Progress since last visit:
Eye: Right eye still pink but he did not blink when I asked him if it hurt. MM's wife has not used the castor oil yet, since he is still having antibiotic drops.
Joints:
Left foot - cuneiform bones are no longer visible. Ankle acquiring proper shape. Foot still curled but can be easily straightened.Right Foot - no longer like rock - much more pliable and can be straightened.
Right knee - I was able to bend the knee for the first time. I did not want to spend too much time on this since I wanted to focus his attention on communication (see below).
Right hand - is loosening up. Index finger and little finger can be straightened by someone else now without resistance or pain. But, the other two fingers are still locked in the Edinburgh position.
Communication:
Blinking and thumbs up: MM is now using these signals but not consistently. Perhaps he just gets bored sometimes.Pointing at chart: MM's wife said that MM showed interest but was not able to point in a convincing way. She agreed to my taking a video of MM's response to the chart. I felt that this would enable us to monitor if and how he uses the chart.
MM was very interested in the chart and seemed to recognise its importance to him. But, he was initially unable to point to letters or words. His inability to lift his elbow off the wheelchair seems to be impeding the use of his left hand, which was curled with tension. We coaxed the index finger out to point. Again, we reminded him that it did not mater if he was unable to point on this occasion but that it was important that he tried. He was to take a deep breath, hold it and focus on pointing. After a lot of hesitation and concentration he did manage to point in the direction of the words YES and NO (as asked) even if he could not touch the word with his finger. His ability to rotate the finger, even if he could not simultaneously move his hand, is easily seen on the video recording. My husband who was holding the chart did move it such that it would be easier for him but we did not manipulate his hand or fingers after helping him extend his index finger.
I held the camcorder in front of him and replayed the video on the camcorder's 4" LED screen. He was mesmerised by it and watched all of the recording very attentively. We are unsure of just what he made of it. We drew his attention to his fingers and how he was able to point to YES and NO appropriately, showing our delight at his progress. I also said how lovely and beautiful his wife was and how he was looking so well and smiling - to help him associate the images on the screen with the people there.
It was a rewarding 2 hours for all of us and we are looking forward to our next visit.
26 May 2008
MM's wife is doing everything she can to stimulate him. She has acquired a motor vehicle with winches for hauling up a wheelchair into the van so that she can take MM out into the countryside and to other familiar places. We went in their van to one of the villages but decided to leave on return since MM would need attention.
MM did not seem as alert nor as interested in what was going on as he had been on our previous visit. His fingers were tight when I tried to get him to shake hands with me. He did look at me but did not smile and seemed sullen. I tried to relax his clasp during the drive back but he was not very co-operative. I was overcome by his mood and decided to give him some Reiki. I went to a Reiki 1 workshop at the start of May 2008 to learn more about this therapy after hearing excellent reports of its beneficial effects from several NHS nurses, some quite senior.
Reiki means universal energy in Japanese; it is called Chi in Chinese and prana by Indians and is a fundamental part of many therapies rooted in spiritual practices, such as various forms of yoga, Tai Chi, and acupuncture/acupressure. Eastern tradition holds that this energy flows through the entire universe and through us all. People can be tuned to focus this energy in much the same way in which the wireless radio can pick up and amplify radio signals. The Reiki healer is one who has been attuned to receive, focus and direct this energy through his/her hands into the energy centres of recipients to facilitate self-healing. The energy flow is normally focused on energy plexuses (such as the solar plexus) and the major organs. MM's wheelchair was at a higher level than my seat, so I could not use the usual hand positions for Reiki. Instead, I mentally focused the energy flow onto his left hand and lower arm. I did not hold his hand/arm but held my hand just above these parts of the body. This was a gesture of my feelings and intent - I was not expecting any outcomes.
I had only given MM Reiki for about 5 minutes at most when I saw MM smile and wondered if he was trying to work out what I was doing. Suddenly, he lifted his hand and looked intently at it while uncurling and curling his fingers. He reminded me of babies fascinated by their new-found ability to make their fingers move as they wished. I had not seen him doing this before. He was unable to extend his middle finger so I spoke to him as I gently tried to help him lift it. My saying "That's marvellous - you are doing so well" attracted the attention of MM's wife who looked at him through the rear view mirror and of my husband in the passenger seat in front. I then tried to get MM to straighten his index finger and asked him to point to his wife. He seemed to have some difficulty so I turned his hand around to make it easier for him to point at her. But, he turned his hand back and was much more interested in exploring his conscious controlled unfurling and curling of his fingers.
When we got back 'home' and his wife was unfastening the restraints on the wheel chair, she asked me if MM had turned his hand himself. I confirmed this and we then concentrated on getting him out of the van and into the care home. As we said farewell, MM looked me in the eye and I said please keep trying you are getting there - I will be back in a few weeks.
After our meal that evening, I rang MM's wife and asked her why she had asked me if MM hand turned his hand himself. She said that she had seen the intent expression on his face through the rear-view mirror and wondered what on earth he was doing. She had never seen him looking like this before although she had seen him look at his hand on one occasion. She had already given me permission to ask the group of Reiki healers to send distance healing to MM. I then told her that I had been giving MM Reiki when he suddenly lifted his hand and started to explore moving his fingers. It might have been the Reiki or it might have been a coincidence - whatever it was it was a glimmer of light at the end of a tunnel. Unfortunately, MM & his wife were not free on the following couple of days for a Reiki session and we had to leave.
I will obviously have to do Reiki 2 so that I can send distance Reiki to MM without expectations - we just have to wait, see and report. I had to remind myself that MM is making steady recovery - he was able to stay awake for 2 hours and even though his feet were getting twisted again, he showed no sign of pain.
29 May 2008
I went to a meeting of a group of local Reiki healers. Although the session was not quite what I had envisaged, it was a privilege to meet some of the healers in my town. When I first heard about this meeting, I was told that they sent distant Reiki during the session. In the event, I was told to send my Reiki to MM while the group sent Reiki to all those who were suffering across the globe. I had no idea of how effective my distant Reiki would be since I can only be attuned to Reiki 2 level in November 2008.
8 July 2008
We had not seen MM and his wife for some time since I do not travel during the hayfever season. They had been going on outings in the van. She said that he had enjoyed watching rugby at the stadium and that his thumb went up when his team scored.
I thought that he was trying to say something at one stage but could not be sure. I reminded MM of the last time I gave him Reiki in the van and him exploring his hand. He immediately responded by curling and uncurling the fingers of his left hand to show that he knew what I was talking about. He still could not unfurl (control) his middle finger. I said that I wanted to give him a full Reiki session and he blinked his approval. We thought it would do no harm and I felt that it might help to relax his muscles at the very least. We were not expecting any outcomes - it was just a form of collective meditation.
I started from behind his wheelchair, while his wife and my husband sat facing him. They said that he smiled when I started the session, cradling the base of his scalp in my hands. He was quite relaxed and still while I treated his head from the back. I explained what I was doing at each position and why I was doing that. I then came to the front and he looked straight at me with his shining eyes. I asked him if he found it comforting and he blinked 'yes'. Some Reiki healers tend to hold their hands slightly off the body - I could feel that MM found a light touch very comforting. At one stage, when I was working at the back of his head, my whole body and not just my hands became very hot. So, I knew something strange was happening and prayed that it would help him at some level, even if not at the physical level.
I explained that I was going to cradle his throat. He might feel uncomfortable but I was not going to hurt him. I hoped that the Reiki would help him regain his voice, and eventually his speech. But, the outcome was not up to me or him - I was just a channel for the healing energy and his energy-system will make what it will of it. I told him that if he felt like talking or wanted to talk, he could and should irrespective of what I was doing. When I finished cradling his throat, I moved on to treat his torso. MM started to splutter and choke much to his wife's concern. He was trying to use his voice but could not initially co-ordinate his breathing. Instinctively, he soon realised that it was best to explore his voice on the out breath. He was totally focused on getting a gurgling guttural sound - and would periodically gasp for air, like some fast-speaking people tend to do, and choke and cough in the process. We stopped everything and listened to him and forgot the time.
When he stopped I continued. At one stage, when I was reaching across his body to lay my hands over his spleen and pancreas, he touched my arm with his left fist. I said that he could hold my arm if he liked. He unfurled his fingers and tried to clasp them around my right arm but his middle finger was in the way. His wife lifted it up and he curled all his fingers around my arm very gently but snugly, exerting just the right amount of pressure. He then ran his hand very very gently up and down my lower arm as I continued to treat him. When I finished and said that I needed to move he released his hand. Later, when I laid my hands over his liver and lower abdomen, he put his hand over my left arm and again stroked it gently. But, when I came to move on, he gripped my arm and held it down as if he wanted me to keep my hands where they were. He is still very strong. He must have found the hand positions comforting.
We were at it for more than 90 mins. He was fully attentive throughout although his left leg was getting restless towards the end. Most of the time he looked deep into my eyes. When I finished he tried to make guttural noises again. But, I said that he could practise this on his own and that we must finish before the nurse arrived with his medication and feed. We symbolically closed the session and his wife gave him a couple of teaspoons of water.
I then noticed that MM was scanning the notices on the wall as if he was reading them. I asked him if he could read and he blinked yes. I then read them out slowly and he seemed to be reading along with me as if checking. I hope I am right and will be writing regular letters to him in biggish font. My husband and I also suggested to him that while he is honing his voice, he might like to learn to mouth his words since we could then learn to lip-read him. We said 'O' and he slowly curled his lips around. To check that this was not spurious, I asked him to say Eee. He seemed perplexed initially but we pointed out that all that he needed to do was smile and stretch his lips sideways. He did so. We did not quite succeed with Ooo since we were running out of time. He was also looking tired. MM's wife said that he could now point to YES & NO and to M for MM and S Sugar, etc. She was taking the chart with her when they went on their outings to try using it.
MM shook hands with both of us when we left and as I hugged his wife, I was so grateful that her devotion had been rewarded and that she now had a husband she could relate to. We could already talk to him; hopefully, he will communicate back sooner than later. I had offered to give my husband Reiki since he has medical problems. He said "No thank you" since like many people he was sceptical. On the way back, he suggested that maybe he should have Reiki when he was in pain.
The scientists will class this as anecdotal accounts - not scientific evidence. So, people like MM will not be able to have Reiki on the NHS. I believe that complementary therapies can a) prevent many diseases; b) be effective in post-treatment care and recuperation; and, c) that it would save the taxpayers and the NHS a lot of money in the long run. My Reiki teacher is often fully booked up for over a month. She charges for her services since she wants to promote these therapies by making her practice publicly visible. People with spare income are seeking therapists. Those who are missing out on these healing therapies are the very people Labour purports to represent - the deprived.
12 Aug 2008
MM was very downcast when his wife and I got to him together. He has an infection on his toes - perhaps this was making him miserable. I asked him if I could video him trying to talk and he made a sour face. I asked if he would like some healing and he blinked for yes. While cradling the nape of his neck, I found that he had much more control over his neck muscles. He used to sit with his head leaning forwards and to one side. Even on my previous visit on 8 July his head would loll about like a baby's since his neck would not hold his head up if he leaned back. I asked him to lift his head back into my hands cradling the nape of his neck, and he seemed to be able to do this and lean back more and more very gradually without jerks. He seemed to enjoy the Reiki and brightened up. Although he did not make the guttural noises, he did make some soft noises as if trying to talk. On the previous visit, he had difficulty mouthing Oh and Ee. But, now he was moving his lips freely as if he was forming words but I could not make out what he was saying. He did not appear to be communicating with us but was more intent on exploring his own lip movements.
MM seemed to have a cold and he sneezed on several occasions. He coughed from time to time and eventually brought up some phlegm from his throat. I had not seen him do this before and wondered whether this was another indication of better control of his neck and throat muscles.
We had sent a letter in large print to MM & his wife on 2 Aug 08. We got this out, and asked him to point to words in the letter. He seemed to be looking at the word and even got the row the word was in but had difficulty positioning his finger over the word. I asked him if he could read the letter and he blinked - hopefully it was a definite yes. I then asked him if he liked the healing and he blinked to that. I just hope it is doing him some good. Later an attractive 20 year old lass joined us and he brightened up and was looking with glee at her. I asked him to show her that he could point to his name on the letter. He raised his left hand, stuck out his thumb and forefinger, and hovered over where his name was but had difficulty holding his hand steady. This was a substantial improvement on what he had been able to do on 7 April 2008. MM continues to amaze us with his slow but steady progress.
2 Sep 2008
MM seemed to be having a lot of pain in his left hand. There were no signs of external bruising but he winced and grunted in pain when we tried to help him straighten his fingers. His wife was concerned that he was regressing. On the other hand, there were signs of improvement in other respects:
His wife gave him a couple of teaspoons of water before we started the Reiki (only a short session since he was expecting another visitor). Most of the water dribbled out. But, we encouraged him to try and swallow a bit of it - and to his surprise and ours he managed it with a great gulp and cough afterwards.
MM tended to move his head forward when his hand hurt. When I started the Reiki I asked him to lift his head into my hands so that I could cradle the nape of his neck - which he had found comforting in previous sessions. He managed to lift his head backwards himself, showing much better control of his neck muscles. The head was no longer lolling about when unsupported.
He seemed very relaxed and sleepy after the Reiki. But, because he was distressed by the pain in his hand and perhaps elsewhere, he did not attempt to use his voice or mouth words. MM's wife is going to get his hand seen to.
13 Sep 2008
I was attuned to Reiki 2 so that I could send daily Reiki to MM remotely. Just as I was going to sit on a chair to be attuned, a juvenile turtle dove flew into the window with a thud which startled my Reiki Master and myself. Despite knowing that it had hit a barrier, it was flapping and trying to get in. Perhaps it was just trying to get our attention. It then flew down and I went to the window to see if it was hurt. It was sat on the roof below looking at the window and at me. I mentally acknowledged it with thanks and it flew away with some ruffled feathers.
22 Sep 2008
MM looked sad but he could have been tired. His left hand was still curled but not clenched and he did not wince nor indicate pain when his fingers were stretched gently by us. But the second knuckles on the middle and ring fingers were discoloured, suggesting some bruising. When I asked if he would like some Reiki, he put his thumb up. When asked to show us his pointing finger, he stuck out his index finger. Our pleasure was visible. The most distressing thing was the way he seemed to look at something intently through the corners of his eyes. We initially thought that he was looking at something. After the Reiki, which helped him relax, I looked at his left eye when the pupils were right into the corner - they seemed dull, unfocused and quite strange. When I called him with urgency, he looked at me and moved his pupils towards the centre of the eye to follow my eyes. The eyes brightened up and were alive again - but he could not maintain it for more than a few seconds. The eyes soon became lifeless and slipped into the corners again.
I guess it could have been that he was tired and dopey. But, they were not the eyes of a dopey person - they were strange. On return home, I was still puzzled. When I enquired, his wife said that she had not been giving him the Kali Phos pillules regularly. I suggested that if he did not buck up within a few days, that she try the Kali Phos again and note whether it made any difference.
23 Oct 2008 Thu
MM had been in bed since Sunday 20th Oct with chesty cold. He had his eyes closed when I went in but opened them after a while. They were tired and droopy. He gave a thumbs up for healing and I did my best by reaching over the rails. When I was doing his ears, the fingers on my right hand started to tingle. So, I moved my palm over to where they had been, namely near the top of the jaw line below the ear. After a very short while, MM moved his hand which was curled over with his index finger out. He put the finger into my hand and started to stroke it as if he felt comforted by it.
His left leg was restless and his wife restrained it during the session. Apart from that, he was very still and attentive. By the time I finished he seemed a lot better. It was his medicine time and we waited for it to arrive. His wife gave the medicine, water and his nourishing drink to him through his peg feed. He was very alert and watched her filling the tube and even looked at the water level when she remarked about it not flowing. This is the first time I have seen him do this. He also seemed to be trying to talk more - trying to mouth words and get his voice. Despite having an infection, he was a lot better on this visit than he had been a month ago. His wife has been giving him Kali Phos again, which may have helped him be attentive and focused. I was with them for 3 hours and during this time, his eyes only became glazed and unfocused once.
His right side is definitely freeing up. His muscles were not as tight. His pulse was strong in this right thigh and I could easily straighten his toes. The right leg is also freeing up. It was not as rigid and we were able to bend the knee joint and put a pillow under it so that he could try pushing on it to get some degree of control.
Unfortunately, MM grunts with pain if we try and help him uncurl the fingers of his left hand. He is still able to do a thumbs up and stick his index finger out. But, the other fingers seem to be locked in a curl. The left biceps are also contracted making it difficult to straighten his arm.
On the whole, he seems to be moving forward mentally. He has regressed slightly in the sense that he has lost the mobility he had gained in his left hand. But, we hope that this is only temporary.
21 Nov 2008 Fri
MM was whimpering in pain. He did not give us a YES code when we asked if his eyes were painful. I realised later that he must be having chest pain due to catarrh, which he could not cough up. He showed his thumb up signal and his pointing finger but the other fingers were still curled since he seemed to have pain on stretching the middle finger.
Since he was whimpering with his eyes closed, I gave some Reiki to his wife, which she said was relaxing and comforting. Soon after I started, MM opened his eyes and initially looked at me and then behind me. Then he started to look at what I was doing and where I was laying my hands on his wife. He seemed to know what was going on and was very quiet and refrained from shaking his left leg compulsively.
When giving MM Reiki, I decided to do his back on this occasion. So I slipped my hands down as far as I could on either side of the spine above the shoulder blades and concentrated with my eyes closed on the flow of Reiki. Suddenly, I felt a shooting sensation up my arms and a popping sensation in my heart area and streams of rippling flow up the area around my spine and out of the crown and back of my head. My hair stood on end and I had to resist having to scratch my head. The closest thing I can relate it to is what happens when you put an effervescent tablet in water. It was a very powerful experience but my attention was distracted by MM's wife calling out "How strange! What are you doing? What are you trying to do?". So I opened my eyes, and saw that MM was holding his hand up and his elbow was also up, well clear of the wheelchair. He has never been able to lift his elbow (although we thought that he might have done so on 12 Aug 08 when he was showing off to a pretty lass). It has never been easy to move his elbow. So, this was like a miracle. His wife said that he was looking strangely at his hand and feet and trying to associate and link them in some way. She asked him to reach out to her hand and he did so. The most amazing thing was that he made these movements with confidence and without any hesitation. Even if MM cannot repeat this performance as fluidly again, it was now clear to all of us that he could make these movements if his muscles could be re-trained.
The Reiki had to end since it was time for his medicines & feed. MM's wife prepared the tube for peg-feeding and then realised that she needed an extra hand to deal with the medicine. So, she asked him if he could help by holding the feeding tube while she did her thing. MM then got hold of the tube by his thumb and pointing finger and managed to hang on to it until she was ready.
I came away feeling elated - hopefully, MM will make further progress. He has come a long way since 1 Aug 07. What a reward for his wife. My Reiki Master reminded me that I could give his back Reiki through the wheelchair if I could not reach parts of his body when I told her about this. I'll have to try this next time to reach further down his spine.
1 Dec 2008 Mon
By chance, I came across a book entitled Remarkable Recovery at the MFI Clearance Sale. The authors reviewed numerous medical records on people whose cancer vanished of its own accord and explored possible reasons for this. The report on Rita Klaus, who was crippled by MS, includes the following account of an experience preceding her healing. She instantly felt a sudden surge of electricity down the back of my neck and into my arms and legs ... pins and needles ... a sparkling feeling of effervescence, like bubby champagne. (p 140). A Mr Jacobson knew he had been healed when I felt like high voltage touched me on my head and I had a feeling that I can only describe as like bubbling, boiling water rolling to my fingertips and back up (p 145). When I was searching for words, I initially did liken my experience to bubbling (but not hot) water.
But, when I rang MM's wife on 11 Dec 08, she said that he had been quite drowsy and not with it. MM's wife also reported that Kali Bich had not helped MM's catarrh.
15 Jan 2009
When we visited before Easter, MM had been fast asleep. This time, he was wide awake and took some note when we arrived and then switched off. He showed some interest in the Speech Therapist who came with a log book to his wife to record their experiments. His wife demonstrated this to us after the therapist left. She mimicked everything MM did to see his reaction. He did note what she did but did not do anything to provoke any response on her part. When his attention wandered, she asked him to look at her and he did. His movements were a lot more natural.
I then gave him a short session of Reiki while his wife and my husband chatted. Initially, he did not seem inclined towards the session but soon relaxed. When I was beaming the Reiki on his ears and throat area, he broke into a grin. Only after we returned home did I suddenly realise that he had grinned from ear to ear - i.e. he was able to move his face muscles on the right side of his face, whereas he had always had a lop-sided response in the past.
When we were about to leave, his wife asked him if he could hold his log book as she prepared to wheel him back to his room. I took the log book from her and showed it to him saying "Look, this is your book - it has your name on it. Can you see your name?" There were 3 lines on the label stuck to the cover which read MM's intensional interaction (or something similar) on 3 separate lines. He perked up and seemed quite interested and started to pull his hand up from his lap. So, I asked him to point to where it said it was his book. He lifted his hand and moved it towards the top line although he could not hold his hand still. We made it clear to him that we knew that he could read, hear, understand and point and that he was getting better. I looked back at these notes and noted that in May 2007, we were hoping that he was minimally conscious and not vegetative. I think that he has been fully conscious since August 2008 even if he has had sleepy/dopey spells when unwell.
Fri 6 Mar 2009
MM was asleep all afternoon. Did Reiki on his wife, who felt so relaxed that she had a snooze. Then did Reiki on MM. Although he was asleep, his expression changed into one of deep relaxation during the Reiki. He looked healthy and well - we feel that the sleeping is facilitating healing.
Thu 26 Mar 2009
MM was fairly alert and awake all afternoon. I started by testing his mobility. When I tried to move his elbow it was as if it was cast in cement. I reminded him of how he had been able to raise his elbow and lift his arm well above his head during Reiki (21 Nov 2008). So, he was capable of it and no doubt he will be able to do so again in due course.
I then gave him a pen and held a paper such that he could try to write on it. We tried his right hand, which had been the dominant hand prior to the accident, but he had difficulty holding the pen appropriately. So, I put the pen between his left thumb and forefinger after trying various positions. After a while he seemed to adjust the pen such that it was poised for writing. He then spent a long time thinking about it. He clearly knew what the function of the pen and paper were but could not manipulate the pen. So, I moved the paper such that it would be easier for him to make a mark. Unfortunately, it was a ball point pen (could not find a felt tip one) but even so we managed to make some marks. He was so keen to get at the paper with the pen that he lifted his elbow instinctively and turned his hand round.
I then said that he could try writing again after his feed and gave him a full Reiki. He seemed very relaxed and quiet.
Wed 20 May 2009
We did not visit MM & his wife in April since we did not want to give them our bad cold. When I rang his wife, she said that MM had not shown much interest in writing. Even so, we went armed with a clip board, paper and some good quality felt-tip pens, which slide easily on paper. I imagined the task ahead and sent some distance Reiki to the situation. MM seemed to have a cold and was miserable when we arrived but his mood changed when he started drawing.
I initially put the pen in his right hand but he could not hold it since his muscles are still flaccid, although he still cannot straighten his fingers. I then put the pen between his left thumb and forefinger. My husband held the clipboard while I started to video MM's reactions. MM gave the task his full attention. He spent some time thinking and trying to adjust the pen. He had a stab at the paper and initially made spotty marks as he concentrated on gauging where the pen was relative to the paper. He then made little zig-zag squiggles. We gasped as he started to draw long curved lines, showing greater control of the pen. My husband said that he was pressing quite hard on the paper. He tended to keep to the same area of the paper so we rotated the paper to give him access to more blank space. He carried on adjusting the pen periodically and drawing his squiggles and lines. We were so pleased and so thrilled when he himself started to move to drawing in relatively blank areas of the paper to our applause.
He managed to keep his attention on the task and his drawing going for more than an hour while we took turns holding the clipboard. It was time for his medicines and nutrition - so I asked him to drop the pen if he was tired since he could always have another session later. He did not seem to know what to do - I knew he could hand the pen to his wife so I did not want him to do that. I then suggested that if he lifted his forefinger off the pen, the pen would fall away and that he should not worry about this since we had got the clipboard on a lap tray by this stage. With a little prodding from us, he did lift the forefinger and let the pen fall. I gave him a short burst of Reiki. He was very tense initially but relaxed and melted into sleep. We left hoping that this milestone was going to be significant.
Sun 26 July
MM's wife was not there. MM in wheelchair - tense when we arrived. Relaxed after Reiki. Attempts at pointing did not work too well - but he was much more interested in 'writing'.
Mon 16 Aug 09
We were there before MM's wife. MM was in bed after a shower with very little on. He seemed to be in a very uncomfortable position - looked miserable and his face was flushed. Had to wait until his wife arrived. He kept looking at his wife in a pitiful way. She got the staff to pull him up onto pillows and make him comfortable so that he could breathe more easily. He soon relaxed when I started to give him Reiki just by supporting his head on my side and attempted to use his voice after a while. Had eye and chest infections and his hands were cold. But, there were some distinct signs of progress:
His wife said that he was now able to cough up phlegm.
I could open his right hand so that I could give him a good handshake for the first time.
I gave him my fluorite crystal which is waxy and smooth and he seemed to enjoy holding it. This crystal has healing properties and removes negativity. It was given to me and I carry it about in my pocket to help me overcome negativity projected by others around me so that I can be supportive without feeling drained. At one stage the stone slipped out of his hand and fell on his body. He was able to feel for it and pick it up with his thumb and index finger.
He was very tired after the shower but did what he could when we gave him a Berol pen and paper on a platen. He did not hold the pen properly but managed to draw long lines quite confidently. Also, he did not seem to have to concentrate as hard as he had done before. MM's wife said that she thinks he enjoys his 'writing' sessions.
Tue 15 Sep 09
I took some crystals for MM - Rose Quartz, Black Tourmaline and a couple of magnetised haematite chips. MM always looks tense when we arrive and relaxes during Reiki. So, I wanted to see if Rose Quartz would help him with its inner healing. MM liked the smooth and waxy feel of the tumbled stone which fits snugly in his palms. He was not over keen on the magnets or the striated tourmaline.
While giving him Reiki, I noticed that he was able to hold his head without it tilting forward onto his chest or back like a babies. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the Reiki on his head. When I moved down his body, he was still and noted what I was doing. When I was crouched on the floor and moved from his right foot (which he cannot move) to his left, he lifted the left foot and gave it to me. He seemed to gave much more control over the movement, although the foot was still curled. When I thanked him, he looked at me - he knew that I would be in a much more comfortable position myself if he held his foot up.
MM's wife told us that he was now able to cough, which was another sign of increasing control of muscles. MM's wife was having other problems in her life with her aging parents but she was coping admirably well.
Tue 13 Oct 09
MM was asleep after a flu jab but looked very relaxed. His crystals were on his wheelchair. When he was coming out of his sleep, he was trying to use his voice. MM's wife was looking a lot fitter. She said that MM had been trying to use his voice again. He was still sleepy when we were saying goodbye but he seemed to smile at me.
Sun 19 Dec 09
MM was asleep - his wife said he was exhausted after more than 24 hours in hospital to get his peg feeding tube changed. Apparently, they inserted a wider tube without anaesthetic and MM had been in pain. He looked sedated. I decided to give him a short Reiki session since his sister was expected soon - and she did arrive shortly. So, I moved from the head area to the feet so that she could try and rouse him.
I did his right foot first - then moved to the left - he had socks on. After a general session over the foot, I grasped his toes with my thumb on his pituitary reflex, while focusing on the flow of energy. Almost immediately, I felt as if all the joints in his feet were cracking open and his toes started to flip like a fish thrown out of water. The sensation of joints cracking free were very similar to what I felt when I first started to do a lumbar spinal roll to keep my lower spine in good condition. Although his feet with socks were under the blanket, his wife could see the unusual movement. I rang her that night and said I was not surprised since many people tend to fall asleep during a Reiki session.
Sat 16 and Sun 17 Jan 10
MM's wife was having a much needed break with her daughter overseas. Unfortunately, we could not travel any sooner than Fri 15 owing to the snow & ice in UK from 16 Dec 09. The last trip had been treacherous since cars were passing us at above the speed limit despite the fast lane being iced over and tyres skidding. The country had run out of salt and there had been many accidents, train & flight cancellations etc. But, the snow started to thaw on 15 Jan and we decided to go and see MM.
He looked extremely dispirited when we arrived in the afternoon. We wheeled him to a private lounge. His hands were cold and tightly clenched and the feet had started to curl again. His head had flopped forward and was difficult to pull back. My husband held his hand while I started with the Reiki. He said that MM's fists started to relax soon after I started. I put my hand on his forehead and gently pulled the head back and it felt as if a lock had been released. I continued with the Reiki but stopped as soon as MM's in-laws arrived. We were pleased to meet his elderly parents-in-law who too had been unable to visit him because of the weather.
MM's sister-in-law (J), her daughter (R) and boy friend (A) had also come - they were really lovely people who seemed to love MM dearly. They said that they had been several times but that MM had always had his head down to his chest and that he seemed unable to open his eyes. He did seem to have some infection in his eye and had them closed. He shortly developed a cough and the head lurched forward again as he tried to bring the phlegm up. I said it was a good sign since he was coughing and swallowing even if it made him choke from time to time. I then stepped up, put my hand on his forehead and lifted it back up to rest on the head rest. His eyebrows were puckered and he looked miserable. So, I stood behind the wheelchair and channelled Reiki to his neck and throat. R said that his eyebrows and face relaxed almost immediately. I explained that I was doing some healing and recommended that she gets attuned. J was keen to hold his jaw and throat and I reassured her that nothing I had done in their presence would hurt him and that he loved to be touched, especially around the jaw and throat, which he found very comforting. So, she held his throat for a while and then sat down.
All of them, including A, were very attentive throughout. I then said to A that what MM needed was male talk, of squash, rugby etc. And, A did this very naturally and MM seemed to be paying attention.
It was very clear that they loved him dearly but like most people were at a loss as to what they could do to relate to him. So, I pulled out the pad of paper we had brought and a felt tip pen to show one of the things they could do to help stimulate him. Although he grasped the pen, he would not initially open his eyes. Also, his elbow and wrist were clenched and he was holding the pen with his hand curled towards his chest. So, I held his arm with my left hand and tucked my right hand over the shoulder blade near his spine and channelled Reiki. His arm relaxed and he was able to stretch it out so that the pen was now pointing at the paper. We managed to get him to open his eyes and get him to look at the paper. He did concentrate very hard on the task and tried a few strokes but let go of the pen after that to indicate he had enough.
He had another coughing fit and I reassured him that it was alright and it was helping to tone up his throat muscles so that he could talk. While cupping his throat, I asked him if he would like to talk and to our surprise he made a sound which was similar to 'ya'. He continued to make some guttural noises.
Time passed quickly and his visitors had to leave. I then continued with the Reiki. For the first time, I felt his Adam's apple - and could feel that he was moving it up and down. Either consciously, or instinctively, he was doing the right thing. On coaxing, he kept saying 'Ah' for a long time. Instead of working through a Reiki routine, I decided to spend some time on his feet since they had both curled up again. I started with the right foot which had been like a block of wood in the past. I got out a brooch and gently stroked his feet with its rough surface. His foot reacted by flexing at the ankles and the big toe flexing back - another first. He was beginning to shake his left leg - the stroking may have tickled him. But, I have experimented with several objects and found that this causes tingling and feedback to the brain. I wondered if he was experiencing something similar. I then did the left foot as well before finishing with Reiki. We had been there for 2.5 hours and decided that we should let him rest.
We both thought that MM would benefit from further stimulation and decided to visit him again in the morning before returning home. Although he was awake, he would not open his eyes, but the Reiki relaxed him and we did manage to get him to say 'ah' before we left him looking a lot more relaxed.
8 Feb 2010
MM was fast asleep and slept in peace like a baby for an hour. But, we were happy to sit by him and channel Reiki to him. Many people fall asleep during a Reiki session - so we hope that it would do him some good.
1 Mar 2010
MM was fast asleep again. We caught up on his wife's news.
On 12th March, I sent Reiki as instructed by my Reiki Master. She said that her group was now working with stroke patients and that they had some marvellous results. Group distant healing is more powerful than one person's channelling. But, I thought I will give it a try since there is nothing to lose.
© Mahes Visvalingam, 18 Jun 2007
Last updated on 14/03/10
