Speaking Valve News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Have some good news. happy thanksgiving. >> happy thanksgiving. >> so update us. what is the good news that you received this week? >> well, she has been downgraded to acute immediate care so she's not in the icu unit anymore. and she's off the ventilator, so she's off life support. they put the speaking valve in so she can communicate and basically talk through her own vocal cords now. and her first words to me was "rub my feet." >> my feet? >> my feet, yes. she loves -- she loves her foot massages, so she says "rub my feet," that was her first words to me. >> and like a good husband, you obl...

Because they don't have the money, resources or the desire. keeping alive is hard work for mom. since she cannot clear her throat a machine has to do it for her. the procedure which is done at least a dozen times a day, relieves the feeling that she's drowning. mom uses a word board to spell out our conversations. occasionally through a speaking valve, put on her tracheotomy and able to talk a few sentences at a time. >> can you say hello? >> hello. >> hello. i love your voice. >> i love roseanne. >> reporter: it would be nine weeks in the hospital learning how to care for her before mom would...

Especially since she has a trache and learning to use it is part of therapy. >> what we have here is a speaking valve. if they're tolerating that, we'll try to get them to speak. >> reporter: but hear's the thing. all these different therapies work together. for example, remember music therapy? >> i'm going to go ♪ lean two, three, four push up, two, three, four ♪ >> reporter: the music isn't just rehabilitating the mind but teaching patients to walk. and sometimes -- >> and i'll give them a song to get their mind off the pain. ♪ oh, when the saints go marching in ♪ >> it's cool to see...

>> reporter: surprisingly, the shopping cart is also used as part of therapy. take a look here. obviously julie helping if i have right leg weakness, moving my leg along, preventing me from falling. >> i said okay, you say len, it's pen, use your lips. >> reporter: now remember, with congresswoman giffords, speech is also a concern. especially since she has a trache and learning to use it is part of therapy. >> this is what sticks out on the patient. what we have here is a speaking valve. if they're tolerating that, we'll try to get them to speak. >> reporter: but here's the thing. all these d...

>> it will start to feel like tingling in your calf. >> reporter: but this bike doesn't let you forget. these little cords here attach to the muscles in my leg. as my leg is moving, it's predicting which muscle should be using and giving that muscle a stimulation. they call this the superman device. learning to walk without the burden of my body weight. >> 30% of your body weight has been taken out. >> reporter: surprisingly, the shopping cart is also used as part of therapy. take a look here. obviously julie helping if i have right leg weakness, moving my leg along, preventing me from falling...