Thursday, January 7, 2016

A few more mundane changes

C. with the walker
in 2014

We have returned the walker we acquired about two years ago.

For a time, I struggled to walk C. both with the walker and without it. Doing both was exhausting and time consuming and, worst of all, minimally productive. By that I mean that C. hardly ever took an independent step with the walker which, I'd say, counts as abject failure.

But having the device at home, 24/7, and for free was such a bonanza that parting with it was hard. It took several months of total disuse (other than draping clothes on its handlebars) to convince me that C. was never going to walk independently with this walker - at least not as long as it was up to me.

Don't imagine that I've neglected C.'s walking entirely. We still do MEDEK walking once or twice a day. And while it hasn't gotten C. to walk independently - which is the method's goal - it has kept physical deterioration at bay.

And, to judge by her expression, she enjoys being upright, moving and free of restraints on her torso. Even one of the plumbers tending to our plumbing disaster noticed it. I was so impressed - that's more than I can say for many of the professionals who've seen her walk.

Here's the video:


For those of you whose children are not yet walking I strongly recommend MEDEK over any alternative physiotherapy method. Watching the video (above) last night revved me up again. In fact, walking C. today I lowered one of my supporting  hands from her knee to just below it to challenge her more. And she coped well!
C's new air mattress, with air pump attached

But lest you think we now have one less device for C., here's the air-mattress that the Hubby brought home from the center that originally loaned us the walker. The attached box is the electric air pump that keeps it inflated.

The health fund nurse insists that one of C.'s sores - it's small and new - isn't healing because of pressure and this invention will remedy that.

The nurse has pronounced C.'s large sore as "progressing nicely" but it certainly isn't healed yet. I'm so thankful for his intervention because this thing is way out my care-giving league

2 comments:

Elizabeth said...

I'm so sorry that you have to be so vigilant with these terrible sores.

The Sound of the Silent said...

But there is an upside: I'll feel so liberated when they've healed.