Skip to main content

The Waiting Game

When my Ashley Rose was born nine years ago, she was nearly two months premature and had suffered a stroke. She was diagnosed with Hemiplegic infantile cerebral palsy, among other things. This means she was having seizures and couldn't use the right side of her body.

We were put on a waiting list for some services (funds) that would have allowed us to get Respite (care for her so we could take a break), funding for therapies and other services and funding for medical bills.

Today I got a letter in the mail saying that Ashley's name had come to the top of the waiting list and they wanted to evaluate her. Mmm-hmmm. They evaluate her each year as it is to keep her on the DSHS Family services list which helps us pay for the braces for her leg. It's like they suddenly expect her CP to have cured itself.

Not that I don't believe in miracles--I do. But you know.....

The reason I'm excited about this particular letter is because last week when we were at Children's Hospital, a therapy called Constraint Induced Therapy, is now being offered. Nine years ago I was the one who told them about this therapy that was developed by a doctor in Alabama. At that point it was only being used on adult stroke victims---but I wanted them to try it on my Ashley Rose. They weren't doing it then.

Now they are. They are hosting Constraint Induced Therapy camp over the summer. They take a child like Ashley and put a cast on her good arm. This forces her to use her bad side.


It is very expensive therapy and quite time consuming. For a three week period we would be at the hospital for three to four hours a day.

Now we're on another waiting list. The waiting list for therapy camp.

I just hope it doesn't take another nine years.

Comments

  1. Anonymous5:18 PM

    Oh Pam, that is exciting. Major Mojo and Prayers from my part of the earth. Huggles to both Ashley and you!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Annalee. It is exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. If they do award her this service, then we will be able to get this specialized therapy for her.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh.. wow. What a long road. Crossing my fingers it doesn't take another 9 years. (hugs)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ohmommy, thank you! It would mean the world to me if they do approve her---and if they don't I might just have to have a big lemonade stand to raise the funds! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Kind of like the lazy eye thing... Good luck with the list!! ;)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Go ahead....tell me the truth :)

Popular posts from this blog

Wheeeeeeee!

Today I was awakened to the not-so-delightful sounds of enormous dump trucks, (you know the ones that are a dump truck and they haul a trailer behind?) dumping truck load after truck load of dirt behind my house. Then the most incredibly noisey and squeaky (do they not grease the tracks on those things??) grader began shoving the dirt and rocks around. I had to fight the urge to throw a can of WD40 over the fence to the driver. It wasn't even eight in the morning. It wasn't even 7:30 yet. So I reluctantly arose from my bed and cleaned up the kitchen. After it was spotless, I went back upstairs to my freeze-zone (the only room in the house with AC) to do some online banking and make calls to check on medical bills, etc. As I was finishing up, in walks my husband! At first I had a moment of Oh-no-he's-lost-his-job terror. Then it passed after he smiled. Seems they ran out of work for the day. Odd, but then that's Boeing. So hubby was roped into going school cloth

Peace Begins with You

In my readings this week, I came across a video of Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin. He gave a talk entitled, "Peace Within." Who doesn't want peace? Who doesn't crave peace within their soul? In their lives? In their hearts and in their homes? How often do we have complete peace? I'd say my answer would have to be that there isn't enough peace in my life, heart or home. It's not like I live in a warzone--I do not. I'm blessed to live in a nation where I have freedoms granted to me by the founding fathers and I do not risk being struck down by bombs or shot by snipers when I venture forth from my home. My neighborhood is relatively safe, so much so that I take solo walks. The peace I speak of is something different. It's the peace that can be with me no matter my circumstances. I crave that peace. Elder Wirthlin says that peace begins in the hearts of righteous individuals. How does it begin? With a relationship with our creator. In ferven

She's Something...

Most of you know that I've got four children. My eldest is seventeen. Oh heavens...how did that happen? Wasn't I just seventeen the other day? I'm sure I was.... Well, she's amazing. I know the majority of mothers have very high compliments to pay their children--and rightly so. However, my baby girl is astounding by anyone's standards. She is going to high school and college at the same time. In high school she's taking mostly AP (Advanced Placement) classes, which also count for college credits. She gets up at five a.m. every morning, goes to Seminary, then goes to school, she works four hours daily as an office manager at Winderemere Real Estate. She speaks Spanish, plays piano, guitar and flute. She goes to the gym daily and it shows. This was her yesterday. This is a picture I just took of her, after getting her braces put on. Now, having said that she is gifted and talented, I should ammend this post to tell you the following. She just got home