Happy 2013

Happy New Year! Hope 2013 is a much quieter year then the last two!
We needed to finish up some steps legally before I submitted the book to the final stage.

So far the treatment is promising some noticeable improvements. She is taking less pain medication about 50% less. She is able to identify when using her left arm  at the thrift store, the buzzing and tingling happens almost from the start. Pain is still there but medication and physical therapy has help to lessen it to the point where Chloe can now described what is happening without over reacting. We are now working on concepts that Chloe could not focus on due to the pain she was in, different, same and adapting to fast change in direction or incidents that happen like a box falling on the floor and she is expected  to help clean up. She is now able to listen to different for 30 mins on such topics history, conversations and climate. Also she is showing improve accuracy in all educational work she does at home.

This is where we started:
 Symptoms at Chloe’s birth were loose joints, low tone, and poor head control with difficulty initiate movement. Floppy infant is what this condition is called and could be caused by central nervous system dysfunction, or genetic disorders or even a muscle disorder. She had a general weakness on her left side of her neck and body so another possible reason was a stroke in the uterus.

Happy Holidays and now that we passed December 21, 2012 here is another update. We went  on tours of several YMCA around us. One works well for Chloe to start working on individualized workout so we will try that one first. I am thankful to the personal adaptive trainer who got Chloe familiar with the machines and how to use them.  So our goals for the present is to increase hours at the volunteer thrift store job and develop and independent  workout routine while we check out job possibilities and educational ones. While we do this we will be monitoring her upper back recovery to make sure everything stays where it should.

Here is another important part of Chloe's recovery that help to keep our cost down!

Since we found the doctor we could use, who had access to professionals in our HMO.  Then Chloe’s primary doctor could refer to as needed and they were already in our plan.  Rehabilitation service: Physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy also we went  through our HMO, We tried several doctors before the one Chloe is now staying with till she reaches 21 year old. Chloe is seeing or has seen a neurologist, neuropsychologist, allergist and an orthopedic doctor for evaluations and recommendations.

I now have my book back from the editor and am reviewing on my computer and the editors are also showing why they suggest what they did so I have more reading then expected. Electronic transfer of large documents is new for me. Thankfully my husband has been very helpful in showing me how to work with different applications or be a trouble shooter for me when I need help. I already learned quite a bite from him so I am fairly independent but he is a help when needed..

I want to share a sensory system I learned through the research on this book. I never knew this one and how important it is.  

                             Somotasensory System

 This is the system that informs us about objects in our external environment through touch. It also let the brain know the position of the body parts (proprioception) through stimulation of muscles and joints. Another action of this system is to monitor the temperature of the body, external objects and environment. This system tells Chloe what is painful, itchy and tickling stimuli. All of these messages are sent along different anatomical pathways depending on information.

Chloe is being treated with serotonin to block pain receptors in the brain which help her put a bulging disc to a mild state in her neck and hopefully keep it there. She now is able to identify when she has pain. She is now working on her arms proprioception with swimming, exercise, typing and working at St. Vincent DePaul picking up, hanging up and straightening up the Thrift store. She is the” back seat driver” giving me directions to the usual places we go. Chloe now better connected with her body may make her personality change also. After patients go through accidents or whatever happens become paraplegic or quadriplegic their personalities undergo major changes because of not getting the feedback from their bodies anymore. 

 So here is the problems Chloe had since birth with a bulging disc in her neck that caused cranial headaches and had little ability to use her arms away from her body or over her head. Now that she has the disc back in place and arms are able to work over her head and away from her body, we are working on stamina and and endurance to get her into one day a job setting. This is what Chloe states is an important goal for her.

Here is another paragraph:

The doctor asked Chloe and me if she could try a medications to easy her anxiety and possible help her deal with pain better. Chloe said sure and I agreed to give the doctor updates in between Chloe’s appointments with her. The neurologist found through an MRI that Chloe has a now mild bugling in her neck that could explain a lot of her muscle, nerve and arm issues. The medication accelerates development of her upper back which gave her better control of her arms. We are pleasantly surprised at the results and hope to try another medication for focusing issues but we are aware not all medications we can be this lucky with but it is still worth a try!