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Queen in the land of the gimpy
Jun. 28th, 2007 01:38 amFellow client in PT comes up to me ,very concerned, "OMG! What did you do to your poor leg!" I look down in alarm , thinking I have some massive bruise from a fall I forgot about or I sliced open my leg shaving. But no, it was about the way I was limping... Um isn't it more remarkable to be going to PT without a limp? PT is the land of the gimpy and I am queen because I'm not in a wheelchair, silly lady. Actually all I said was, "Er, I have CP." Silly Lady had to point out how well I was getting around after that and how lucky I am that treatment for CP has improved so much. According to her because of the improvements they've made in the last ten years or so mean I'm not in a wheelchair. I smiled at Silly Lady and left for the pool.
I have had some good doctors and PTs over the years but I don't think they were the ones that got me walking. If I had time to engage Silly Lady in conversation I would've told her that there were two reasons I can walk, one is the my brain damage is just not that bad. The other reason is my parents. They spent years stretching my legs and telling me to remember to walk heel-toe. Long before there was therapeutic riding my dad had me up on horses and ponies because I scissor when I walked and didn't have a good rhythm.
I would've also pointed out that I wasn't walking well for me or she wouldn't have been so alarmed at how I was limping My folks
put so much effort into teaching me on the days when I hurt and limp I feel kind of guilty. :o)
Now there have been some improvements in the treatment of CP but most are aimed at children. Other then Botox really cool if your heel cords or some other muscle in particular is spastic. You know what the last actual new thing that really made an impact on my treatment was? The switch in the 80s from steel to plastic AFOs [leg braces] oh and also the use of Velcro the fasten the suckers. The plastic was so much lighter but I could no longer undo the damn night splints without my dad hearing and banging on the wall for me to put them on again! But the last ten years have been pretty much the same old PT for me.
I have had some good doctors and PTs over the years but I don't think they were the ones that got me walking. If I had time to engage Silly Lady in conversation I would've told her that there were two reasons I can walk, one is the my brain damage is just not that bad. The other reason is my parents. They spent years stretching my legs and telling me to remember to walk heel-toe. Long before there was therapeutic riding my dad had me up on horses and ponies because I scissor when I walked and didn't have a good rhythm.
I would've also pointed out that I wasn't walking well for me or she wouldn't have been so alarmed at how I was limping My folks
put so much effort into teaching me on the days when I hurt and limp I feel kind of guilty. :o)
Now there have been some improvements in the treatment of CP but most are aimed at children. Other then Botox really cool if your heel cords or some other muscle in particular is spastic. You know what the last actual new thing that really made an impact on my treatment was? The switch in the 80s from steel to plastic AFOs [leg braces] oh and also the use of Velcro the fasten the suckers. The plastic was so much lighter but I could no longer undo the damn night splints without my dad hearing and banging on the wall for me to put them on again! But the last ten years have been pretty much the same old PT for me.
