About Me

United States
My fiance (Joe) and I (Caytie) just delivered our third child. We have a son named Dustin, age 4, a daughter named Aryanna, age 1, and our new little bundle's name is Mira, and she has been diagnosed with spina bifida. She has a myelomeningocele, a chiari malformation, hydrocephalus, and a club foot. She had surgery the day after she was born on her myelomeningocele, and surgery when she was 6 days old to place a shunt in her brain. She is facing more surgeries, a lifetime of recovery and monitoring, and we will all be facing the journey of spina bifida. Prayers and kind thoughts are always welcome, and if our story can help others, that would mean the world to us. Spina bifida is a fairly common birth defect, but there's nothing normal about facing potential danger with your child. So this is our story, the journey of spina bifida, as we live it.

Thursday, June 6, 2013

6/6/13 Therapy

Today was our first in-home therapy session with the therapist from early intervention. His name is Mike, and he works so very well with Mira. He's very kind to Dustin and Aryanna, as well, and I get really good vibes from him.
Today he showed Joe and I three stretches for her foot, one massage for her legs, and one massage for her back.
The three stretches for her foot, which we hold each stretch for 30 seconds, will help stretch the tissue back to the proper position on her club foot. The massage for her legs, which is just very gentle rubbing, starting from her feet, and rubbing up towards her thigh, allows to help her blood circulate back to her heart. This is why you never massage an extremity away from the heart (which I did not know until today). You are always supposed to push on the tissue in the direction of the heart to help circulation. So we will always start at her foot, and push gently up to her thigh, on all sides of her legs. This will also help the process of trying to awaken some nerves in her legs, and could help her develop some sensation in her lower extremities. The massage on her back is where we tap with two fingers on both sides down her spine. Then apply pressure, using those two fingers, on both sides down her spine. This causes a reflex reaction to the muscles, and makes Mira lift her head while on her belly. Effectively helping her strengthen her muscles and utilize tummy time to the fullest! 
I'm so happy to be learning more ways to help her! I'm very excited to think that some stretches and rubs for a few minutes each day could help her; even if it only helps in the most minuscule ways, it could still make a world of difference!
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