Its Friday and the last day for this week at least, Dana has physio at the Children's Hospital. Starting to feel a bit like the school run. We take things a bit easier this morning and following breakfast make a start on Dana's stretches referring to the exercise bible. Although I have done these stretches a hundred times before in the UK, it feels and seems different. I think I still feel scared hurting Dana's back if I lift her leg or foot too high and there are a few exercises which I am not sure I should be including. I will ask Mike later when Dana has physio.
After the stretches are done, Dana goes on Facebook and chats with school friends giving them an insiders guide to everything while I have an overdue date with a pile of ironing. Ironing at any other time I would have put down as one of those hated chores, this time however it is a welcome relief and comes as a bit of normality and gives me time to think. I also make the three beds, 2 queen size and 1 king and I actually enjoy it. I even tell the maid not to worry about our room today.
After yesterday's unexpected news of Dana needing the heel cord operation in addition to the hamstrings, my concern is the effectiveness of this due to an Achilles tendon release which was done in 2007 and log on to email Dr Dobbs directly. I notice James, the International Co-ordinator for SDR has already emailed me to ask if we what to go ahead with both. I reply with my concerns and also to request another urine sample for Dana as not sure we ought to continue with antibiotics as the doctor said no infection was present yet the nurse said it was borderline. Within half an hour I have a reply from a physician concerning the urine infection and suggests I stop the antibiotic and monitor Dana for any symptoms, then if necessary a sample can be done. Dr Dobbs replied later in the afternoon and confirmed Dana will benefit from the heel cord although he did say she would benefit even further had the Achilles tendon release not been done at all. This is just typical again of the way procedures are performed in the UK, reactive not proactive. I was led to believe back in 2007 this was the right procedure for Dana, I had no idea and gave no thought to the implications later in life. Dana shouldn't have had this done. Looking back I didn't have the understanding of how the hamstrings and heel cords work. Nor may I say did anyone bother to explain. Taking this all in has become quite overwhelming yet again, just as we are recovering from SDR, it seems like another big hurdle we have to jump. We will do it.
The hotel has a fire alarm test all morning and the fire alarm rings very loudly throughout the hotel including our room several times, Dana is completely freaked out. We head downstairs and Dana insists we sit outside as she feels safer. We meet another family and I start talking to the father who's child had the same procedure mid week. He tells me his story of how his child is still suffering. It's not what I want to hear yet I listen to his story. As he is talking I think back to what Mike said yesterday, that after the hamstring and heel cord children do go back a bit but having it done soon after SDR will give the child the optimum benefit and after a week of so they will just fly. I do hope Mike is right. I put my faith yet again in Dr Park and now Dr Dobbs.
It's 4pm and Mike collects Dana from reception for her hour's physio session. We have a brief chat and I can see he is thinking while we are talking. Mike asks Dana if she has done steps yet, no she replied and we head towards the fire exit and the concrete staircase. Dana manages to step up and down 5 steps with help and walk a bit also. Wow we may now even be able to get a normal taxi and even use the shuttle bus again. Mike continues the hour with kneel to standing and Dana does struggle with this. It shows and confirms to me that Dana is able to try out a range of positions and fear is playing a bit part. The stairs have taken quite a bit from her and she starts to flag a bit. While Dana takes a break Mike answers my queries regarding the exercises in the booklets and proceeds to show me a demo. I am much clearer now. Finally Mike asks Dana to stand and step on an off a stepper. Although this may appear easy, for Dana it is a totally different understanding and reprogramming of stepping.
There are rewards and that is seeing the smallest thing Dana achieves is a stepping stone and re programming Dana has to do. This time the work goes straight to her muscles and the increased tone does not even feature as it has now gone.
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