Met with a new PM&R doctor today - loved her!!
Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2002 10:28 pm
She was just great - a real change from our previous one. She spent the entire meeting on the floor with Michael - how super, IMHO! We talked about Michael's birth, his injury, what surgeries he has had ("Did he have the Mod Quad done?" - what a pleasant surprise that she already knows all about it!) and what Michael needs now and possibly in the future.
She prescribed a nighttime splint for him - he never fully extends his arm/elbow, so hopefully this will discourage any bicep contractures. She also wrote the script for the splint to encourage suppination. We'll see. I have to try and get an appointment with Childrens to make the splint. She asked me if TCH and I had discussed the pronator transfer (I hope that I spelled that right). We haven't - maybe this splint will prevent that discussion...
We also discussed Michael's lack of enthusiasm for walking (he's just started taking steps). She is a bit worried - he tends to walk on his toes a bit and his legs are a bit "stiff". His reflexes are a "bit brisk". Anyone know what any of that means? She asked me to pass on that info to Michael's PT (they know each other) and I assume that the PT will explain it to me - but we won't see her until the end of next week.
I'm just so excited that our new physiatrist (sp?) and I seem to have a lot of the same ideas and thoughts on things. Our last PM&R (who got a new appointment and stopped returning any phone calls - grrr) was much less agressive than I am and it was a bit frustrating for both of us, I think.
The new PM&R is also involved in a trial that is going on now that will assist older kids in doing ROM exercises. It sounds *so* cool. They are designing robots, electronic games and remote controlled cars that are controlled by arm/hand movement - for example, turning your hand palm up makes the car go to the left and palm down makes it go to the right, etc. How cool for older kids (adults, even!) that are bored stiff by ROM exercises!
Thanks for letting me share!
Sally
P.S. Oh, BTW, she isn't taking any new patients, but when I called and said that I had a 19 month old with a BPI, she took him anyway. She is pretty well thought of in our area.
She prescribed a nighttime splint for him - he never fully extends his arm/elbow, so hopefully this will discourage any bicep contractures. She also wrote the script for the splint to encourage suppination. We'll see. I have to try and get an appointment with Childrens to make the splint. She asked me if TCH and I had discussed the pronator transfer (I hope that I spelled that right). We haven't - maybe this splint will prevent that discussion...
We also discussed Michael's lack of enthusiasm for walking (he's just started taking steps). She is a bit worried - he tends to walk on his toes a bit and his legs are a bit "stiff". His reflexes are a "bit brisk". Anyone know what any of that means? She asked me to pass on that info to Michael's PT (they know each other) and I assume that the PT will explain it to me - but we won't see her until the end of next week.
I'm just so excited that our new physiatrist (sp?) and I seem to have a lot of the same ideas and thoughts on things. Our last PM&R (who got a new appointment and stopped returning any phone calls - grrr) was much less agressive than I am and it was a bit frustrating for both of us, I think.
The new PM&R is also involved in a trial that is going on now that will assist older kids in doing ROM exercises. It sounds *so* cool. They are designing robots, electronic games and remote controlled cars that are controlled by arm/hand movement - for example, turning your hand palm up makes the car go to the left and palm down makes it go to the right, etc. How cool for older kids (adults, even!) that are bored stiff by ROM exercises!
Thanks for letting me share!
Sally
P.S. Oh, BTW, she isn't taking any new patients, but when I called and said that I had a 19 month old with a BPI, she took him anyway. She is pretty well thought of in our area.
