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Subject:
From:
Charles Darr <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
St. John's University Cerebral Palsy List
Date:
Tue, 14 Sep 1999 12:23:57 -0400
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (25 lines)
We who are ambulatory are so insistent
>that others not be "wheelchair bound". >

Bobby, this is an excellent point.  I have a 4.5 yr old son with spastic
quad CP.  He was a preemie and we were told not to expect him to reach
milestones on time.  CP was heavily hinted at although not "officially" dx
until he was 22 mo.  During Early Intervention classes and therapy the big
question I always had was would Alex walk.  Took comfort in the adages like
sit by 2 and walk by 4, etc.  Never thought to ask if Alex would have a
functioning brain and the capacity to do things for himself, just if he
would walk.  As if that would make all things ok.  Well Alex does have a
functioning brain, the little devil,  thank goodness.  This past July he had
SDR surgery.  I took a year pondering the question how important was walking
to me.  I was wrong right there.  I wasn't the one with CP, Alex was.  I
came to realize that walking only gets you from point A to point B.  A
mobile stander or WC accomplishes the same.  We went ahead with the surgery
with the idea that if he was able to walk because of it  would be the big
perk and not the goal.  The goal was to reduce spasticity in his legs so his
over all balance would improve.  The surgery did accomplish this.  The big
benefits is without him fighting for balance as much he can now sit and
listen and learn. If he walks hip hip hooray but I don't want him walking
and expanding so much effort in doing it that there is no energy left over
for any thing else.  Thanks for bring up this very important point.
Joanne

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