SCHOOL!! And Walking!!

So it has been a while. Life is so hectic...but that is ok. We are getting ready for school. The therapists are just amazing. I am so happy that we have such a good school to go to. Sam is going to love it, and they already love her! The PT is the best. She is so full of ideas and enthused, and Sam will be getting PT every day at school! Amazing. She will go Mon-Thurs 8:30-11:15! Once her stamina increases, we will add some afternoons, too. I can't wait. She will thrive there, I just know it.

And she is finally walking again. YAY!! She is really taking to the treadmill after a long time of hating it. She is starting to relax and do it. Last week was her first week of getting back to taking independent steps. I almost cried. She is going to get it all back. We were really worried about her increased tone in her legs since being back from Boston. She was so stiff so much of the time, and it was kind of scary. But we put her little braces on for 2 days and she is back in action. She is walking and she is so much less stiff. We were talking with her physiatrist about doing Botox injections into her leg muscles to help decrease the stiffness, but I didn't really want to do it, since it is toxic, and kids have died from it as recently as 2006. That is scary. But her PT who does the gait training said that we should hold off and see how she responds to therapy, since she usually responds to therapy quite well. And already there is a huge difference. So we are waiting 'til summer to decide. The issue is that if she stays that stiff and doesn't walk and bear weight, her hips could dislocate, causing lots of pain and making walking really difficult.
So we definitely want to avoid that. It looks promising that we can avoid the botox. I hope so.

So the school is so wonderful and they have lots of stuff already set up for her. I can't wait. Thurs. 2.5.09 will be her first day. And we have the outfit all set! Can't wait!!

Love you all.
Lisa