I must admit that I still am struggling to come to terms with the fact that I have a 4-year-old that doesnt walk….I dont know why its a struggle, it just is. Maybe because over the last year, Veronika’s little friends that weren’t walking either are now independent walkers, some are even running around…don’t get me wrong. I am so happy for them and their parents that they are up and off,
but its bitter-sweet, sweet because I know the hours and hours of therapy they have put in are reaping rewards….
I know Veronika has come so far in the last 6-7 months especially since we have started seeing a private occupational therapist(OT), physio therapist(PT) and speech therapist(ST). The last few months have been amazing to watch Veronika’s development. As Alison, her private OT said a couple of visit ago, when we 1st went to see her, Veronika couldn’t even sit on a chair properly, now look at her. She says every time we go to see her that Veronika continues to amaze her at how well she is going, the changes are incredible, and yes I have to agree.
Veronika has gone from not being able to sit on a chair, to being able to be stable enough to sit on a bolster swing, and then sign ‘more’ because she wants to swing higher! Bless her and her amazing personality.
Last time we saw Veronika’s private physio, we continued to work hard on ‘stand up, sit down’
and then stand up, and reach forward to try to step….
Lewina(PT) has set a goal that in the next 12 months she wants to see Veronika taking 1-2 steps….independently. When she said it, Lew told me she believes Veronika is capable of that, and its a realistic goal to set.
I love that her therapists believe as much as I do that Veronika Will Walk……
I love that Lew 1st saw Veronika when she was only around 8 weeks old at ECIS, and that she has been on this journey with us the whole way.
I love that even though we have only been going to see Alison for 7 months, I feel that she knows exactly where we have come from, the journey we have travelled and the journey she is now guiding us along, and travelling with us. It feels like Alison has been part of our journey the whole way, and for that I am grateful.
We have also been seeing a private ST who is also doing amazing things with Veronika. She is getting so many new sounds out of Veronika. She has also refered us onto another private ST to help with Veronika’s nutrition……
I am continually frustrated by the system though. We are super blessed that Veronika has access to the BetterStart funding(even if it is getting used up way to quick), so we have been able to get private therapy, because I seem to be continually fighting the system to get the public therapy she needs. I feel like because of Veronika’s multiple different Abilities, and because the combination is so rare, they don’t know what to do with her, so they just don’t see her because that is easier….
I would like to think that isn’t the truth, but it’s how I feel……
Anyhow time to change the topic and tell you the funny story for the week.
Earlier this week I was at a friends and Veronika was ‘signing’ that she wanted the iPad. I didn’t take it with me, so I asked her if she wanted my phone. She nodded. SO i put it on airplane mode, and passed it to her. I have no idea how, but she managed to get it off airplane mode and called my husband, and also one of my friends. My friend called me back, but I have put phone onto silent, and didn’t hear it ring, so she was panicking that something had happened. Anyway I saw a heap of missed calls from her and called her back, after I realized my phone was on silent. She was down in Moonah, near us and was taking her kids to Maccas for a play. So I decided to meet her there. My middle son had a play with her family(our eldest was at a school holiday program), and they had some chips for lunch. We left and got a couple of jobs done, visited another friend at her place, so Veronika could have a play with Susannah. Then went to get Jordan my eldest. On the way home we went along the highway, and Veronika saw Maccas(a different one than we had been to earlier that day), and started pointing to it, and signing ‘chips’ and ‘more’…..I didnt know whether to be proud or horrified that she had made the connection that maccas is where you get chips from…..so I am running with proud, that she made the connection that the 2 shops had the same golden arches out the front or whatever it was that made her make the connection….
and she wasnt happy when I said ‘no’ to ‘more chips”
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