THEN:in the NICU,no clue of even the possibility of CP
NOW: dealing with the effects of CPMarch is National CP Awareness Month!
Our baby recently turned two years old but at times, other than his size, it feels like he is barely one. Intellectually I know he is two and should be way ahead in his milestones. At times, it is very easy to forget as I still have to 'do' for him like I did my other two boys at about 8 months of age.
When Cole was 9 months old I was told he had Cerebral Palsy! I had absolutely NO idea what this meant, how it would affect him or how it would affect us as a family.
This is the month to spread the awareness of Cerebral Palsy.
~CP, the most common cause of motor disability in childhood, is a group of disorders that affects a person’s ability to move and keep his or her balance and posture.
~Cerebral means having to do with the brain. Palsy means weakness or problems with using the muscles.
~The symptoms of CP vary from person to person. A child may simply be a little clumsy or awkward or unable to walk at all.
~CP is caused by damage to or abnormal development of one or more parts of the brain that control movement. The damage or abnormality happens during pregnancy, near the time of delivery or early in life.
~The part of the brain that is damaged determines what parts of the body are affected.
~CP itself is not progressive—the brain damage or abnormality does not get worse as the child gets older; however, the physical characteristics can change over a person’s lifetime.
~Depending on which areas of the brain are affected, one or more of the following may occur: muscle tightness; involuntary movement; difficulty in walking; difficulty in swallowing; and problems with speech.
**This information was found at Reaching for the Stars. Please help spread the awareness of CEREBRAL PALSY.
It's also not a disease...you can't catch it! However, the way people tend to look at you makes you wonder if you have the plague! I wish I could hug you both. I'm so glad to have you to go through this journey with...honestly, YOU bless me daily!
ReplyDeleteVery infomative. I am learning a lot about CP from you. How is Cole? How are you momma? I hope all is well with you guys.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I would like you to address is intellectual ability and CP (which I know ZERO about). I had heard that people with CP are perfectly normal intellectually. Is that true or an over-generalization?
ReplyDeleteI think I will link to this post tomorrow...
This is a wonderful post. People seem to far what they don't understand, so when they see a child in a wheelchair they tend to just stare or back away. The more people can become educated in the things they don't understand, the more accepting we as a people will come to be.
ReplyDeleteThe information you provided is great. My son has been seen by a Neurologist and had a MRI that showed MILD PVL. We go back after he turns 2, on the 20th, and we were told they could determine if he had CP then....
ReplyDeleteMy son was born at 28 weeks.
I don't see any CP myself.
Either way. He's here.