Big Strong Girl

Two weeks ago on a Wednesday morning, I woke up with a nervous pit in my stomach. I scurried around picking up the clutter, shuffling the piles of crap from room to room, and chugging more coffee than I needed. It was the day of Addy's first physical therapy session and I was a wreck. I didn't know what to expect. After the evaluation and receiving the reports that had wrong information, and seemed a little short sided, I was amping myself up for a fight with whoever walked through the door. 

At exactly noon, our buzzer buzzed alerting us to the arrival of the therapist. Keegan was shuffled into his room with a picnic and the promise of a park trip if he was a good boy, and I stared at the door nervously awaiting the arrival of what I was sure was going to be a woman I would want to punch in the face. I was completely wrong. 

Liz showed up with two boxes of toys, and a giant bouncy ball. She had a warm smile on her face, and comfy clothes on, ready to work with Addy. She put down all of her gear and introduced herself, and instead of putting her hand out, embraced me in a reassuring hug. She slipped off her sandals and pulled on a pair of socks and got down in the floor with Addy. She got into her box of tricks and started pulling out toys, fake food and buckets and trains and bouncy balls. She was soft, she was gentle, she waited for Addy to accept her. About 10 minutes into the session, Addy crawled over and offered Liz a bite of a Cheerio, and I knew that we were going to be just fine. 

Liz was impressed with how much Addy was capable of, saying the reports she was given didn't give her enough credit for where she was at developmentally. She asked me questions about different stages and when Addy reached them, all while working with Addy in ways Addy didn't even realize she was working. It looked like playing, just with a little more structure to it. Liz told me that working Addy's trunk muscles would help her stabilize and be able to balance more easily. I had questions for her about Addy's ability to walk, and whether or not it would be difficult and Liz reassured me that she would be walking in no time. She also agreed with us that preventative PT was a great option for Addy, which was great to hear. She gave us some homework to work on, and some stretches for Addy's neck (her muscles on the right side of her neck are tight from trying to crawl and look up, something I never thought a limb difference would have an affect on), and told us that she would see us the next week. With the first session over, and meeting our wonderful therapist Liz, I knew that Addy was in good hands, and that having her in physical therapy was not only the right decision, but the best decision. I am so thankful to have Liz in our lives, and to know that we are doing what is best for our big strong girl.

Working on standing from a raised-seated position

That was two weeks ago. Since then, Addy has had another session, and Liz was amazed with how much progress Addy made in just a week's time. She is pulling herself up on everything, lowering herself to the floor without falling over, and even standing unassisted for 10 seconds or more at a time! She is learning to use her little arm to stabilize herself and pull herself up on things so that she is able to utilize her left hand for hold or grabbing, something she hadn't quite figured out before therapy started. 

Seeing her growth in just a weeks time has made me realize how lucky we are to have Addy in our lives. Not only has she amazed us on a daily basis as she has figured things out and shown us how capable she is, but she has inspired us in so many ways. A year ago, I had so many worries and questions, and so far Addy has answered them all in ways I couldn't have imagined. With her first birthday only days away, her arrival into this world has been on my mind quite a bit. I am in such a different place now than I was, and I have Addy to thank for that. Yes, I still get frustrated with people's reactions to Addy's limb difference, and I am sure I will continue to. And yes, I will continue to worry and have more questions as Addy conquers milestones and meets new challenges, but she has proven to us that she can figure it out. We can figure it out, all of us, as a family. With all the love and support this little girl has in her life, there won't be anything she can't accomplish. 

Working hard for those Cheerios

Thomas the Train exercises while standing with her back to the couch to improve her core muscles