Wheelchair Trials

Sometimes I think the wheelchair trial is not so much a trial for Nick, but as a trial for mommy.

I've mentioned that I don't want it in the house, the purpose is not for independence in the house, it's for independence outside, therefore the wheelchair stays in the car. But we want Nick to get used to it, to get moving in it. So we have to get out and about.

We’ve spent the last week out of the house every day.

Our first outing to Walmart did not go very well, Nick didn't want to be in the chair and he didn't want to push himself anywhere. When we went to the zoo he did better, but mostly I pushed him and he would go in a 5 foot area. But what I really wanted was for him to move himself more. I want him to be completely independent. Now. (Yes I know he has his own timeline...)

So we kept going at it.

I've also bought Nick some bike gloves which have really helped his poor little hands when we are wheeling around outside.

We've gone out every day to different places. As well as the zoo, we’ve walked the neighborhood, gone out to restaurants, shopped in stores and visited. We’ve been very visual.

Where ever we go, I'll leave Nick in an aisle or something and then see what he'll do. I'm trying to give him his space.

Every day we out he is starting to get more and more comfortable. He's doing well going to something he wants, now I'm just having difficulty getting him to move himself away from something he wants. Imagine that.

But I'm finding it a mommy trial. I'm finding it a bit harder than Nick is.

It's not that we are getting alot of stares or anybody has really said anything. I'm sure we’ve gotten stares, but I stay in my own little bubble and don’t really notice other people. I have had a couple people ask me why Nick is in the chair (along with how old he is). One man kept saying, "that's too bad he's in a wheelchair so young". He said it a couple of times. I've also noticed some other people go out of their way to be nice to us - which is nice.

But it's that we aren't invisible. We aren't just another mom and kids out shopping.

Now we are that mom with her kid in the wheelchair.

I know that today I am being selfish.

How can I tell Nick or Katheryn that being in a wheelchair isn't something bad, when it just makes me feel bad.

I know that tomorrow I'll feel better about it.

Tomorrow Nick will show me how much it does for him.

Tomorrow Nick will continue to show me that he doesn't think it is something bad.

Tomorrow Nick will show me that he doesn't care or notice if people stare. Let them stare - he's a rock star!

Tomorrow Nick will continue to chip away at that heavy feeling in my chest when I see how much he has to work to do things we take for granted.

I guess that's why we have trials. To learn, to endure and to overcome.

It also doesn't help that I hurt my shoulder hauling that thing in and out of the van! I can't wait until we get the lighter one to trial. Boy do I hope he likes that one better!

Sorry no pictures

I'll do less wheelchair complaining next time. Because Nick really is doing well with  it.

And he's doing well with his walking too!

Posts will come - I already have the pictures taken.

The Big WC

We are there. We have it. The Wheelchair.

It is the thing that you scan that list looking for. What list? The list you get when you get the diagnosis. The list that says if your child has level __ they will use various ways for mobility. And the first thing you do is look at that list to see where a wheelchair falls.

But this wheelchair is not on this list. This is a wheelchair to replace his stroller. This is a wheelchair  to show Nick that he has the ability to be independent. To show Nick that if he wants to go and look at a pack of markers in Walmart then he can’t be pushed away. He has the ability to take himself back to those markers. And of course if he looks cute enough, his parents will cave and buy him those markers. But I get ahead of myself.

We had a very busy day yesterday. First Nick got fitted for some new AFO's! Yay, his are currently too small. And I knew exactly what I wanted on his new braces, even if no one I talked to knows what Backyardigans are. But I'll show off the new braces when we pick them up in a couple of weeks.

 I brought Katheryn with me - she wants to come with us so I decided she could come and see how boring the appointments are. The two of them had a blast looking out the 4th floor window and look at the yellow school buses! And see mommy's car!

And we got to look at all the fishies before our appointment with Beth, OT.

And then it was time. It was there waiting for us in a treatment room.

We talked a little about it. There are a couple of different ones and I don't really understand the importance of one over the others. I guess I have some research to do.
But first we needed to do some measurements.

And it was time.

At first he just really wanted to play with his cars on the ground, so he had a couple of teary moments because he couldn't do what he wanted.
But he soon got the hang of it!

And then we had some smiles as he investigated by himself.

We had 2 different ones we tried. And to get Nick going, we let Katheryn try one too.

This green one was still a little big. Something about shoulders and wanting a smaller seat/base so that he could turn the wheels without spreading his shoulders. We want to limit wear on the shoulders - even at 2 years old.
But he could definitely get both moving well.

So we decided to take the blue one home to trial. And we are waiting to get a trial of the lighter one we saw first. I wish I could remember the names of them. (I think one was the zippy something). But this blue one is pretty heavy.

When we got home I wanted to take it out and try.
So the 4 of us headed off to Walmart to try it out.
The trial did not go as planned. We had fits and tears and parental frustration.
Nick really just wanted to be in the cart, then he wanted to be carried. So I ended up pushing him most of the time, but when we stopped he started to get the feel of going back and forth.
Especially in the previously mentioned crayon/marker aisle.

So trial day 1 is done.
The wheelchair is not going into the house, so I'd better start thinking of some new outtings for us to go on!