I am headed to a Cerebral Palsy Seminar in Seattle today. I am carpooling with some of the awesome therapy staff that treat my Bear. I’ll update periodically. Multitasking is how my hyperkinetic brain absorbs information. If I am looking at the presenter the entire time, it all becomes fuzzy.
I set my alarm for 4:00. I got up when it went off, that never happens. I showered and did my face. I was ready to go at 5:00. I didn’t want to sit and spin, so I left. by the time I ran in and out a few times retrieving the things I forgot it was 5:22. It was 5:32 after I got my coffee. I headed into town and arrived at out meet-up location at 5:40. 20 minutes early. No one else arrived until 5:58. I am effing lame.
Hee hee I feel like to I’m in college again. We’re in a lecture auditorium with the moveable little desks. I hope I don’t spill my coffee on the person next to me.
The seminar began with a parent panel. It is great to put a face to names I read about in my Yahoo groups. I got a taste of the new Cerebral Palsy classification system. Sheesh it’s much harder to remember than the old one.
9:00 time for the big guns. No time to post. I’ll lose my place. Good stuff, all abput how musclature plays a big role in outcomes. Lots of fun medical phrases “fascicle lengths in gastrocnemius Not different in CP; may not explain MT contracture.” I grabbed onto “cycling can be performed in home with little or no assistance, trunk balance or WS needed.”
I just realized this seminar is my same age. 1978 was a good year.
10:35 Signal waivering, updates difficult. Hearing how to measure activity level and ways to evaluate how a disability affects a person’s everyday. Kids with GMCFS Level I take half as many steps per day as their typical developing peers. Also they work at lower intensities when they are out and about. Kids with physical disabilities are in a high risk category for childhood obesity and the known secondary affects of such as low bone density.
Bear is definitely a GMFCS Level I now. This time last year, she was a Level III. Huge changes in twelve months. It will be interesting to see if she changes to a Level II when she turns four. This is because the parameters are different. I would love to have her activity level evaluated. Too bad the equipment costs arund $1500 plus training.
I dropped my MP3 palyer in the bathtub last night. I set on the furnace register overnight and now its all better.
11:15 talking about transitioning kids into adult care. Not relevant. Twitter time. Hmm, maybe not Internet Explorer is sucking my battery. I’m at half and it’s not even noon yet.
It is snowing.
Damn phone battery. Ruined my fun. I am going to search for a better one this weekend.
Anywhoooo…
I enjoyed the seminar. Almost as much as I enjoyed the time in the presence of adults sans kids. It was mainly woman. I speculate the reason is due to the pediatric concentration. I was so happy because I got to see Bear’s OG Physical Therapist. We haven’t seen her in two years. Good times. It was so nice to hang out with adults sans rugrats. The free cost made it even better. The seminar is funded by an endowment that includes parent scholarships. They know we have bills, bills, bills.
After our tasty boxed lunches, I learned about strength training for CP kids, so much good stuff. Facilitating regular strengthing exercises is paramount to combat arthritis, atrophy and pain in our kiddos.
Next was the session I came to hear: Constraint Induced Therapy. This is a new treatment developed at the University of Alabama. Basically, it is casting the patient’s dominant arm in order to activate the other side. It is an intensive program. Three hours of therapy each weekday for three weeks. It has amazing outcomes. The two occupational therapists from our center who are equally excited. They want to be trained in CIT. Woo-hoo!
The last session was very medically based. Two Orthopedic surgeons spoke on treatment options for hypertonia, spasticity and dystonia. I liked how they were very clear on the best bets for each GFMCS level. They bulk of the hour was split between explaining Selective Dorsal Rhisotomy and Intrathecal Baclofen pumps. Bear is not a candidate for either of these, however it was fascinating to hear the details.
9: 46 p.m. I hope this recap helps cement more of the information into my brain. I am wiped. How can sitting all day be so exhausting?
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Have fun!!!