Dear Fellow Taller Person, Joanne Darr,

Say my name and I will come.

By the time I reached full taller I was able to walk distances on my
own.  By adulthood I was completely mobility independent, within
tolerable CP balance and watchfulness.  My very distant childhood was,
consistent with Cerebral Palsy, developmental, so I but vaguely recall
the various braces, therapies, exercises as I progressed through the
years.

I am glad for the years and opportunity of walking and being upright,
much for the reasons Beth gives, so much the better as I could walk
quickly and usually effortlessly.

When I decided to use a wheelchair, some three years ago, my ability to
walk was radically limited by my spinal cord injury.  I feel somewhat
the perplexity you raise about Alex as I trade off possibility to regain
some walking by use of my electric wheelchair to regain mobility,
self-reliance, and independence.   I don't think the walking per se, in
my case, had much to do with my decline.  I would be in shape and
walking better today had my cervical myelopathy been properly diagnosed,
and treated.

Your question about how much therapy is enough and when alternatives are
better is important in terms of awareness and watchfulness as a mother
and Alex as an adult.  My suggestions from my experience and what my
mother told me.  Don't push him to exhaustion.  Let him do what he
enjoys so long as it helps him.  Since he uses walker and chair giving
Alex opportunity to use both seems practicable and prudent.   This
should be a useful opportunity to assist Alex  in gaining self-esteem
using any adaptation by emphasizing his accomplishments and minimizing
negativity.

The best assurance to determining any person's future can be found in
being vigilant, informed, and thinking flexibly.

ISM


>From: joanne <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: The Basketball Story
>Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 19:56:02 -0500
Sat, 24 Feb 2001 19:55:51 -0500
>
>I know that no one can give me a correct answer but this discussion
really
>has me thinking and wondering.  I'm coming at this situation as a mommy
of
>an almost 6 year old boy who has spastic quad CP. Alex has a manual WC
that
>he does Ok in. He's not thrilled just going straight form point A to B
but
>enjoys cutting close turns and speeding down ramps ( is there a smiley
icon
>I can place here of a mommy quickly turning gray???). He has been using
a
>new walker that gives him lots of support on walking, although  walking
is
>still labor intensive. It's usually kept at the school and when it is
here
>at home it can only go short distances because of our house lay out.
>Thursday Alex had an appointment with his PMR doc and we took the
walker
>with us as the PMR doc had never seen this new walker ( Rifton Pacer)
My
>gosh golly, did that little one go!!!! The joyful look on his face was
>heart-lifting to say the least. Even with the joy and all the supports
the
>walking, again was intensive with effort. Now I'm mindful from the
responses
>of the adults ( no that's not the right descriptive word, lets see
..older?
>no?? Ok  how about people who've grown taller,like Bobby,
ISM,Ken,Magenta)
>that all that forced being "normal" walking has resulted in such stress
on
>the joints,  spine etc as they've grown "taller" Do I discourage/limit
the
>walking in order for him to have a healthier adult life. Maybe all this
new
>equipment is made to reduce the stress that caused all the  muscle
/spinal
>stress in the past. Just what is a good medium for a young child?
>Joanne
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Rayna Lamb <[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Saturday, February 24, 2001 4:24 AM
>Subject: Re: The Basketball Story
>
>
> > Joy, I totally agree.  I used nothing to help me get around until I
> > was 19, and I was totally exhausted every day - life was miserable,
> > and it has taken me several years to recover.  I now use a scooter
for
> > outside mobility, and only walk inside houses and small ...