Satellite (Imagine Dave Matthews singing it)

So, we're in Plano.

I'm here with my MIL this time. I swear, every time I come to a training I've got someone new with me.

Today was tiring. We did two sessions, which means we had about six hours of training. That's hard on everyone. Plus, I got there early and stayed late, so we were all pretty beat by the end of the day.

We're getting four new exercises--today we learned the underside of the jaw and the temples. Very excited about this and hoping that Charlie will get some new sound out of all this jaw/face work.

We're also getting a machine. I stuck to my guns and said that it simply wasn't something we could afford, but my grandfather died, left my mom some money, and she decided that she wanted to spend it on the machine. It's a monthly rental that's roughly the equivalent of a car payment, so that's pretty steep for my family. I'm not sure if we'll keep it forever, but Charlie did fabulous with it and I have no doubt that he'll be able to sleep with it on. At the very least, it will be nice to have right now.

There are also a LOT of changes happening with ABR. Things are moving quickly and it's got my head spinning.

We no longer have to return to Montreal. Leonid feels that the trainers are now able enough to do evaluations and they will be writing documents for us with comparison photos and information. Leonid will only do evaluations if there are questions or if a case looks particularly complicated. Leonid will still be reviewing tapes and making recommendations for exercises--he just won't be poking at each kid's body once a year. Since we don't have to meet with Leonid, we don't have to go to Montreal. We can go to our satellites only. This will definitely make things easier and cheaper for us as far as travel goes.

Another change is that fact that ABR has received a research center designation from the Canadian government. This is means that they are now collecting data in a more comprehensive manner. I filled out a five page questionnaire about Charlie, pain, his ability to move, etc. I suspect there will be more of these in the future.

They are also expanding the use of the machine and trying it in new locations on the body. All in all, they seem to be working hard to make ABR easier for people to have access to and easier to implement.

Now, I'm going to shower and then go to bed. It's been a long day.