Accomplishing the impossible

Let me take you back a few years. McKay was about 5 months old. We had only been out of the NICU for about a couple of months. We were instructed when we left the NICU that it would be a good idea for McKay to be followed by the Neonatal follow up clinic. Normally it is for much more premie babies, but because McKay had so much going on they thought it would greatly benefit him. (Which it has! We have found numerous things at this clinic that we have been able to follow up because of it). So it was our first real big doctor appointment after we had left the NICU. I went by myself because they said it would be a few hours and it was first thing in the morning. I told Kyle I should be able to handle it. The first doctor they had us go to was the Neurologist. I was anxious to talk to her since McKay did have such a large head, I had so many questions. (At the time we had no idea why, or what was really going on with McKay and his large head). The doctor came in and had me put him on the exam table. She then siletnlty looked him over, poked and prodded and did all the things doctor's do. After she was done I sat down with McKay in my arms. The very first thing she said to me was "I'm not really sure if he will be able to walk, maybe. But not very likely." I immediately lost all the color in my face and had an enormous pit in my stomach. No one up to this point had said anything about McKay not walking. We had heard numerous other things, he might stay on oxygen, might need a feeding tube, and had a brain bleed. I tried to play it off like I had heard it before and that it was okay. She continued on with everything else she had to say and then asked if I had any questions. My mind was a total blank, nothing. Just the image of my beautiful baby staying in my arms forever. I continued on the rest of the day with the rest of his appointments, going through most of them in a haze. We heard lots more "problems" and bad news that day. It was an incredibly overwhelming day. I called Kyle when I left and bawled on the phone, "she said he might not walk". I was so overcome with so many different emotions.

Now back to last week. McKay had his first Physical therapy appointment since leaving Now I can therapy. I was pretty nervous about the appointment. While I had noticed that Mckay had improved his strength greatly I was pretty concerned. He no longer would even get near his walker let alone use it. And he would no longer walk holding our hands. He immediately sat down and cried if we tried to get him to walk. I was getting pretty worried the intense Physical therapy program had not been good idea. I told my PT all about everything and my concerns. She was concerned as well. We tried a few things with no luck. I had told her that at therapy they had been using a bench to get him to stand up from that. So we decided to use the bench, have the bubble guppies on the I pad and have some smarties sitting below the ipad to see if we could get any movement. Miraculously McKay stood right up from sitting on the bench and took 3 steps to the ipad. Shouts, and claps and excitement then followed! He did it probably 3 more times and I had Brynnley go grab Grandma so we could show her. The Physical therapist wanted to test how far he could go so we moved it farther. Each time he just stood right up and took steps to it. Amazing! Luckily I grabbed my phone to video so I could show Kyle what had happened. It was an amazing day. I just couldn't stop hugging McKay and telling him proud I was of him. McKay taking steps!

I am happy to report things have only gotten better! McKay (when he, and only he feels like it) can get him self standing in the middle of the room. He also will take a few steps every once in a while on his own. It is still so crazy to me. Every time I see him do it I literally catch my breath. It is so foreign to me to see him such and upright position and in the middle of the room. We of course clap every time he does it and he loves the attention he gets from it! I tell people he is "stepping", I think we are still a long ways off from walking. But I am so incredibly happy with his progress.

Since McKay has started doing this it has brought up a lot of emotions in me. I am so happy and so excited for him. I am so proud of him, I know it has to be incredibly hard to lift that huge head. (Doctors compare it to us trying to lift a giant pumpkin as our head). McKay has once again shown me that he will do things on his own time. Not when everyone says he is ready. It is a good reminder, as I know we will constantly need to be reminded of this. McKay is such a special spirit and I don't know his plan. It of course drives me, one of the biggest planners of them all, crazy. But I know it is a lesson in patience, love and long suffering. We are thrilled with McKay's progress. We are so thankful to all of the doctors, and numerous therapists who have helped him get to this point.

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com