Before I begin - this picture is of Simon (the little one!) and his big brother Sebastian (6 1/2) on 4th of July on their balance bikes. My older one already rides a pedal bike but he was test riding this bigger version balance bike for kids 6-9 years old for my balance bike business. And no, I don't let Simon ride barefoot or without a helmut! I got them to pose briefly for me (which is a rare opportunity!) before sending Simon back to get shoes and his helmut on!
Things are status quo with the Perthes. Simon tires out easily when walking and after a few blocks (or less) usually wants me to carry him (luckily he is only 33 pounds - but he still feels heavy!). I noticed over the weekend when he is running that his gait is off slightly and there is a small gallop. He doesn't ever complain about it and he is sleeping fine through the night. So who knows exactly what that means! It doesn't always mean good news for the hip - but it does make our lives easier for now with no major issues glaring down on us.
His allergies and asthma seem to be in check (barely sometimes) so we are hoping to take him off the zyrtec in August - which I think makes him alittle more hyper than his usual self. I did get a metal frame backback for our upcoming vacation so he can ride back there instead of me carrying him! Luckily since he is small he can still fit OK and we tried it out the other day. This is probably the last summer I can use something like that. When we went camping recently, I ended up carrying him a lot down the hiking trails and that got tiring after awhile. Since I use to be an avid backpacker, I think the backpack will work just fine.
Hey it's Barb, and I didn't see your post to my blog till today. (It's been weeks since I've logged on to my blog.)
ReplyDeleteI asked my son (who's now 40) what he remembers about it, and he said he didn't really remember much. He remembered the first week with the brace, as he had a tough time balancing, and dad had to carry him once in a while, and that was awkward with the brace. And he remembered his first grade teacher being so nice and making him "special" in his class. And not getting to play baseball till later in grade school, and then not being a real fast runner.
He said he didn't have much in the way of bad memories, but after it came off, he forgot it pretty quickly and had a good time with his life. He has always had a slight limp, and as the years have gone on, it aches and he knows it will get worse over the years. He was hit by a pickup truck when he was 12 and riding his bike, and THAT he remembers. (broken arm and clavicle, cut on the forehead and a lot of road rash)
But I think children have the ability to just move on and not dwell on the past very much. Actually, putting it mostly behind us was pretty easy for me, too. Life goes on, but the time you're dealing with the darn "affliction" kinda drags.
Best of luck to all of you; I'll check your blog from time to time; Simon is adorable, and he'll be just fine.
Barb