Life's Whirlwind Adventures

Both Chandler and Leigham went to pre school and it was such a good experience for them that I really wanted Teddy to experience pre school as well.  The school districts in Red Deer offer a pre Kindergarten program for students who may have some delays in specific areas and it is open to students who do not have delays but there is a price attached to it.  Either way this is a great program and I had signed Teddy up for the assessments prior to us knowing his diagnosis, but his diagnosis helps him get into the Pre K program so I will take it. In March, Teddy had both of his assessments completed and both his assessments came back as he had some delays in all areas.  The areas they assess are receptive language, expressive language, gross and fine motor skills and awareness of self.  Obviously, with Teddy's diagnosis of CMT, he would have delays in the gross and fine motor skills and I expected a few delays in the expressive language and possibly in the awareness o...

Man do things ever change and flip you on your head when you receive news you weren't expecting! I know stating the obvious, but even though we logically know it will happen it's still super frustrating and shocking when it happens. So three statements the doctor made when we were there that started us on a path, Disability Tax Credit, FSCD funding, and AFOs. I am so, happy (?!?) that I have had the jobs I have had because none of these terms or acronyms were foreign to me. Disability Tax Credit and Benefit are two things we will apply for, it's likely we make too much money to see any return in the benefit section but we will be able to use all our costs as tax write offs now.  Which is a small thing, but we are now going to be incurring more costs, with more medical trips, more medical supplies and such so anything to help us counter that will be hugely beneficial. I have the forms I need and I just need my doctor to fill them out so I can submit them to the governmen...

Teddy has what the Physical Therapists called drop foot. When you google drop foot the three main causes are cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and diabetes. I was certain that cerebral palsy was not his condition, I was pretty certain diabetes wasn't either, but not 100% certain and most muscular dystrophies, the most common ones anyway, don't present until age 4 and Teddy had been like this since he was walking at 18 months. But it was still terrifying. We received a letter from the Glenrose Rehabilitation hospital in Edmonton just after Valentine's day, they stated it would be approximately 4 month waiting period before Teddy would be seen by the neurologist there.  My only concern was 4 months away was June or July and I wanted to make sure he was seen before the doctors took their summer holidays.  My phone rang with an Edmonton Number on February 21st.  It was the Glenrose and they wanted to book Teddy's appointment, they had February 28 or March 13th availabl...

While we were in Nova Scotia, we told people we had to leave by a certain day because of this upcoming appointment, which was true, we did need to make it back.  There was a doctor there and he kept telling me nothing was wrong he seemed fine with his walking, but I felt he'd say whatever he needed to have us stay another day or two. The trip to Nova Scotia was wonderful, my boys were great and they played and frolicked and made so many memories! But then we came home and it was back to reality. While waiting to see Dr B, Leigham and Teddy brought me all the children's books in the waiting area to read.  Some of those books are super old and you can tell from their content that they were written in the seventies. I almost felt scandalized reading one book. I wish I could remember it better to put the title in this blog. Finally, they led us back to the patient room. "Ah, how is everyone today," Dr. B greeted as he came in. "I'm bored," moaned Lei...

I loaded the boys into my white Dodge Caravan, buckling Teddy into his seat and telling Leigham to buckle up in his booster seat.  It's a fight most days, because Leigham goes in the door that Teddy's seat is beside and Teddy gets upset but today they know they are going to see the Chiropractor, so today they are happy to comply.  Usually, the chiropractor is just a mommy thing so for them it's a treat. Driving through Red Deer is quick, the Chiropractor is downtown by the Safeway and takes about ten minutes.  Traffic is light this July morning since it's one, summer and two, after  nine.  We arrive at the Chiropractor and I take the boys in, holding Teddy's little hand tightly and we walk and he stumbles over the air. "Come on Teddy, get up," I chide as he stumbles again, his walking has always been this way, it's like he doesn't know how to lift his toes over the cracks.  One day I fear I am going to wrench his arm out of his socket when he...