Brendan has been wearing one knee immobilizer every night. It hasn't been too bad I alternate the leg and give him a break once a week. He usually sleeps pretty good with it on, sometimes I have to take it off in the middle of the night. Some mornings he wakes up crying and tells me it hurts so I just take it off and stretch out his leg.
So NOW Brendan is supposed to wear TWO knee immobilizers AND a hip adductor while he sleeps. It is awful. The knee braces are these long black foam things that I have to velcro around each leg from right under his hip down to his ankle. The have supports inside that go down his leg on both sides of his knee to keep his leg straight while he sleeps. I hate putting them on especially when he points to his leg and says "break tonight?" and I have to say "nooo not tonight".
After I get both of them strapped on I have to put this triangleular type pillow between his legs which straps around each leg. :( It is awful. How can anyone sleep like that? Not to mention his legs are always bent (which is why he needs the braces on) so he probably has leg spasms all night. He can't always communicate everything so I really have no idea not to mention he has been in pain since birth so he is used to the pain.
He didn't make it long the first night so I took everything off accept for one brace. I felt so bad for him which doesn't always help! So the next night I put on two braces which he made it until around 10:30pm and then I took one off. It doesn't help when you come upstairs to check on your child and he is laying there awake so you ask him if he is okay and he says "my brace hurtin me". It kills me!
DH said I have to leave both on for an entire night or he won't ever get used to it! I cried of course because I know I have to and the pity thing won't help him in the end.
So now I need to keep both on for an entire night and then add the hip pillow.
Life can really suck for him sometimes and that is why SDR sounds better and better all the time!
It was Thanksgiving day back in 2002. I was only 23 years old and my life forever changed on that day. I had a placental abruption and Brendan was born at 33 weeks. He lost oxygen during delivery due to incompetent care but was a fighter and turned 17 this year. My journey in life over the past 17 years took many turns I was not expecting but I try to stay strong and have my husband by my side even when I am not.
4 comments:
Hi from Germany,
gladly I will post the first comment on your blog.
My son, Fabian, age 10, is wheelchair bound since he fell from a tree two years ago.
It was a very hard time for all of us after Fabians accident. The moment when the doctor told us, that Fabian is paralyzed and the moment when we must told him that he never walk again, was so terrible. Especially terrible was the day, when Fabian got his first wheelchair. I still cry when I saw him sitting in his wheelchair at the first time.
But Fabian is so brave! I am so proud of him.
Since his accident Fabian visits a school for special needs kids. All other kids in his class are disabled, too. The most kids must use a wheelchair, tree kids can walk with a walker / quad canes.
Every Saturday Fabian visits a sport group for children in wheelchairs. Two hours they play together in their wheelchairs. It is so funny for the kids.
Two month ago he got a new “Spidermann”-wheelchair. If you are interest I will send you some photos of him in his new wheelchair.
Best wishes Katja
(Katja.Kretzler@web.de)
Hi from Australia,
Looks like I am second. Has Brendan had surgery before? My son is 5 and just about to have hip surgery and they will also lengthen adductors and hamstrings.
Great to visit your blog. Will be coming back soon.
Jacqui
Hi ladies. I haven't been on my blog in a while and just saw your posts today.
Katja,
I can't imagine what that day must have been like. In some ways I think it is easier for me because Brendan was born this way. He will never know what it is like to run or feel comfortable. He accepts it because this is all he knows. He never asks why his little sister can stand or why his younger sister can run, jump, do all these things on her own. He just does what he can do.
I am so sorry your son became wheelchair bound after falling from a tree but it sounds like you are all handling it very well! Keep in touch!
Jacqui,
My son has had three surgeries so far. He had hip surgery in December of 2007 and was even casted during Christmas :(. He was a trooper through the entire process. It was a very difficult surgery and there were lots of tears (from me) but in the end it was worth it and since he handled it so well he made it easier for me. We didn't lengthen his hamstrings yet for we fear we would have to continue to do that every year but he does need it. Let me know how surgery went if he had it already. I am still figuring out this whole blogging thing and can't get to your page. :)
Steph
Ah the dreaded bed companions! I'm feeling for him.
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