Eiche fam

December 2010

  • Coincidence or providence?

    Instead of doing one of those “year in review” posts, I’m going to talk about something else.

  • On learning

    I was catching up on some of my faved tweets, and I came across something interesting. A website posted a list of top ten special needs quotes from this year, and one in particular caught my attention: “If a child cannot learn in the way we teach, we must teach in a way the child can learn.” – Ignacio Estrada

  • MRI appointment today

    Another day, another appointment.

  • Namine has her new AFOs

    In all the excitement about getting an MRI in preparation for getting her hernias fixed and g-tube removed, I completely forgot to post about Namine’s AFOs. The doctor said they would be ready sometime after Christmas, but I honestly didn’t expect them to be ready this soon. Nonetheless, Jess, my mom, my sister and Namine went to the orthotic clinic today to pick up the new AFOs.

  • Pain management and muscle strength

    Every day, we have to stretch Namine’s feet. Not only do her ankles need to be pushed back (they do not normally rest at a ninety degree angle), but her toes, which tend to curl forward, need to be pushed back as well. I’m not sure how much discomfort there is in the stretching, and how it might differentiate from actual pain. I do know that there is apprehension and mental stress as well, though. All of this contributes to a very unhappy Namine during her foot stretches, as well as adjusting the casts after the stretches are done.

  • Clarification

    This is one of those times where I think a little clarification is in order. With so many terms and abbreviations, even we get confused sometimes.

  • Recasting day, or not

    Perhaps you’ll recall that today Namine had an appointment to have casts put back on her legs, as her feet (particularly her right foot) are starting to curl noticeably. The appointment was attended, but the casts were not put back on. It’s both good new and bad news.

  • Panic attack

    Today, Namine had what was probably her first genuine panic attack. The way this came about fills me with sadness, but it was not unexpected – neither what brought about the attack, nor the attack itself. I will say this, though: her perception of the hospital and her doctors should not surprise us. Not one bit.

  • Singing before bed

    Every night before bed we sing songs. Sometimes they’re hymns out of the hymnal, sometimes they’re lullabies, and sometimes they’re children’s songs. I decided to try to capture Jessica and Namine singing “Jesus Loves Me” to show you how Namine is starting to sign along with the song.

  • Pray for Anna, please

    I would like to draw your attention away from Namine for a moment, in order to encourage you to pray for Anna. She has cancerous tumors in her abdomen, and she may not have long to live.

  • My Granddaughter Never Ceases to Amaze and Humble Me

    I (Grandma Michele) had the privilege of taking care of Namine Tuesday morning. I teach a ladies’ Bible class on Tuesday mornings, and she joined me; she probably did more teaching than I did. She sat on the table with a pencil and paper while I took prayer requests. I told the ladies, “We’ll begin with prayer,” and Namine looked at me.

  • Orthotics

    It’s a fancy word for leg or ankle braces, really. Namine had an appointment today to get fitted for her new leg braces. What we’ve been calling her “braces” are just the lower halves of her casts. In order to begin therapy to build strength in her legs – the ultimate goal being to see if she will be able to walk – she needs real braces, with hinges and that provide real support.