happy love kids

A few years ago I vowed for Brendan to go 2 years surgery free. Well I surpassed that goal and we have almost gone 4 years SURGERY FREE! Never in my mind did I think SDR would be the next surgery. I was content with not going this route. However, after PERCS (his last surgery) that all changed. I saw a different child. I saw a child that could do things he never could before. I then began to second guess all those opinions about what he would be like after SDR. After watching so many success stories who all had the same debbie downers telling them their child would never do all the things they are doing I changed my mind. AND we got the phone call today. SDR surgery has been scheduled for Brendan on February 20th! That is only 93 days away. I wanted the 13th so one week would be during his school vacation but they never called and already don't have availability. UHHHHHH! Oh well, I feel better about Friday the 20th over the 13th anyway. I guess we will still use some of vacation...

As Brendan is getting older he is having some more issues with using the Bathroom. He simply does not want to poop. He refuses, he holds it, he has accidents. It is beyond frustrating because he is almost 12 and has been toilet trained since age 4. This has been going on since last January and we are at our wits end. We have tried everything under the sun to get passed this ordeal. We have punished, we have ignored, we have rewarded. We have tried natural laxatives. I have questioned puberty causing it and come up with every excuse in the book. Nothing has worked. Nothing makes sense. However, we finally realized it is more of a control issue. I have taken him to a GI Dr. and a nutritionist trying to figure some things out but in the end we realize he wants to have control over something. Kind of like people with eating disorders. It isn't about the food, it is about control. Brendan needs assistance with everything and he can't do what he wants all the time because of all the...

I am fully stocking his home therapy room. I have ordered a weight bench, air walker, a rower, trampoline and 3 different sized exercise balls. He already has a treadmill, stander, parallel bars, therapy bench and some balance balls. Once we get it all set up I would like to video before and after SDR to see how different he becomes. Since it will be the middle of winter here he needs everything possible at our house so he can work out no matter the weather. I am looking to hire a personal trainer for him 5 days a week for 6 months. Lets hope I find someone! Brendan has been doing great with his new PASS worker. He has been walking a ton and is still able to bike ride on warm days. I am looking to get him a new accessible bike for Christmas. He has had the same bike since he was 3 years old and it has seen better days. He has definitely outgrown it as well. He loves to bike ride so I know he will get lots of use out of it over the next 6 years. He is still able to pedal himself since h...

"> We have set up a fundraiser to help with Brendan's SDR surgery. I am planning on staying in St. Louis with him for 3 weeks with my newborn baby. This way he can receive amazing therapy and kick us off to a great start! I have ordered a ton of therapy/gym equipment for our house and am looking for a personal trainer for him. We received some terrible news at his SDR evaluation. His left hip is now out of place and it looks like he will need a left hip osteotomy. I am beyond upset about this and can only hope that SDR will help reduce the spasticity that is causing his left hip to pull out of the socket. I think I fear the hip surgery more than the SDR surgery. Brendan has a new PASS worker. His prior one ended up working full time in her career and had a baby girl so she could no longer work with Brendan. He has adjusted very nicely and quickly especially after not having anyone for a few months. I am so grateful I found someone since being pregnant really hinders what...