Visit to Shriners Hospital
posted on 07/23/2009
No news is good news, right? ......but we are definitely sorry for our delay in an update. Bennett has had a great summer so far and has been healthy, other than a little cold that thankfully did NOT escalate into an asthma flare up.
We just got back from our first trip to the Shriners Hospital in Lexington, KY and we had a great experience there. Their website is: http://www.shrinershq.org/Hospitals/Lexington/ Bennett was evaluated by a Physiatrist (a doctor of physical medicine and/or rehabilitation) and she was VERY experienced with kiddos with B's issues. They perform numerous orthopedic services and/or surgeries, so we were fortunate to get evaluated and invited into to their system.
The first thing she said when she walked in was, "Wow, Bennett looks a lot better in person than he does on paper!" How true is that? When most docs hear the child has quadriplegic CP after 16 days on ECMO, seizure disorder, and a G tube, they probably are bracing themselves for a bleak picture when they walk into the room. Well when they walked into our room, Bennett was "talking" while being read to, kicking away, and even let out a few belly laughs.
The doc there said that we should keep doing what we are doing with PT, OT and speech on a weekly basis, plus she was pleased with our equipment so far (his new BINGO chair, his stander, and his soon-to-be gait trainer at home). She was great and will see us again in 6 months for a follow up. Until then, our main goal is to keep working on sitting up independently (his core strength is so, so, so crucial) and continue stretching his arms and legs to make sure that he does not get "stuck" in any positions. At this point she does not think additional Botox in his arms is necessary.
We are heading to the beach for a family vacay very soon, so pics will soon follow and it will be our sweet boy's 2nd birthday before we know it! Time is flying and Bennett is growing like a weed~ it is definitely looking like he has his daddy's tall genes :).
Thank you for your continued prayers and love for our Bennett Mitchell Speck!
