Always a new challenge

As the boys grow their joints become more unstable and painful.  Last Sunday Josh woke up with a dislocated shoulder.  I had a lot of difficulty reducing it completely and it continued to dislocate over 30 times that day.  Of course the shoulder that dislocated is the left one and he is left handed.

Just to keep life interesting on Tuesday morning Josh twisted his right ankle.  He had some swelling and a lot of discomfort.  He also vommitted a few times but that may have been due to pain.  He had a day of bedrest and RICE.  Wednesday morning when I re-evaluated the ankle it was rolling in about 30 degrees.  Based on my past experience I knew that the ankle needed a lot of support.  Unfortunately the ankle could still roll in the AFO so Josh is now in an aircast. 

Now this is where life gets interesting because Josh doesn't have the shoulder stability to use his walker or crutches so he is in the wheelchair full time.  We had enjoyed a nice break from full time wheelchairs.   Wednesday morning before leaving for work I had to go through the house and re-arrange things to make sure that Josh could get everywhere he needed to in the wheelchair.  Now i just need to figure out what to do with the palm tree in the bathroom before Josh hits it and dumps it everywhere.

Andrew's wrist (the right one of course!) started causing him problems yesterday.  The two bones in his forarm are rolling and crossing and then getting stuck.  This means that he is back in a clam shell splint to hold everything together.  Unfortunately, the latex free tensor and clips never stay on place at night. So this morning I added adhesive velcro on the outer sides of the splint and cut vellofoam to hold it.

Andrew is getting reaquainted with Maplesoft so that he can do his math work on the computer without having to dictate.  I really need to find someone who can do some tutoring for us so that the boys can get the most out of the program.  If you want to find out more about it check out:  http://www.maplesoft.com/

Today I am hoping that our physical therapist will arrive and work some of her magic so that the boys are more comfortable.

I would be really happy if we could go a day without any new medical excitement.

Growing Pains

Both boys appear to be growing like weeds again. 

Andrew's ankle foot orthotics which were new at the end of May are too small despite 3 rounds of modifications.  We are waiting to hear if the assistive devices program will cover the new set.  I really hope since they cost about $3,500.  His wheelchair is almost too small again and it is only 2 years old now.  New power wheelcahairs cost as much as some cars.  Lots of prayers for coverage on the chair because I know that the time is coming soon.  Power chairs cost around $20,000 each.

Josh is also showing signs of a growth spurt.  His hamstring muscles are so tight that he can barely take a large step.  The physio therapist is concerned that the tight muscles are going to pull on the spine and pelvis making the curve in his spine worse.  I am so thankful that he will see the surgeon at McMaster in a couple more weeks.  At that appointment I am hoping that we will begin to form a treatment plan.  Bracing Josh's back is going to be very difficult since it will have to be both latex and nickel free.  This morning I had to change the modifications on Josh's desk chair because he is getting so big.

We are trying out a TENs unit this week to see if it can help with mucles spasms and pain management.

The rain today is not helping with the joint pain the boys are experiencing.

Prayers for a bit of relief are always welcome.