Welcome to the World, Wally!

Just got the tremendous news that Annie's physical therapist, Miss Ashley, and her husband welcomed their first child into the world. Going old school, they waited until he was born to see the wee of he. His name is Walton Lyle, and I'm told he's going to be known as "Wally". This wonderful young couple will make tremendous parents. We're glad that Wally is not an April Fool. Congratulations, Ashley and William!

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.

Annie PT Update: Cheerily Victorious

I haven't written about Annie much lately. She had a really good session of PT last week. In fact, it was her best one since her injury in August. Turns out that the injury was indeed a fracture at the same place that her knee was fused to the thigh oh-so-long ago. The wire that's been in her bone kept the leg together. The x-ray showed the wire bent, but did not break and that the bone's fracture was so small as to be known only to Annie at the time and x-rays several weeks later after healing had begun. These days she's hopping and climbing without her prosthesis as if nothing had happened. With her prosthesis, she's a little less certain. Yesterday, we took her in to see her prosthetician, Mr. Tony, and he did his creative magic to buy us a little more time on this leg. Annie's grown quite a bit since he first fashioned the leg, but most of the growth has been vertical. So he added a little length and filled the interior of her prosthetic with some foam to help give her a more snug fit. We're happy about the progress and glad that the kid is so remarkable and determined.

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 PT Update: Doing Swell

Annie had another PT session today with Miss Ashley. We've been going every two weeks since January. I haven't written about each one because, to me, it's nothing new to report. But that's not completely true. Annie continues to gain confidence and mobility each session. She doesn't always wear her prosthesis at home, but when she's not 'up' on the leg, she's 'up' hopping. She can pretty much hop from her bedroom through the living room to the kitchen door. She's incredibly powerful in that right leg and has excellent balance. When she arrives at her destination, she just puts her short leg up on the couch or chair or wall as a third point of balance. I've gotten used to it, but it really is quite astounding.

Today, her PT said that Annie was 'fantastically adaptive' and 'kinesthetically gifted.' She is always assessing Annie--measuring how far she jumps, noticing how she gets from the floor to a stand, even seeing that when she falls, she's doing that correctly. Today when I told Annie we were going to see Miss Ashley, she did her best Tweetie-bird impression, "Oh, doody, doody, I wuv Miss Ash-a-wee." And I would say the same.

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: Climbing the Walls

Annie had a great PT session today. Yesterday, she wore her prosthesis to play on our swingset and even climbed the rock wall we have. Today, she tried the big rock wall at Miss Ashley's gym. They put a hairnet on her plus a helmet, and she climbed with no fear or difficulty. Her upper arm strength is amazing. She also rode the big ball on her belly and shot whirlygigs. She did the puzzle crawl, too. She wore her prosthesis in and out, walking the whole way. This kid is determined and making progress every day.

Annie PT Update: A Tale of Two Annies

I didn't write about last week's session because, well, Annie was completely uncooperative and the session was scrubbed about 15 minutes into it. We called "do-overs!" for today.

Today, however, good ole' Annie was back in fine form. She did a lot of tummy work using the padded auto-mechanic-like creeper dolly [this time, she was secured to the low platform with uber-sticky velcro wrapped around her and the cart]; and launched a lot of whirly-gigs while prone high atop a huge orange ball. She is doing this tummy work to strengthen the hamstring muscles. Then she donned her Mr. Tony leg and took off like a girl on a mission to see the fish and work the stairs. We even had a dry run of tonight's trick-or-treating routine. She'll be Belle again this year. The difference, however, is that this time she'll be walking the neighborhood herself.

Annie PT Update: Stair Mastery

This was filmed yesterday at Annie's PT session.



It's just over a minute and she's with her therapists Miss Ashley and Miss Kim ["Adios, Chica!"]. Reminds me of an Escher painting.

Annie PT Update: Havin' a Ball

Annie had a good day at PT. She walked a lot and worked the stairs and got to reward her hard work by doing the zipline into the ball crawl.

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: Something Clicked

Yesterday, Annie asked to wear her Mr. Tony leg. I helped her put it on and then she proceeded to keep it on most of the morning. That's a first. Today, she insisted again, on wearing her leg, even though I tried to "save it" for our session with Miss Ashley. She walked in from the van, no stroller, and, after a pretty busy work-out, walked out to Daddy's truck. Miss Ashley was astonished, pleased and excited. It looks like something clicked in Annie's brain and she likes making her own way vertically.

Annie PT Update: Continued Determination

Annie rode along as I dropped Mom off at the airport and then we arrived--miraculously!--early for her regular appointment. I missed last week's session and Annie was so focused on her work that it was like you pressed her MUTE button. She walked the 100 yards to see the fish and then down and up a secret stairway and back another 100 yards to point A. She hit balls off the t-ball stand [excellent for challenging her balance because it requires a horizontal hip shift to properly hit the ball], then into the ball crawl and home. She is gaining confidence every time we go. You can see her self-satisfied smile amid the concentration.

The next test for her will be this Sunday when she begins Sunday school [as does Mary Jo]. I want her to walk into class on her own power [magic stick allowed], but I want her to be able to look her classmates in the eye. She was barely eligible for this program last year and I'm glad we waited. I wanted her gross motor skills to be further developed. Thanks to Mr. Tony and Miss Ashley, they are.

Annie PT Update: Goin' Strong

Annie has been doing well with her PT. Last Friday, she traversed the 100 yard hallway to see the fish and today, I did the big hand-off in the parking lot with Dave. He tells me that she walked to see the fish again, and went down the big front stairs. Her therapist gave her cones to kick down and had her hit a ball off the tee while balancing on her own. She just takes on each new challenge with steady determination. [She got that from her father.]

At home, she often prefers to not have her leg on, but we've been trying to have her connect wearing her leg with going out to fun places. She is a remarkable hopper on her right leg. She squats down on the floor and rockets straight up on her one leg. The quadricep, as you might imagine, is huge and strong. She continues to amaze me and has shown a lot of grace and adaptability with all the limbs she's got.

Annie PT Update: A Quantum Leap

Annie had her usual session today with Miss Ashley. Kudos go to Nanny who got Annie walking around the house with her Mr. Tony leg pretty regularly this past week. Annie walked and fell really well today [hey! falling is part of learning to walk!]. She climbed a ladder mounted on the wall [straight vertical] with help. She had to "rescue" some of the stuffed animals from higher up. No fear displayed whatsoever, just a lot of determination. I was distracted by a text message from home and it took me a long time to key in the response [I refuse to text with 'creative spelling'] and so I missed the many confident, unsupported steps she took across the room. Ashley made her walk backwards and was really pleased that she did that well [it requires a set of muscles not often used by amputees]. A couple trapeze drops into the ball pit and we called it a day.

All in all, another great session for Annie.

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.

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.

Annie PT Update: Noticeable Absence

Today's PT session was pretty good. Annie continues to do well and today she was really enthralled by the super-duper bubble-making machine she got to use. [The therapist has Annie stand while bubbles are blown and Annie reaches to pop them. This improves her balance and keeps her occupied.] She also played catch with Daddy [with over-the-head soccer throws] and got to drop into the ball crawl a few times.

The biggest challenge occurred at home. I was determined to arrive on time. I had Annie dressed and ready with time to spare. Then she had a little bit of a comeapart. I couldn't quite make it out, but she was mad that there wasn't a foot at the end of her left leg. She thrashed and cried for a while and was not to be reasoned with. It's very difficult to watch her awareness of something missing and still let her know that she is special and gifted and worthwhile even if her left foot is no more. That it made me late didn't really seem to bother her, but it added to my tension today.