Cast Camp is Over

I took home one very happy boy this afternoon!  Someone was so glad to get his cast off.  It seemed to itch him much more this time and he did get a big bug bite right where the cast hit his upper arm.   So, Griff came home with a goody bag from camp.  What does one get from constraint camp?  Well, there is a pencil sharpner, 2 pencils, a sucker, plastic coins ( I have to say that this one seemed weird at first, but great for the pincer grasp on the right hand), 3 packs of homemade play-doh (great for squeezing w/ righty), a whistle (might hide this one) and a toothbrush and toothpaste.  They sent home an adorable picture of him, a t-shirt he painted , a clay something he made (not sure what it is, but you know mommy is keeping it!), a picture with feathers...  This is great because the boy does not like art.  Most of his school art has 1 crayon line through it and that is it.

Here he is with his cousin Caroline.  You can see where his sisters "signed" his cast.

An ambulance was outside therapy yesterday.  He was so excited he could hardly stand it.  He ran straight to it!

And, while Griff was at therapy we went and got some cupcakes and had a little picnic between storms.

A big thank you to Vanderbilt Pediatric Therapies.  We feel so fortunate to be a part of this study, free of charge!  We have the best therapists - Laura and Lindsey!  We have had several therapists at VU and they are all awesome, I even taught one of them years ago.  The 8+ camp therapists and volunteers are all so wonderful w/ 12 kids at this camp.

~Martha

Check out the cast on Griff's arm.  We are fortunate enough to be a part of a research program at Vanderbilt and take part in a week long constraint therapy or, as Griff calls it, "cast camp."  The basic premise is that you cast the good arm and force him to use the weak arm, kind of like you would treat lazy eye.  There are about 10 kids in the class, all his age, all with casts.  It is really cute to see them all with their brightly colored casts and so great for Griff to be with other kids that have the same struggles.

He won't tell me anything that he does, but I managed to get a schedule so I know what he is doing.  There is a lot of sensory work...hands in dry rice, pasta, etc.  They have played with clay, paper mache, and made pudding today (to eat, not stick their hands in.)  They play games, eat lunch and snacks with their weak hands, brush their teeth...  I challenge you to eat a few meals with just your weak hand.  Gabby tried last night and didn't make it long, but it did give her some insight to what Griff is going through.

I'm not going to lie, cast camp is hard on all of us.  It breaks my heart that he has to go through this and it will probably be a yearly event.  Ideally it should be done for 3 weeks straight.  They are cutting the cast off  and adding velcro to it so we can continue to use it.  We slept maybe 3 hours this first night because he was so antsy and kept asking us to take it off.  Tim and I have both been wacked a few times by accident.  Meals are a little more messy and no swimming or water table.  But, we already see improvement in his right hand and the timing, right before school starts, is great.

If you have a few extra seconds, would you click on some of the advertising on this blog?  Our goal is to raise enough money to cover one of his horseback therapy sessions.  I actually signed up on Fab.com, one of the ads that scrolls through, and it has some cool stuff.

One more pic...

You never know who is hanging out in the halls at Vanderbilt Pediatric Therapies.
Martha

Just a year ago...

Tomorrow marks the one year anniversary of Griff's big surgery last summer!  Hard to believe it has been a full year.  This time last year we were meeting with Dr. Parks in St. Louis preparing for the long week ahead and hopeful for all the benefits from the surgery.

This is Griff just before surgery last summer.

Here is Griff just 2 weeks after surgery with Ms. Laura.  His legs were so weak that he could not support his weight.  We spent about 2 months in a wheelchair before he could use his walker again.

So, where are we now, a full year later.  Well, Griff has started walking with walking sticks at therapy!  Our goal is to be done with the walker by the end of the year.  He really needs practice on the stick.  He needs minimal support, but does lose his balance some on the sticks.  I'll get a picture of him on the sticks next week and post.  Ultimately, we still think he will walk independently and the sticks are certainly a huge step towards that.  The walker, while it provides great independence, is really a fun toy for him.  He sits on the back, does tricks, glides down hills on it, and is a human bulldozer when he has it.  The boy can really fly on that thing.  The problem is, he uses his upper body more than his legs.

Therapy continues to go well and we have settled into our summer routine.  Hip Hop was a no go for Griff.  He would have nothing to do with it!  But, he is getting his regular OT and PT twice a week + Saddle Up! for therapeutic riding + Saddle Up! for hippotherapy + swim lessons.  Tuesday is his therapy day off :)  Above is Griff on Piggy for his therapeutic riding.  He is with 2 of the wonderful volunteers there and learns all about horses and plays games.

Above is hippotherapy.  Notice he is riding backwards and without a saddle.  This really involves the core and forces him to balance.

He is sitting in the other room right now with his braces on.  We are at the 2 hour mark.  He does better when I am not in there.  I think we are on our 3rd Team Umizoomi episode :)

And, can not leave out the girls.  Here is everyone with Grandmom on our Florida trip.
Happy Summer all!  Stay cool!
~Martha

Happy Everything & Daily Bracing

First, I'll start by saying HAPPY EVERYTHING!  That includes mom's birthday, our anniversary, mom and dad's anniversary, father's day, family coming in town...

Love the beach!

This one cracks me up because a wave came and Gracie wouldn't put her feet down.

But, the real reason for this post.  Here is a small glimpse into what we do daily to help get Griff to where he needs to be.

This is the full view.  There are knee immobilizers, heel cord/foot braces, and under it all is the "tickle machine."

These stretch his heel cords to help him stand flat footed.

This is an e-stem machine to stimulate the muscles and help them grow and develop.

We are a little out of routine because of vacation.  But, we're getting back in the flow - I promise Ms. Laura (our wonderful PT.)  Ideally, Griff would sleep through the night with both sets of braces.  But, we can't seem to get him there.  He wakes up crying 2-3 hours after we put them on.  Instead, our goal is to get them on him for at least 4 hours a day with 30 minutes of the tickle machine.  Luckily, "dude" likes tv and that helps him pass the time.

Martha

Happy Summer!

We hope you are all having a wonderful summer!  We have finally settled down and are getting to relax a bit.  The girls had PreK graduation, Griff finished his year, and I am finally done w/ school, inservice and the yearbook!  The kids got to spend their first few days of summer at Harpeth Hall while I wrapped things up there.

Now that I am off, I get to go to all of Griff's therapies and horseback riding.  One, mom and dad get a break from helping us out.  Two, I get to talk to all of Griff's amazing therapists.  And three, I get to go picture crazy! So, keep checking back, because I am going to get some therapy pictures with Miss Laura.  She loves having her picture taken :)  Daddy gets to go to Saddle Up! for therapeutic riding because we scheduled an evening session.  He'll get some great pictures there.  And, we have signed up for Hip Hop!  The instructor is nice enough to let Griff try out a class before we commit.

Most exciting though, while I was talk to Miss Laura at therapy on Wednesday, Griff just decided to walk away from her and come to me.  He took 3 amazing steps!  We weren't even working on that at the moment, he just decided to do it!  So, we practiced it for awhile and he consistently took 2-3 great steps.  He is also climbing stairs really well and we have a goal for the end of the walker.  More on that next time when I get some good therapy pictures, but Griff has been walking with walking sticks and is getting pretty darn good.  We are hoping to have him on those full time sometime between the end of the summer and the end of the year.  He just needs practice and confidence.

On a break my heart note, we were leaving the play area at Chick-fil-A and Griff told me that a boy in there called him "different."  Griff told me "I'm not different."  We have talked about it a few times and how he is different from Gracie, and Gracie is different from Gabby, and Gabby is different mommy...  My friend Lori is so grounded in her faith, she is such a rock for me.  She said to make sure I tell him that God isn't finished with him and He has a great plan for him.  That is so true and my little "Dude" has already touched so many people.

What would a post be without a picture.  This is not a recent one.  I'm on Tim's computer and don't have my folders and folders of pictures.  But, this is a goodie!  I will have to say that is it almost 11:00 pm and Griff is sitting her next to me wide awake!  Someone actually had a nap today and now is wide awake!

And, this one is just cute too!
~Martha (and Griff)

A Mommy Moment

Having triplets is just normal to us.  This is all we know.  Yes, we were shocked when we found out it was 3.  But, it was so much fun seeing the looks on everyone else's faces when we told them.  We just go on everyday living our lives, getting 2 carts at Costco, taking all 3 to the Puffy Muffin since they were in carriers and now having to order 3 meals for them, buckling 3 kids into the car, getting a car with a 3rd row so they can't touch each other...  I could even carry all 3 in my arms for a long time.  You just make it work.  Every now and then it just hits me, Holy Cow, I HAVE TRIPLETS!  Tonight was one of those moments.  This is my gang at dinner tonight...

Today was award's day at Griff's school.  He got the award for "Best Dinosaur Stomp".  That should make his PTs proud since we are trying to get him to not drag his feet.  That is Griff's principal standing behind him after he got his award.

This weekend was awesome here in Nashville.  We broke out the slip 'n slide and had a ball in the front yard.

Happy Summer All!

Martha

Saddle Up!

I've been sitting here trying to find the words to give Saddle Up! enough praise.  Basically, to Griff, they hung the moon.  Check out the smile on his face.

The volunteers are amazing.  The administration is so positive and organized.  The horses are gentle and precious.  And, the kids, well, they are just plain happy!

Saddle Up! offers recreational therapeutic riding.  Technically, it is not therapy.  The kids are learning riding skills and terminology.  They are increasing physical, social and communication skills.

They are launching a Hippotherapy pilot program this summer.  Here is the technical definition and difference from therapeutic riding... "Hippotherapy is a form of physical, occupational and speech therapy in which a therapist uses the characteristic movements of a horse to provide carefully graded motor and sensory input. A foundation is established to improve neurological function and sensory processing, which can be generalized to a wide range of daily activities. Unlike therapeutic horseback riding (where specific riding skills are taught), the movement of the horse is a means to a treatment goal when utilizing hippotherapy as a treatment strategy."  IWikipedia)  
Hippotherapy starts in June, I'll share more then.

Bottom line, Saddle Up! is an amazing place for all kinds of kids with special needs.  If you know of anyone who might benefit, have them get in touch with the people at Saddle Up!  (http://www.saddleupnashville.org/)  There is a waiting list, but it absolutely worth the wait.

That's Piggy with Griff.
~Martha