Seb's Appointments - Part II
May 19, 2005 at 11:06 AM
by Ashleigh
He did fine motor skills assessment first and the right and left sides were pretty much the same (3 seconds difference on the tests) even though he is definitely right handed. These consisted of threading cubes onto string, and putting plastic disks into a money box and being timed whilst doing both activities. Then he had to do some throwing and catching and jumping over a string with both feet, which started at knee height (which he couldn't do) and then lowered to about ankle height (which he could do). He fell over during the standing on one leg test when made to stand with his weight on his right leg, but he could stand on his left leg and elevate the right leg.
I felt so sorry for him during the tests because I could really see where the difficulties were for him. Poor soul. Today he has a sports day at school and my heart is in my throat thinking about how difficult it will be for him. It would be easier if he didn't like sport and didn't want to participate rather than wishing to participate and failing.
When I spoke to my mom yesterday I was reminded of when I was about 8 (and a very fat kid) and I wanted to do ballet. My mom tried to talk me out of it but I was determined and eventually she let me go to the class. My most vivid memory of it is that the floor was polished and no-one told me that I had to wear tights that stopped at the ankle, so my mom had put me in standard tights and I slipped and fell during one of the exercises.
It was an awful experience - all the other kids laughed at me and I was left feeling impotent and defeated.
Seb wanted to go to football practice on Tuesdays with his friend and we had discussed it before he went to the physio for these tests. Anyway, when we were walking home from the physio on Tuesday he said to me that he 'didn't think he was old enough for the football practice'. So I asked him why and he said that he thought the other kids would laugh at him because he couldn't run very well or kick the ball with ease.
I don't ever want him to feel as humiliated as I did during that ballet lesson.
As far as other appointments go I got a letter from the VUMC yesterday to say that our appointment with the chief neurologist is set for 28 July at 14.50, and after I phoned today I was told that the MRI is scheduled for 30 June at 12.45.
I'm very interested in hearing the physiotherapist's conclusions at the end of our session on Tuesday.