My baby so proud of her new-found freedom
We spent this past weekend is Salt Lake getting Brooklyn her first set of wheels. Though its not a car, it is about triple the price of the first car I got in High School! When we started this process a YEAR AGO, Brooklyn had just begun to crawl and had a hard time keeping up when playing with kids her age, which tugged at my heart strings, and made me curse her disability, so applying for a chair seemed like the right thing to do. I was secretly hoping she could then run over those overly able-bodied children once it came! One year later, I'm not sure how I feel. Maybe I am too close to the situation to actually see that getting this wheelchair was the right thing to do, but I have met this new stage with a lot of anxiety, and yes a tear or two.
I told Jonny that I feel like there really isn't anything to 'wrong' with Brooklyn, but if the Doctors and Therapists feel like we should get her a wheelchair, I would humor them and get my perfectly FINE daughter a wheelchair. It seems a little excessive for a child who can crawl really fast and climb up on tables and chairs with ease..........
When we met with her Physical Therapist (who is amazing) in Salt Lake, he was so excited all he could do was gush about all the wonderful things she would be able to do, and how quickly she will catch on be able to maneuver her new set of wheels. I finally had to burst his bubble, swallow the lump in my throat and explain that I was worried she may never learn to walk if she relied on her chair. He very nicely explained that often once children realize they CAN be mobile, they explore all their options, like a wheelchair, using a walker or arm crutches to walk etc. But then he went on to say that maybe walking will just be too difficult for her, and therefore she will choose to be in a wheelchair. Sometimes the truth is hard.
For the time being, Brooklyn ,who hates doing anything herself, screams at anyone who tries to help her by pushing her wheels for her. We learned this the hard way. We were a half mile away from our car and she still hadn't learned that if you don't push with BOTH of your hands at the same time, you will go in circles! So an hour later we made it to our car with a very proud girl.
I would be ungrateful if I made this seem like a thing of dread, when really we are very blessed and excited to see where this next step takes us (hopefully not around in circles for much longer!) Though we are still going to keep working on walking at home and in therapy, we are not going to bang our heads against the wall when the progress is slow. We have a happy healthy girl who lights up any room with her smile and countenance. We love you Brookie! Get runnin' over those kids!!!!
P.S. Does this mean I can get a handicap pass for my car? Score!
