I have intended to post an update for the last week so I won't remember everything. Bella is doing awesome! We spent last weekend in Port Aransas. We were very concerned about how Bella would handle the strange accommodations and the ocean. It was not all easy but overall it was fun for everyone. Bella and I sat in lounge chairs and let the waves splash us. She sat up and tried to hold herself up against the waves but even when they knocked her back against the seat, she sat up again. It was great core work and she was just having fun! She swam in the hotel pool a lot and slept really well every night!
Bella at the beach - July
(a month ago she wouldn't have been able to support herself like this)
Monday (7/15) we were back to the real world and back to therapy. Bella couldn't wait to get back to therapy. She's happiest on the days that she has her OT appointments. She continues to have her "best day yet" in therapy. I'm disappointed that we've run out of insurance-approved PT visits so Bella is now only getting OT. However, on Tuesday they left her wheelchair in the lobby and Bella walked with her walked all the way back to the therapy gym. That's probably 200 or so steps. She can now walk with her walker with no assistance! Short distances only, though. Bella said she could feel her legs burning but loved it because she knew how hard they were working. She got on a scooter board again - the smaller, more difficult one than she was on before. It's incredible how far she's come since the end of May when she was too scared to get on the floor or a scooter board with the assistance of two therapists!
Punches with a band while sitting on a Bosu ball
Because of insurance limitations and the need to assist Bella with stretches and all kinds of therapy, we have a couple of physical therapy students who take turns coming by to work with her for 2 hours at a time. We were able to add a second student just this week so Bella will start getting the additional therapy 6 days a week. She loves every minute of it and we can really see the improvements!
Last night after a home therapy session, Bella decided to start showing off! First she discovered she could wiggle her toes! This is a MAJOR accomplishment and one step closer to Bella getting back to ballet! She is SO excited! She also started pushing the limits of her flexibility. Her pain was so bad for so long that she could not sit upright, much less touch her toes. Now she can lift her leg to her cheek.
Bella is also now able to crawl. Her core strength is coming back and her arms and legs are strong enough to hold her up to crawl on her hands & knees. She's able to crawl to the couch and then ease herself up onto it! And this morning, she did 6 transfers - bed to wheelchair, wheelchair to couch and back, wheelchair to table and back. I kept losing track of where she was because she was not in the last spot I had seen her.
This afternoon Bella was standing at her walker and doing mini plies. I can finally imagine her going back to school next month and beginning to return to a normal life - maybe not at the beginning of the school year but hopefully this fall. She has the most amazing attitude and spirit! We thank God for these good days!
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