Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Visiting Dr. Sharpe


We went to see Gracie's neurologist, Dr. Sharpe, on Tuesday. This was exciting for her because she got to see "Nurse Laura." Dr. Sharpe mainly wanted to see Gracie to follow up on her progress after the surgery. He said her legs are still not strong enough to allow her to walk independently. He told us to start using "the tickle machine" again at night. This is a device that electrically stimulates her muscles through probes that are attached to her legs in four spots. She used it for months leading up to her surgery but we have not used it since then. I was hoping it was something we wouldn't use anymore. I'm sure Gracie was too! It cycles through periods of rest and motion while she's sleeping. It sometimes makes sleeping difficult for her, as I believe it would for anyone.

It has been 2 months since Gracie's surgery. She has come so far! Her main struggle now is getting over her fear of falling when she tries to walk independently. She hates to practice because she is so fearful. However, she's amazing when she does it. Gracie has a huge support team. We are all doing what we can to encourage her to believe in herself and to persevere!

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