Luella: The Speech and OT Graduate

We had Luella's IEP meeting on Tuesday and it went SO well!! Luella graduated from Speech and OT!! There's just no need to continue with the therapies since she is doing it all!! Another big highlight is that she will not be visiting her special education teacher as much. She was going 3 times a week for 20 minutes and that has been cut back to one 20 minute session a MONTH! Luella is getting all her work done in the classroom right along side her peers so there just wasn't a need to have that extra time to work on things. We couldn't be more thrilled with all the progress Luella has made. She is doing amazing things and we pray that she can continue on down this path.

The team at school said that if at anytime we feel like she needs some extra help again... they are just right there, willing to step in! We are so fortunate to be in such an amazing school district. I've said it before, but so many parents dread those IEP meetings, feeling they need to fight for the things their child needs, but we have never been in that situation. Everyone cares so deeply about Luella and her success! Blessed!!

It was party day for Luella today!! Celebrating the end of Speech and OT! Awesome Job Luella!!

That Cast is OFF!! Wheelchair / Walker will be sticking around...

Luella was SOOO excited to get her cast OFF today!! She tolerated that cast much better than I would have these last 5 weeks! It was great that she only had to have it for 5 weeks and not the 6-8 they originally told us. Unfortunately riding bike and running around with friends will still have to wait another month or so. She'll continue to use her wheelchair and walker as she gradually transitions to bearing weight on that leg. She did not need to have a brace or anything on her leg! Her doctor said that kids typically heal much faster than adults and, while her leg isn't completely healed, having more range of movement and gradually bearing weight will allow her to heal up over the next several weeks. Her x-rays today looked great! She will go back to the doctor on October 24th for follow-up x-rays and we hope she will be walking completely on her own by then!

Luella's cast was so beautifully decorated. She did some doodling (as did I) and when school started she brought a baggie of permanent markers for her friends to draw pictures or write their name. We had to take some pictures of her cast this morning to remember all those fun doodlings!

Getting her cast off was a breeze! The lady that took her cast off said she's had 12 year olds crying while getting it cut off, but Luella was super brave and did great!!

Ear protection from the loud saw... actually it wasn't that loud... I think more so the kids don't get worried. Maybe I should have been the one wearing them!! I was WAY more nervous than Luella was!

Starting to cut.

Working through the layers.

FREEDOM!!

Luella is looking forward to a nice long bath tonight!!! :-)

Bedtime Seizure

As you tuck your little one into bed you shouldn't have to worry about a seizure gripping their little body and taking their breath away. You shouldn't have to listen to that same little one moments earlier praying to God to keep her safe and to take her seizures away. We are not guaranteed a perfect life in this lifetime... free from the pains of the world. Only when we are with our Father in Heaven can we be free of these worries and fears and all we can do in the meantime is just trust that God's will be done.

Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the WILL OF GOD you may receive what is promised. 

                                                             Hebrews 10:35-36

Last night literally just minutes after I left Luella's room, a nasty seizure gripped her and took her breath away. I prayed and just rubbed and rubbed her chest and back to stimulate a breath. Thankfully she did take a breath but she was struggling and the seizure wasn't stopping. We put the oxygen on her and after 2 doses of midazolam the seizure finally did stop. After several more minutes her breathing returned to normal and she slept the rest of the night peacefully.

This morning Jim got Luella up and ready for the day while I got ready. I asked him if he told her about the seizure. He hadn't. She was perky, happy, and anxious for the day. She didn't know about the scary seizure. We decided not to tell her. She has already started worrying about seizures herself... sometimes wanting us to be with her while she's brushing her teeth or just a room away... saying "but what if I have a seizure?" We assure her that we are always close enough to hear her and are still keeping a close eye on her. We don't want her to fear going to sleep at night. Some kids are scared of the dark, Luella isn't. No kid should have to be scared of a seizure after falling asleep.

It's been just over 2 weeks since her last seizure - the night she got her cast. We are praying this pattern won't continue and we can once again enjoy longer seizure-free stretches, especially as school is starting in just a couple days. This little lady is going to be in 1st grade!! Please pray for a great year of school and fewer seizures. Love and thanks to you all!