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| Holes worn into her right shoe from dragging her foot. |
It's time for new leg braces for sweet Lily Pad!! We are so excited for her to be moving a little bit forward by having one of her calf-length AFOs reduced to ankle length. Her left leg and foot is doing so much better and finally getting a good heel strike with the foot. Her knee on the left leg is also positioned nice and straight. Now we get to work on perfecting her movements in that leg. And from the looks of her old shoes, she has really been dragging her more tensed, and weaker, right leg and foot. Just look at the hole she has worn into the outer toe area of the right shoe! Looks like an excuse to go shopping! :)
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| Sweet Lily Pad, full mischief! |
Her right leg and foot are requiring a bit more coaxing. Our physical therapists are now using a technique called Pediatric Kineso Taping. Instead of using bulky and uncomfortable derotation straps to force proper right leg rotation, a special kind of tape is used. This tape, which is super stretchy and sticky, is more commonly used by athletes to prevent and treat injuries. I had no idea it could be used on Lily Pad. And the great thing about the tape is it stays on for 3 to 4 days at a time, stretching and moving her hip joint and tendons even while she sleeps. We have seen such a change in her right leg just in the month we have used this technique! Instead of her knee pointing almost directly at her left knee, it points straight ahead, which in turn causes a more parallel foot placement when she walks. Of course, this does not help her lack of heel strike on the right foot, but at least her leg is straight now. After the tape remains off for a day or so, her leg immediately starts to rotate in again. But this will slowly change over time as we continue using the Kineso tape.
Another new technique the physical therapist is trying is the use of electrodes on the right calf muscle to help strengthen that muscle and stimulate muscle contractions. Lily is NOT fond of this new technique! I don't think it hurts her in any way, but I do think it bugs her. But I can't say I blame her. I am pretty sure it would bug me too. So the electrodes, along with the Kineso tape, will be used in combination with the calf-length AFO to help strengthen her lower leg muscles, encourage a heel strike on the right foot, and promote flexibility in the right hip.
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| Ankle length AFOs |
The physical therapist is allowing us to use a borrowed set of ankle length AFOs until hers are finished. Lily Pad seems to like these new ones because the minute she gets them on she runs around the house. Silly girl! And with her new mobility comes new mischief...
It seems as though Lily Pad has become quite the typical two year old by getting into my wedding rings and then promptly practicing her new trick of throwing things away. Yep. Lily threw my wedding rings away and they were long gone before my husband and I realized it. It is mostly my fault because I have a hard time remembering that she can now get into EVERYTHING no matter how high I place something or how far out of her reach. Her problem-solving techniques are very well developed I must say and therefore no amount of precaution on my part deters her.
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| My mother's wedding band now has a second life. |
But all is not lost! Since we obviously can't afford new wedding rings, I have now given my mother's old wedding ring a new life. It is very special and sentimental that I have both her's and my dad's wedding rings and now I get to wear hers as my own. Thank you mom!
And in response to my previous post on February 2, 2013, my husband has yet to hear back about the job in Connecticut. But in the mean time, he has sent out ten more resumes. And so the waiting continues....
