….but he’s actually pushing up…
…and onto the bench!
Zach is getting so strong in his upper body, he’s surprising all of us. He has started pulling and pushing himself up onto things all by himself, some even quite tall. He really doesn’t bear weight on his legs, but he is learning to get himself around wherever he can. We are all so pleased with his progress! And, as you can tell, so is he!
“CHEESE!”
This is the Quickie Zippie GS. It is shown with the reverse wheel configuration that Zach will have. The chairs are made to last about 5 years and insurance usually won’t pay for them more often than that. Some parts may have to be replaced but the frame can be adjusted to fit him as he grows. It will have push handles that can fold down. The rims are going to be different but I can’t find a picture of them.. but they will be a little more “cool” looking. It won’t have the arm rests and will be a sparkly blue color. Oh, and it has to have a headrest (that can be removed) and a separate harness because they’re required by the school district for bus transportation when he gets to that point. Did we make the right choice? Aaaahhh!
I just want what’s going to work best for him, but I also want it to be something fun and not so traditional looking. I know that looks shouldn’t be that important but they are to me. I want it to be something cool and different. But again, he’s only 2 and by the time that matters more to HIM, it’ll be time for a new chair. Is it just MY image I’m worried about? Is that awful?
I have been debating for a long time about whether to discontinue this blog and just do our family blog. As you can tell, I’m having a hard time keeping up with this one. After all, Zach is part of our family and his Spina Bifida affects all of us as a family. But I also feel that it’s important to have information and posts dedicated just to him and his struggles and triumphs, in the hopes that it might help someone else going through the same things.
What do you think? I obviously need some help with the decision!
We also ordered his wheelchair a couple of weeks ago. I have a lot of mixed feelings about it, partly because we went into the meeting basically knowing what we wanted and ended up ordering something else. I think that it will be better for him for now, we are getting the Zippie GS. We were going to get the Little Dipper by Colours. One of the things that was really important to me was how the chair looks and it was a fun, sporty, lightweight chair. We decided on the Zippie GS because it has a reverse wheel configuration which will bring the wheels more up front so he doesn’t have to reach back so far. It is a little heavier and more traditional looking and I need to remember that it’s not all about the looks. Maybe when he’s older it will be more important and that will be a better option for him then. Ahhh. I just have to convince myself of that.
We are excited that it will help him be more independent and more involved with the other kids. While his brothers are pretty good about playing with him, sometimes they get running around and Zach will just catch up to them when they turn around and run the other way. It breaks my heart when he wants to be in the middle of things and just can’t keep up. While the chair is hard for me emotionally because it solidifies everything we’ve always known, I think it will be really good for him.
He is getting stronger everyday and his upper body is amazing. He still can’t bear weight on his legs but is starting to move his right leg a little more, learning how much control he has over it. That has helped as he is still working on going up the stairs all by himself. Now that he can get that right knee up, it’s easier to pull up.
Well, let me know what you think about the blogs, I really would appreciate any input anyone would be willing to give!
Of course I can’t leave you without a picture. Here is the cute little stinker with his new “Cheese” smile.
