Felipe met with Ortho yesterday and while the doctor feels that the hips are displaced, they are in a similar position as before. So nothing urgent needs to be done to address the situation. the next step is to take X-Rays of his hips and create a long term plan. Options remain the same, hip surgery, or continue to wait and see.
Waiting and seeing how things develop is very difficult but I would rather wait and find out that he doesn't need surgery. I am grateful that he is not in any pain or discomfort. And despite the hectic schedule yesterday he was in a playful mood with the doctor.
Yesterday we had physical therapy at the gym, Felipe walked side to side while holding on to a work bench and he was getting faster and faster during the session. The gym PT is happy with the progress. And while Felipe tired to take too big of a step a couple of times, and freaked himself out, he for the most part had fun. give him a car, and move it to the opposite side of a workbench, seems like torture to me, but he did it with a smile.
After the gym, we came home and had speech therapy and special instruction. ST has reminded me to reinforce the words that he is saying. I'm starting to keep a running list on the fridge for the day, that way I can remind myself what he has said and to reinforce it too. the special instructor was impressed with his behavior despite having a lot of things scheduled. She noted that he likes to rush through things and at times skips the steps while in play (put ball down, hit with hammer, he tried to just hit the ball w his hands, he gets impatient). She suggested ways to get him to continue on his steps, prompts and gesturing a lot. The 30 minutes seem to fly by, she has awesome toys.
Both the ST and SI are both impressed that Felipe got services at all. He is very bright and is cooperative with the instructors. They couldn't believe that he got 2 sessions of 30 minutes of ST bc really he is on the cusp of qualifying. I think the approval was a result of my first appeal of the PT. They denied me 5 times a day, and I immediately appealed. I fought for it till we got it a few weeks later, even before it reached mediation. I think the person who approves the services knows I will appeal, I will advocate. While I am grateful for the personal connections, friends and coworkers at legal aid who helped me with the process, I am still furious to know that parents are routinely intimated by phone calls from "head honchos" in the early intervention program, who claim to be experts on children. Especially peeves that often these decisions to approve or not approve are based on "guesstimates" with no consultations with doctors, therapist or the child's medical providers. I had all my ducks in a row, all the providers wrote me letters, all the providers were willing to be available by phone during the mediation, I had a witness list. I am grateful for my training as a paralegal and as an attorney and keeping my self centered through prayer and prayers of my friends and family.
Today, another busy day, Speech and then physical therapy. ST went well, he got really annoyed at her for not giving him the toy. She won't give it to him unless he points or tries to say mine or more. She didn't address the frustration, just applauded him when he did what she asked for. I will try to replicate this, even when he is biting, just keep it moving. its so hard sometimes, especially now that he is getting his incisors, geez! ST things he might have a sensory thing related to the biting, he likes it as tension relief. She is going to get him a specialized "biter" that she uses for kids with feeding issues. Felipe also doesn't try to eat crispy foods like crackers/toast. She thinks this will help with that as well. I'm going to find him a vibrating toothbrush too, in the hopes it will relieve some of that desire to bit mami or papi. (although I do find it funny when he bites Hubby....LOL....at least it isn't me and Herminio yells so loudly...sorry hunny)
After such a hard and sweaty workout, Felipe fell asleep for 2 hours, sleeping beauty is waking up...gotta run.
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