SDR 3 Year Anniversary (forgot to post OOPS)

This month marks 3 years since Brendan had SDR. Everyone always said time flies as you age and it surely does. Life has been different ever since he had surgery. He has come so far in every way. He is such a great kid but can still drive me insane daily. Looking back I still believe it was the best decision we could have made for him.

3 years later and I still work him out religously. He is still off all medications. His sentence structure has improved imensly. He can speak complete sentences and carry on conversations which I absolutely love. He had an Iphone for 5 years and switched over to the Samsung android and has learned how to use it all on his own and handles it great. I am impressed. He still uses his walker to all doctors appointments and short outings. He attends physical therapy once a week and has the best therapist that pushes him and doesn't put up with his shinanigans. We even laugh, a lot. Brendan is his typical self and the whole facility has fallen in love with him. He jokes around with all of them and his therapist recently pranked him which he found extremely funny. He loves pranks.

Does he walk in canes? No. Does he stand on his own? No. Does he still need a wheelchair? Yes. However, I still think this was the best surgery we could have had him go through. Being off life long medication is absolutely amazing. He is so much happier. I think he was in a lot of pain and we just didn't know. He is a tough kid and doesn't complain much about pain. I had to read him a questionaire regarding depression in the pediatricians office today and he said "I feel good" and all his answers were positive. He has so much more control of his body and can help a lot more with transfers and do many transfers all on his own. Yesterday at therapy he was able to turn himself around in the front seat of the van and slide down into his walker. I didn't have to lift him. I held his walker and his right hand. He was nervous but did it and then said "Can I do that next time, too"? He also comes with me to the grocery store weekly (accept if it is pouring rain, freezing cold or snowing) and walks so get some exercise. Sometimes I watch his pre SDR walking video to remind me how far he has come. Sometimes it's the little things that make me think "wow, he has come such a long way". For instance, he can now get a real haircut at the barber shop. He says things such as "I am quite hungry" and has self pride during work outs because he can actually complete tasks that we ask him to do"

February 20th marks 3 full years. It has been a ton of work but this new life has become routine. He enjoys working out. Some days he 'needs' to work out. He has so much pent up energy and is very relaxed and zen afterwards.

Still no regrets.

Shoes Shoes Shoes

Finding shoes to fit over these new braces has proven difficult. I took him to our usual shoe store immediately after picking up his braces but for some reason they didn't do the job they normally do. 3 pair later we finally have some that fit.

Yorker shoes usually is quick and painless and the shoes last the next year. An older gentleman helped us out this time and unfortunately I should have paid more attention. Normally they choose the perfect pair, they fit and we leave. This time I noticed the gentleman was having trouble getting the left one to slide on but I thought he just wasn't strong enough. I didn't look at the shoes because he did manage to get them on and off we went. They are New Balance but he heals are not rigid which makes it nearly impossible to slip the sneaker over the heal of the AFO. It seriously took me over 5 minutes to get his left shoe on one day while trying to leave his doctor's appointment and I was determined to find shoes that fit after that ordeal. I had a moment of panic that I didn't think I would be able to get his sneaker on and they are too big for him to walk well with without his AFO on. His stepdad tpyically gets him dressed and ready to go for the day so I didn't realize how difficult they were to get on. Really wish he had filled me in on this. I would have got a replacement right away.

They look sharp but not worth the effort!

Getting to the store isn't the easiest thing to do having 5 children and now that he has drama and basketball after school it is even more difficult. I decided to buy online which I never do and went with the new Nike FLyease. I measured according to their website and ordered $90 sneakers. So excited to get them after all the hype. They looked awesome and were a size 6.5 which isn't too much larger than his regular shoe size. We get them within a few weeks and they do not fit at all. They won't even slide over his foot the entire way. So they are being shipped back. Total bummer. They looked awesome but total fail.

I then asked his father to grab some sneakers if he had time over the weekend. He did bring him however the shoes are a size 9 which is 2 1/2 sizes bigger than he needs. He wears a size 4 without braces. Size 6 1/2 to fit over the braces. They look enormous and he doesn't always walk well when they are too big. I like as close to his size as possible.

Fortunately I went to a consignment store over the weekend that I frequent for the kids while they had their $1 sale going on. I decided to grab some sneakers that I saw. They were Reebok size 6 1/2. I thought why not for a DOLLAR! Low and behold they fit and look awesome because they are red and black which match his braces. So after all that the $1 shoes worked without even trying them on. This is what excites me in life. Pretty sad, I know! I am just happy I don't have to fight getting his sneakers on while trying to get out of a doctor's exam room.

Once again something so easy as buying new sneakers turns into a big ordeal that takes over a month to correct. This is just life with CP.