Tomorrow IS Wednesday

Tomorrow is our long anticipated (well, 3 week anticipated) final cast removal day.  We are all ready to move on, no matter how much improvement is accomplished.  She's been a great sport.  On Sunday she even climbed all over her jungle gym in the back yard, zipping down the slide and making a nice cast skid in the dirt. 

Next big thing on our agenda is her MRI on May 23rd.  It's a real relief that we can have it done here at home.

Is it Wednesday Yet?

We are well into week three of serial casting.  It has been a long haul.  For the most part, Summer has been her resilient self, but there are times each day when I can tell she is tired of it.  For the past three mornings she has asked "is it Wednesday yet?"  Wednesday is the final cast removal day.  

Small incremental improvements have been measured over the last two cast weeks and it will be interesting to see what the final measurement it. 

Summer will also receive her new AFO on Wednesday which will include a 'stretch strap' that she can wear at night to get a nice long stretch. A new AFO also means all new shoes, so our Orthopaedic Lab appointment will be followed by a trip to the shoe store. 

I think we are all looking forward to Wednesday.

Week 2, New Cast

Summer received her purple cast today, #2 in the series of three.  Upon removal of the pink cast Karen and Krista measured a small improvement in Summer's range of motion. 

I anticipate week #2 is going to be more challenging.  Summer is tiring of dragging around the big boot.  Yesterday when we got home, she was tired and  there were lots of tears and "mommy, I don't want a cast."  It broke our hearts.  Summer is a real trooper, but even she gets frutrated and sad with having to endure these hardships.

Easter Weekend

  

We spent Easter Weekend in Peterborough with Don's Aunt & Uncle, and a gang of cousins.  Summer had much fun playing with the children.  Highlights were Easter morning of course, as well as the Peterborough Zoo & Playground and croquet in the back yard.

Cast Week 1 - Piece of Cake

Summer received her first of three casts she will have for her serial casting period this month.  Each will be worn for a full week and each will progressively place her foot in a position that further lengthens her heel cord.  The goal is to encourage more 'heel-to-toe' walking as opposed to toe walking, which can be a typical gait development for kids with hemiplegia.  The weight of the cast combined with usual activity, I am hoping has the added effect of strengthening her quad.  I am also hoping that it might even stimulate some bone growth.  She wears a knee immobilization brace at night to get a good long stretch.  It also provide a bit of a pillow around her cast.

She has been remarkably resilient.  She has not complained once.  On Monday after the casting appointment we ran a few errands, stopped by my office to show off her cast, had dinner with friends then headed to dance class.

I apologize for not having this updated earlier.  I came down with a double eye infection on Tuesday morning and have been laid-up ever since.  Today, I am finally feeling and looking better, thanks to the antibiotics and rest.

Rites of Pierce-age

Summer and I spent Saturday morning with our friend Tracy and her horse Dolby at Eastwood.  Summer had a ride on Dolby and then we groomed her and fed her a bag of carrots. Summer had lots of fun and was great to see her confidence build over the last couple of weeks.

From there, we headed to the mall for lunch.  It's Sum's favourite - she loves the food-court.  We took a wander around the shops. I needed to stop into the jewelery store, so I asked Summer, off handed, if she would like to get her ears pierced.  To my surprise, she said yes! 

We have been here before, about a year and a half ago, when we got as far as 'the chair', but then had a meltdown and got cold feet.  But this time was different.  Yes, she looked nervous but excited.  She wanted to sit on my lap for the actual procedure.  I was surprised she didn't feel my heart racing right out of my chest!

She did a little jump when the guns went off, but she was so brave and there were no tears.  Especially since there were four older girls looking on, waiting for their turn.