Back to Where We Were...Only BETTER

We've been doing PT in her AFOs and shoes since her casts came off on December 10th. Normally, she wears her sneakers only for CME exercises at PT--but her ortho said she'd be too weak in the ankles/calves to do that sort of exercise.

Her AFOs do give her extra stability. She is better able to stay down in her AFOs since her lengthening procedure, and she isn't "teetering" on her toes as much. She can stay standing much better, and her emerging gait pattern (in AFOs and shoes, anyway) is either flat-footed or heel-toe, as opposed to toe-heel(ish) before surgery.

And here's a new one--she's been initiating step-ups (and step-downs) without a handhold. Weight transfer without hand support has been a difficult transition, but she HAS done a step up independently--once--on a 10cm step. So, it's coming, which is very exciting!



But here's another new one--our normal "frog pose"-to-stand, which we do every night at stretches. But NOW, it's slow, controlled, and she can DO IT INDEPENDENTLY, bare-footed!! Right now, she can stand up (and stay there) about 20% of the time bare-footed, and 80% of the time when wearing her shoes and braces. Awesome.



E is more independent and stable than ever. We have started encouraging her to walk barefoot when she can, around the house. She is very hesitant to take her hands off walls, and tends to prefer leaning on objects (furniture, tables) that are low to the ground so she is often bent over while barefoot and upright. We want her to "cruise" while standing up tall; right now the only way this really happens is if I am behind her, walking on my knees, holding her hips. We are a slow pair, and Elena is just getting the idea that when walking barefoot, her standing leg should be straight/tall while her moving leg bends. But, the good news (great news, actually) is that she looks pretty good while she does it. We're a long way from cruising tall or walking barefoot independently, but this is a great start.