Mommy's Birthday: Hill Top Berry Farm

We went blackberry picking for my birthday. I figured using crutches was probably out of the question-the terrain was just too long, too hilly, too big. Elena was a champ, though...she walked a LOT. She walked independently on the patio tile, which was textured and uneven. She walked all over the wine tasting area (flat flooring), and fell only once. She walked all along the orchard, holding one hand.





She did a great job walking all the way up this hill. One big change I have noticed with her "hand-held" walking is that her weight seems more properly situated in her own body space (as opposed to a constant, unstable lean). Her balance is still "rickety" from her hips to her sternum--a weird description, I know--but she seems to be commanding her own space. I think this is b/c even with her hands held, her knees aren't caving in as much, which keeps her weight better situated over her heels. I hope that makes sense...

Neurosurgery Follow-up #2

Last week E had her second post-SDR follow up.

I have to say, I'm disappointed with the visit. Overall I feel like Elena is doing fantastically--Dr. Elias echoed that sentiment, but he really didn't examine her much. I thought he'd be pretty interested in her range of motion, how much lower her heels are, her ability to squat (some), or how much LESS tight her legs are--but maybe he got all the information he needed by watching her move a little. She walked across the room, independently, a couple paces at a time (nowhere near her best effort, as it was past lunchtime, and she was out of her shoe). She sat on a bench, and crossed one leg over the other (with her shoes on), each side. He asked if she was having any problems toileting, which she does not. He was very pleased.

He did say that I should expect her to improve a lot more. I had the impression that the majority of the changes come in the first 6 months after SDR; he said "double that" and then some. I'm pretty excited about that!

The PT there also examined her, and took a video of her walking. We waited a long time just for her to do that. I could have directed her to this blog--better videos, and we wouldn't have had to wait so long. Hmph.

Eating Wheaties, or Something

This has been a great week so far...E is really moving around pretty well. Still having some falls, but no real bad ones. Here are some great videos from hippotherapy with B!





My favorite--watch her knees when she sits back down! :)



Big ups to Annette for filming!

E has been trying new things (most with heavy assistance)--navigating curbs, walking around the house while carrying items, trying (unsuccessfully) to independently stand up from the floor, etc. Her attitude has been very willing, especially when using pretend play as a reward. Such as...her current favorite, Operation!

Loftstrand walking, faster now!

After a long, grueling morning, and after lunch, and before E's (late) nap, she came to my work. Our agreement was she could bring her dolly stroller IF she agreed to walk the "Life Less Ordinary" hallway with her crutches. (I don't know how long it is...50 paces or so?)

Voila!



We did this 3 (?) months ago, right when we were starting our transition to loftstrands from her walker. That first time (not posted yet, b/c it's on another camera) took us well over 10 minutes, with lots of crying.

GREAT PROGRESS. Or, as E says, she's "awesome sauce".

Third of July at Pen Park

E went to the park with her friend LC. She preferred to stay on the toddler playground; they have a larger playground for bigger kids (she did that too, but needed extra help, so no vids taken). She still needs constant supervision, especially while descending or climbing.

Steps, though, are getting much better. The toddler playground has appropriate handrails!





Elena, like most kids, loves slides-but she can't seem to stay sitting up while sliding. This normally means we have to be RIGHTTHERE to catch her at the bottom, or she whacks her head as her bum falls of the slide. At this playground, the slide is shallow, so I didn't have to catch her. I told her to stand up.



She can do better. I know she can stand up just fine from this slide, but on this occasion, no dice.

PT recap: Balance, weight bearing, and Dorsiflexion

A great session with JM! E spends time at PT with the emphasis on weight bearing on the right side:



Sit-to-stand drills on an uneven surface makes E bear weight on the right to balance. She was pretty patient, especially since she prefers (unconsciously?) to stand on her left leg. She was a champ during this drill!



JM then got E to do turns while moving her feet to accommodate her turn. I believe E can do 90 degree turns with ease--but her feet do not always end up "straight" at the end of the turn, there is a lot of over/under correction after she turns while walking. I'm also not sure if she can turn 90 degrees in both directions. She probably does one direction better than the other.



More of the same. I think E is getting tired of her schedule. Still, she is slowly and steadily improving. Here is Theresa getting E to balance/bear weight on her right while engaged:



E is getting the idea that she is neglecting to bear weight on the right. She DEFINITELY knows her right from left, and now, when we mention she needs to "put her right foot down" or "use righty" she complies.

E also did great in the macaroni pool--from this video (I couldn't be there in person), it seems like her dorsiflexion has improved!