slowing down as he gets older

[sparklymieow]

You lot proabably can't help as I think you all have younger children, but I need some advice. DS is 7 now and has Spastic Diplegia. I have noticed that he is defo. slowing down. It takes longer to walk very short distances and his 4 year sister (who also has Spastic Diplegia) is much faster than him. It doesn't seem that long ago he was able to walk and run, but over the last few months he has slowed down to snailpace. I was expecting this to happen when he got to teenage years but not now. How can we help him? He is also quite unsteady and he falls very easily.

it's a hard balance to strike

we ahve been told not to let ds push himself as the arm movements affect his legs, making them v stiff, but he has to have some independent mobility for when he starts school. Finding that compromise is v hard

Ds is an active wheelchair user and he is allowed to push himself, and he is very good at it now, he b*ggers off in shops now I end up searching for him.

lol

got to go get ready to welcome ds2 back now, cat me if you want to chat.

xx

LOL at ds using his wheels to escape with. Bless him.

I have to go and take DD2 to preschool soon, I'll will cat you anyway, just so I have your email address and I can chat anytime then...

He is terrible at running (or wheeling) off. He loves his wheels.

i know you have both dissapeared at the mo, did either of you see This Morning?
a little girl with cp who has had botox injections?
iirc Mieow hasn't your ds had botox?
my dd has recently been referred to get a buggy/wheelchair by her physio but i am trying to hold out a while longer with her using her wheels,(she is also very slow but i only go out with her walking when we really really have to, especially when i'm on my own with her and ds)OR is that me being a really mean mum?....my problem being if she ends up in a buggy/wheelchair- i won't be able to go out full stop as ds was only 1 on sat and he is not weight bearing yet and so still in a normal buggy.
Have either of you received a newsletter from 'Working Families'? it has a list of seminars coming up this year.....either in london or one in birmingham?......they have creche places too.
I would love to go to feel that i had expressed my opinions but it's too much for me on my own with the 2 of them(as good as they both can be)to travel all that way.
Anyway just wanted to say hi to you both as you have both given me so much inspiration in the past....

chatee,when my dd2 was not walking and dd1 was in a major buggy we got a double major for when Ihad to take them both out, would you be able to do that?

double majors are huge tho. mieow had one and returned after a few days as it was impossible to get around with, how old is your dd chattee? mieow used a double urban detour and i think you could fit a small 5 year old in one.

Chattee yes DS has had 4 lots of Botox, but they stopped working and he hasn't been put back on the list this year I personally wouldn't get a double major, they are HHUUUGGGEEEEEE!!! I used a double urban detour and I only sold it last year so DS was 6 and he still fitted it in.

sparklymieow, as you know I don't have experience of CP but agree that writing him off at 7 is outrageous, this is the time they should be looking for more things like Bobath. When I first joined MN someone was going to Bobath (maybe it was Lou), I don't live far away and (half heartedly I must admit) offered to meet up. If you do manage to get referred there DO let me know, not so I can turn up and annoy you while you would be very busy but i could help with some practical things maybe. I'm a lot more MN-confident now.

that would be good, I will talk to the physio this week.