Bye-Bye Magic Stick!

We had an appointment with Mr. Tony today. Before we set out, I dug to the back of the closet and retrieved Annie's blue 'magic stick', her arm crutch, which was a demo loaner from Mr. Tony. She hasn't used it for weeks. She asked me to carry it to the van. The mantra, 'big girls don't need magic sticks,' was oft repeated to reinforce her new habit. It seems that her posture, balance and strength have also improved with her new habit. Duh. It was a crutch!

In the office, we heard the story of a young boy who had a traumatic amputation recently. Annie told Mr. Tony, 'maybe someone else can use this. Thank you!' The stick is a nice medium blue, perfect for a little boy who's learning to use his new leg.

I thought of A Christmas Carol and Tiny Tim and the potential-scary-future image of an unused crutch. Here, however, the unused crutch makes my heart glad with the thought 'God bless us, everyone!'

Mr. Tony version 3.0

Annie had a physical therapy session today and afterward, we went to see Mr. Tony and pick up her third prosthesis from him. She seemed to grow two inches in that hour. He continues to tweek and rework and adjust her prosthestics for her and her growing body and expanding physical needs. As she learns to do more, she wants to do even more. This leg has a new, larger foot [to match her fleshly one] and the leg itself is shaped like an oval and less like a circle to minimize the leg turning on her while she's wearing it. It comes up much higher on the outside of her leg and it will accommodate a knee joint when we decide to try that out. It's so obvious that Mr. Tony loves our little girl and puts all his skill and creativity into her prosthesis. We are so blessed and grateful.

Sarah Palin Autographs Young Woman's Prosthesis

I saw this via my pal, Victoria, at Sundries. One of her commenters went to a Virginia rally for McCain/Palin and asked Governor Palin to autograph her prosthesis. Faithful readers know how close this comes to my home.



Way to go, Bekah!

Patriotism On Display

It looks like this video is, or will go viral very soon. In more ways than one, the surprise ending especially affected me.


Hat tip: Victoria at Sundries.

Annie PT Update: Slow Progress

Things still haven't gotten back to 'normal' around here since Annie's leg injury two weeks ago. We've been to the orthopedic doctor twice since the injury and to physical therapy twice, also. Wednesday's session was much improved over the one 7 days earlier, but Annie is still significantly reluctant to don her prosthesis, much less take a step. On the upside, she's much more mobile and comfortable sans prosthetic. She's scooting around and climbing unassisted, but she has refused to hop, which had become her mode of movement around the house.

I notice that each day is a little better than the day before, and I am hopeful that if there's a slight fracture, it will heal in due course as she continues to lightly bear weight on her leg. The doctor believes her prosthesis is as good or better than any cast would be. We'll see what's going on with x-rays on the next appointment in 2-3 weeks.

The injury made us cocoon a little bit while Annie mends and I hate the additional medical duty it poses, but I guess that's life with youngsters.

Annie Update: Slow Progress

We have a follow-up appointment on Tuesday afternoon. Annie's been sitting all day watching Noggin and sleeping pretty comfortably all night since Wednesday. We haven't even attempted any weight-bearing. She does fine with a little Motrin, but getting her to take it requires some creativity. She's mostly content, sometimes a little whiny, and will often 'hold court' and make the other two do her bidding. There's a little swelling on the leg and I'll be glad when we get over this speed bump. I hope it's soon because I don't relish this weird return to ortho worries.

Prayer Request

As I was heading out to work, the back-up nanny came in with Annie crying [and Mary Jo, too, but for other reasons] saying that she hurt her leg [while wearing her Mr. Tony leg] and landed on it hard while swinging. Usually Annie is tough, but she was really favoring the middle part of her fused left leg. It would not be consoled away. I made a few calls and Dave and I took her to the Emergency Room at the same hospital where she spent many weeks as a preemie. Several hours and a couple x-rays later, we had a diagnosis that it was not broken but was traumatized. The prescription was to not weight bear until it feels better. She's in her own bed, propped and snuggled in and sleeping. Would you pray that this little girl heals? Might as well ask for what you want: total healing NOW.

God, of course, will handle the details.

The Human Drama of Athletic Competition

This is good news for double amputees who run really fast.

Annie PT Update: Raisin' a Little Cane

It's been a long time since we went to have a workout in Miss Ashley's gym. Now that there's a new fiscal year for medical benefits, we started back with a full allotment of physical therapy appointments. Annie has been getting around pretty well at home and walking anytime we leave the house. She continues to grow, but her prosthesis is adaptable to that. She relies on her "magic stick" for stability and brakes on the downhills. When we put our brain trust together today, we all agreed that she's listing a little too much to the right. David had the idea of lengthening the cane a little to minimize the listing. Brilliant! Worked great.

Prior to PT, we got to see Annie's local orthopedic surgeon. It's been over a year since we saw him. He was amazed at her progress [this is the first appointment with him that she ever walked in on her own power] and quite pleased that her x-ray showed the bone on her residual limb getting a lot sturdier [because stress grows bone and she's been weight-bearing on that limb for months]. The metal rod that he installed between the thigh bone and the shin bone has worked its way out of the bone, but is still attached securely in there. He expected that to happen and there's no need for surgery on it. Also, the screw at her heel/ankle region has floated up a few inches from the very bottom of the limb. Again, no reason for any surgery on that as it doesn't seem to bother her. The kid's a champ and she reminds me a little bit of Jesus in the Temple the way she holds court with all the learned men and intrigues and amazes them.

Annie PT Update: New Obstacles Overcome

Annie had another excellent session at PT. We were going to skip this week and begin going every other week, but we adapted today for a visit from Mr. Tony. Annie also tried a new obstacle--a balance beam--and did mighty fine. To walk with your legs at shoulder-width is one thing; to put one in front of the other is entirely another. She did great. Then, as the session progressed, she walked back and forth several times over the beam and even did it while carrying some toys. She trekked down the hall and back without her cane and Mr. Tony was his normal exuberant self. Dave and Annie followed him to his office where he made a modification to the Mr. Tony leg and removed the knee-ankle joint that she is not digging. I guess we're up to version 2.1 now. We'll skip next week and return the week after. [Hey! We might even try skipping in the interim!]

Annie's requesting to wear her leg more and more. She does it by coyly saying, "Ahm, Mama, my weg is cowd. Can I pwease wear my wamby and my Mista Tony weg?" Translation: Um, Mama, my leg is cold. Can I please wear my lamby [prosthetic sock] and my Mr. Tony leg [prosthesis]. She's gaining confidence and skill at overcoming perambulatory challenges.

Tomorrow, both girls see their pediatrician and Zekie gets to dine with Nanny at their favorite restaurant [Applebee's].

Annie PT Update: Best Ever

Another Wednesday at Miss Ashley's gym. With just a short time with the new prosthesis, Annie displayed a strong desire to be up and ambulatory. She took many many steps on her own, showed a good sense of balance and self-correction, and did o.k. with the 'magic stick' which is a small [purple] arm crutch. We were reticent of giving it to her for fear of creating a dependency that we'd only have to break later. But there's something in that little gal which desires to walk and she only uses it every few steps. We still need to tweak some of the adjustments in the limb, but she's doing great with it. She seems completely comfortable being 'up' and putting weight on either leg. She even walked out of the gym, down the hall, into the elevator, out the front door and half-way to Daddy's truck wearing it. Dave noted that this is the longest she's worn it [the whole hour] and the farthest she's walked wearing it. Yes.

Annie PT Update: Sort of Like Riding a Bicycle

We returned to the physical therapy gym today after an 8 week absence. I had rehearsed with Annie what to tell Miss Ashley, but I hardly needed to because it was a sweet reunion. We spent a goodly bit of time getting acquainted with the new prosthesis, Mr. Tony version 2.0. It has the same purple/butterfly decoration, but is substantially heavier. He designed this one with an onion skin in mind. She has three plastic leg-shaped inserts into the leg which will be peeled away as she outgrows them. Also, she has a lockable joint under the base of her prosthesis and above the foot. It's supposed to be a knee, but it's really closer to the ankle because of her short stature. We called it a knankle and Annie wasn't really diggin' it.

She has to grow in and through this prosthesis, so the length of her legs don't match, which of course affects her gait. Nonetheless, she took to the new leg with great vigor and a good spirit. She got to swing with Miss Ashley, walk on the treadmill [4 minutes] which she would much rather not do, and do her favorite thing by far: ride the trapeze, drop into the ball crawl, and climb out for another round. 'Time to go' was met with tears. We're back and I'm confident she'll continue to make great progress.

Well-Appointed

Every now and then, there's a confluence of every appointment in one week. This is one such week, and Annie is the culprit. She had an eye exam yesterday and the patching regimen is going well. Her weak eye improved one line on the eye chart in about a month. We won't have to see our eye doctor again until September, when Mary Jo has her semi-annual exam, too. Today is a big day. Mr. Tony will do a final fitting for Annie's second prosthesis. We are all excited. I'll endeavor to skip the un-legged-interim on the next leg by scheduling the fitting when she's still doing well with the current leg. Tomorrow, Annie resumes her PT with Miss Ashley, whom we've all missed. Finally, Saturday, the girls get to see Miss Sally at the salon for a haircut. I have evening workouts tonight and Thursday and a church meeting Wednesday night. Friday night, Dave and I are planning a date. Whew!

I keep reminding myself that busy people are busy by choice. I'll try to embrace it.

I Like This Guy

This story about double-amputee Oscar Pistorius wanting to race against non-amputees in the 400 meter dash makes this mother of a single-amputee pleased. He also comes from South Africa, a country I have come to love, through my South African born sister-in-law. The human desire to test one's limits is inspiring. What's not to love?

Tony Tuesday

Annie was making such good progress with her leg, then she seemed to hit a plateau. She must've had a growth spurt because the prosthesis had become ill-fitting. Even last week's modification caused her some redness and pain. We all agreed to take it easy and avoid the discomfort. Today, we got to see Mr. Tony [the Mr. Tony] and he spent a good bit of time noting her growth, doing another remodification on her current prosthesis and taking a plaster cast for her next one. Annie's developed some muscles using the prosthesis that she didn't have before. That all affects the fit.

I've only had her in one, so I failed to anticipate that she'd need another one so soon. He assured us that some will last for months and months and some, the kids are in and out of in 6 months. The next one will have a modular "knee" [affixed just above her foot, where an ankle would be] so that we can practice with it and without it. He also assured us that the plateau would be quickly overcome when her equipment gets a good fit.

Another Day, Another Appointment

Day two of Annie appointments and we got in to see the prosthetician. She noticed how much Annie has grown in the past six months [looks like over 2 inches] and adjusted her prosthesis accordingly. It was time to make an appointment for another cast. I've joked with Annie's PT that I'm going to take the first prosthesis and convert it into a lamp, much like the tacky one featured prominently in "The Christmas Story."

Tomorrow: Both girls get their peepers checked. We know Annie will need new glasses....don't have a clue about Mary Jo.

Annie PT Update: Growing Pains

I was told when we began this prosthesis business that Annie would need a new one every six months while she's growing, and then about once a year for the rest of her life. She must've had a growth spurt because the current prosthesis is not fitting anymore and it is causing her a loss of mobility and balance. We have an appointment with Mr. Tony tomorrow to get some adjustments and measurements for the next one. Nonetheless, she enjoyed her workout today and her time in and out and in and out of the ball crawl. And I'm told that our rock wall at home was conquered by Annie as well.

Wasted Day

I spent too much time absorbing the controversy mentioned in the previous post. I'll remedy that by turning in at a reasonable hour tonight.

Tomorrow will be a busy day. Annie has an eye doctor appointment, followed immediately by her weekly physical therapy session. I finally put my finger on why I've been a little harried about work lately--with that weekly appointment, I always feel like I'm "behind" in work, hours, etc. A friend of mind reminds me to do the next [not the 10 next] right thing and most important things fall into place. And Scarlett O'Hara's adage suffices, too. "Tomorrow is another day."

PT Guest: Mr. Tony

Annie had her weekly PT appointment today [moved because of Wednesday's dental exam] and we were graced with a visit from none other than Mr. Tony in Miss Ashley's gym. He is a big bear of an Italian man, thinning hair on top, big brushy dark mustache under his nose, bright eyes and a ready smile. He got right on the floor with Annie and let her show him her good balance with the Mardi Gras beads. When we told him she walks on the treadmill, he was brightly skeptical, challenging her to show him. And she did. I overheard the two orthopedic professionals noting how her gait is weight-bearing and straight forward. Annie didn't rely on her hip adductors to swing the leg around, but walked right over the top of the prosthesis. He watched her shoot baskets and left as she was getting ready to climb the stairs.

Mr. Tony, looking like he's from Sicily and sounding like he's from Boston, is jubilant and life-affirming. He absolutely loves Annie's red hair and her strong will. It's all he can do to not pinch her cheeks every time he sees her. If Roberto Benini and Leo Buscaglia had a son, it would be Mr. Tony. As he was leaving, Annie gave him a "big juicy" [our slang for a nice kiss on the cheek] and a hug and said, "Sanka you, Mista Towny. Sanks for my weg." He stood back, basking in that moment, put both his hands to his heart and beamed, "You know, it's moments like these that make my work worthwhile. Where ya' gonna' get a bettah paycheck?" His eyes were twinkling a little as he left.

Annie tried something new today. She used the scooter to go into the "little gym" where Ashley set up a body-size punching bag from the ceiling anchor. Annie didn't quite know what to expect until Ashley sent it swinging and Annie tried to catch it. She's got incredible balance. I think she's got a genius for body movement. She's determined as all get-out and when her hour is up, she's spent. She giggled when she went to kick the punching bag. I don't think she's ever used that leg to kick from a standing position. Come to think of it, she hasn't.

Next week, taking Mr. Tony's suggestion, we plan to film Annie. Not just for her, but for the children who come after her to see how the process works. In those very dark moments in December of 2005, Mr. Tony was the one who encouraged us with the amputation. He's pleased at how well Annie is doing and we are, too.

Annie PT Update: A Quantum Leap

Another week of practice brought us to another physical therapy session. Today, I had Annie in loose sweat pants. We arrived and put on her "Mr. Tony leg" and I showed her that I was uncuffing her left leg because her foot was at the bottom and she needed the whole leg to be covered. She stood on her own two legs looking at her image in the full-length mirror and was mesmerized by it. I saw her reacting to her new image with pride.

She went to her work-out with vigor. Ashley gave her a toy shopping cart and threw the groceries around the room. Annie, using the cart to stabilize herself, but not lean on it, wheeled around the room, stopping to pick up the items Ashley had thrown. Jubilant tears welled in my eyes and I dared not let them spill. She must not know that anything is different. Ashley commented that she was going at it hard. Her cheeks turned rosey and she got frustrated at the 45 minute mark. Ashley brought over a mini-trampoline and jumped on it with Annie, stabilizing Annie's legs between her legs. Annie looked at herself bouncing in the mirror. I saw a new thought dawning in her...I can jump! I can walk! I CAN!

Annie wore her leg home. Dave stopped at the toy store and bought a Little Tykes grocery cart for her. Something has definitely changed.