It's been awhile since I've had time to update, but things have been SO busy! This week signals the wrap up of a lot of activities and school classes. I actually have one day on the calendar this week without anything on it! Today, was not that day however.
Lia has been wearing a new brace on her left leg to help with her toe walking and muscle tone issues. The brace is making her walking pigeon toed even more pronounced, so we were glad to get to our 2 month follow up with the ortho at the cerebral palsy clinic at Nationwide Children's. Lia started her day by riding Princess, her last riding therapy class of the spring session. She has loved her weekly class, and hopefully we can pick them back up in the fall. My point, Lia had already had one therapy session today before we got to the CP clinic. Thankfully, the hour drive gave Lia the perfect opportunity for a nap before she had to start therapy session #2. Unfortunately, Lia did not wake up in the mood to deal with people poking and prodding her, let alone play the reindeer games that the doctors and therapist wanted her to. Reasoning with a 3 yr old does not go well, especially when said toddler is overly tired! Thankfully we did get her to walk with the brace on and off for them so they could evaluate her walk and gait. What they had to say was not the good news we were hoping for.
The double edged sword of Lia's brace is that while it is helping her to walk flat footed, it makes her hip rotate in even more than before. And, until she is older and can do the right exercises to strengthen her muscles in her hip, it is not going to get any better and quite probably get worse. Then the doctor told me that Lia had a growth spurt in the last 2 months and while her bones had grown, the muscles in her left side were not able to keep pace and had tightened some. Her left arm can't extend fully right now, so it is back to stretching exercises 3-4 times a day for a few months. We are so blessed to have such great care for Lia! Having a child with special needs is exhausting physically, mentally, and emotionally, but with God's strength we take it day by day and feel so blessed for this beautiful sweet little girl He has blessed us with. Some days are harder than others.
This week I had to face a child seeing Lia as "different." Judging her on her awkward gate an brace, not for the treasure that she is. While Lia and Addy were playing during Justin's soccer game, a little girl came over and stared at Lia playing. Yes, my sweet girl walks with a limp and wears a brace, but she is just like every other 3 year old. This child asked Addy why Lia had that thing on her leg. Taking it all in stride, as though it is totally normal for kids to wear braces and feeling the need to educate this girl, Addy told her about Lia's lefty leg, that she had died twice the day she was born, and that because of that she had to go to therapy and wear her lefty brace. And, she told her that Lia is still great at doing everything (ok this mama's heart was so proud by this point!) Then Addy asked her to join them. The girl did, and she played nicely with Lia, but it opened my eyes to the fact that Lia is growing up, and her differences are going to become more obvious. It breaks my heart because I know people can be mean, and kids can be worse.
So, when the ortho told me that Lia's gait was going to get worse before it got better, and that we had lost range of motion today, it was confirmation to me that there were going to be many more days when Lia was going to be stared at, laughed at, and left out because of her disability. I know the ortho and the PT/OTs all think that by 10 Lia could be walking normally and using her left hand much better, but at barely 3 that 10 year mark is feeling pretty far off. Before I get you thinking I have a huge pity party going, let me assure you I don't. Lia is a miracle. God has a plan for her, and she is perfectly and wonderfully created to fulfill the purpose that God has for her. I don't doubt that for a moment! Yes, right now is hard, but she has a family who loves her and a God who is bigger than any obstacle or hurt feelings she may face. So we'll chalk this doctor's appointment up to a small setback, but tomorrow is a new day. We'll give each day to Jesus, and let him work it out to be exactly what it is meant to be. In that, my friends, is where our hope comes from.
No comments:
Post a Comment