United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

I called Dr. Nath's office today and spoke to Angel.I told her about Michaela's problem with so much elbow pain after wearing the splint at night. She skipped one night and was so much better. After wearing it the next night she was screaming during roms the next morning. She is 7 weeks post op today and has been using her arm and going without the splint all day long. Once she limbers up she's good to go. Also, didn't want to wear it to school today. Today was her first day back since last thursday,giving her down time so she'd quit nursing her arm so much. Really fearful to even touch it at first,but now is back to normal for her.She's in the living room painting her toenails with Mamaw,holding the polish in her left hand and polishing with the other. Since her wrist still hangs down some, I'm praying she won't spill the polish!!!

Anyway Angel said since she's past the six weeks and still has the no playground restriction at school,that she doesn't have to wear it to school. Praise the LORD! Then she said she thought it would be ok if Michaela could tolerate it to wear the splint every other night and see how that works. Also gave me Rose's phone number(OT @ TCH) to ask about changing the position of her elbow in the splint. So we're working on a few things right now. Just experimenting for whats best for Michaela right now.

We're doing OT 2 times a week and aquatherapy once. That's all the insurance will pay for. Then on the other days I'm taking her to our local therapeutic pool during open swim time and working with her myself. It's actually kinda nice.It's at a local park but the pool is indoors and it's where mostly senior citizens come to do there water aerobics. I signed up for a class myself, believe me I need the excercise but bad knees and obesity make it hard so I thought I'd see if I could tolerate it. They all treat Michaela like a queen, so there's no chance with my parents being gone that she'll miss being spoiled. My mom has been going there for several years to excercise since she has arthritis. They keep the water between 92 and 94 degrees. VERY RELAXING! I know I'm not a therapist but I learn from the real ones and do the best I can. I thought about telling you all this because if you have access to something similar in your area you may want to check it out.Insurance problems can lead to some interesting solutions!

On another note, Michaela's teacher had carpel tunnel surgery on her right hand during spring break 2 weeks ago. She was supposed to come back last Friday wearing a splint. I emailed Francine that God's vengeance is so good some times and she thought I was SSOOOO BAD! Well it gets better. Since I had to pay for next month by last Friday, and was still undecided about what to do this was the perfect solution, and I didn't have to do a thing. Unfortunately there were some complications and she won't be back till May 1ST. I don't have to worry about her attitude towards MIchaela and the assistant teacher and the substitute have all been very kind and understanding and even commented on helping Michaela today since she couldn't cut out her own easter project with one hand. I'm so sorry for the teacher's misfortune, but God does work in mysterious ways!!!!!LOL

I think I've come up with a solution for one handed cutters. Take a small block of wood and put a picture mounting foam on the bottom. Screw a medium size metal bull dog clip to the top with about a inch of wood sticking out from the bottom edge of the clip. The piece of wood would have to stand at least 2 inches high off the table. Mount this to the table with the foam and stick paper in the clip. Also if you made 2 of these you could clip both ends and have the unaffected hand completely free for cutting. Does this sound like it would work. I'm going to try it in a few minutes for Michaela. Let you know how it works.

Didn't mean to write a book. Open to suggestions. LeeAnne

Sounds like things are falling into place for you and Michaela. I am so glad to hear that.

You know how kids will run from their parents and then trip and fall or run into a wall or something. My mother would then look at us kids and her grandkids and say, "Think God won't get you BUT He will!" As I was reading about Michaela's teacher all I could hear in my head was my mother saying... "Think God won't get you...." LOL It is funny but I still live by those words. There are times I will actually stop myself from doing or saying something "evil" because I do believe God will get me! LOL

Joy

I grew up with the fear of God getting me ,too. It took years for me to realize He wasn't just sitting up there waiting to zap me with a bolt of lightning or something, just generally uses consequences for our punishment.I try to discipline Michaela this way. If you do this, then what are the consequences? Is that what you want to happen? Seems to me you have 2 choices which is the wisest. My Dad being a minister doesn't agree with this type of reasoning. He used to use the belt, and I refuse to do that. Michaela has enough Doctors and other things she fears in her life without fearing me. Anyway, I just kept thinking of the verse,"vengeance is mine sayeth the LORD". LeeAnne

My biological father was a "belt man". We traded him in on a superior model! LOL I don't ever remember fearing God. But, I most certainly had/have a real healthy respect for Him. The "think God won't get you" thing was normally said in jest.

Man if you grew up in Florida I bet you were ducking everytime a storm rolled in! After all we are the lightening capitol of the world. LOL

I have to tell you my husband laughed so hard when he found out about Michaela's teacher. I had told him the story. He said you should take Michaela over to the teacher and let Michaela offer to "teach" her how to function in a brace!

Serious now... hopefully this will be a valuable lesson for the teacher.

Joy