Time Out, Finally

We're at the end of the line. Sort of. The reality is that cerebral palsy has no real end. We are, however, near the end of this particular journey. Sarah Kate finished the 3-week intensive program today, and will drop down now to only two days per week of physical therapy. Thankfully, both days will be in Decatur most of the time; we will only have to return to Birmingham every six weeks or so.

I was not there this morning because of a prior commitment (hosting a scrapbooking retreat for my customers on beautiful Smith Lake!), so Papa and Bebe took Sarah Kate to therapy and Scott met her there. Thursday had been rather difficult - Sarah Kate was sick of going and expressed her displeasure by whining, pouting, crying, and even hitting Carrie (her proclaimed favorite therapist) in the face. She went to time out, and I went to McDonald's for a cinnamon roll. Not long after returning, I headed out again for Barnes & Noble. She did ultimately come around and work. I expected Friday to be better, because I had given her a little pep talk about Daddy coming and it being the last day.

Friday wasn't better. Sarah Kate was no better for Scott than she had been for me. Lisa ("bad cop") was also back, and even her presence didn't help. A good bit of the day was spent doing an end-of-session evaluation. Sarah Kate was expected to repeat certain tasks and exercises from the first day to see what changes had taken place. The improvements were: the ability to dress and undress herself, standing from the floor without support, walking further during a timed six minute walk, and walking in SMO's instead of AFO's. Her gait has also visibly improved, though it's still a long way from typical, and she can walk up and down 5-6 steps with only one hand held.

From this point forward, the main aim of the physical therapy is keep her on track and to prevent bad habits from forming. We're heading into the summer season, and I've already gotten my Point Mallard pass (Sarah Kate is still young enough to get in free). Sarah Kate was given a generous gift this week of a new wooden playset, which Scott is working to assemble this weekend. The motion of swinging is an excellent core strengthening exercise, and the ladder and "rock wall" steps are also good physical training for her. Lisa recommended that we get her a tricycle, as well, which we will probably do in the next few days (tricycles are fairly inexpensive).

As far as our insurance is concerned, we believe we've reached the end of the line in terms of what Blue Cross Blue Shield is going to pay. A meeting is scheduled for May 26 to discuss the issue, but the meeting is about rhizotomy cases in general, not Sarah Kate's case in particular. After that meeting, we should know what the "final word" is and can begin negotiating our portion. Whatever the outcome, we have done the best for our daughter and know that we would make the same choices again.

Thank you all for your prayers and words of encouragement. It's been a tough road, and I'm very happy to be nearing the end of it. Continue to remember us, though, as we move into "regular" life. Ordinary challenges can be the most challenging of all.

"Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, declares the Lord." - Zechariah 4:6