Topics Discussed
This Month |
| advice from the preemie-l discussion board http://home.vicnet.net.au/~garyh/preemie_forum |
| Sara responds,
"My advice to you is to learn as much as you can about Matthews condition(s), read
and ask lots of questions to the "experts". Have your son evaluated by
developmental PT, OT, etc., and get the services that you think that you need... And THEN,
just Enjoy your precious Matthew. Like others have said, it may just take time and a LOT
of patience to know what Matthews "outcome" will be. But you don't want to miss
all the wonderful time between now and 'then'. My daughter Zoe was born at 26 weeks and
was never shown to have any brain bleeds or anomalies. She has always been behind in ger
gross motor skills and at 20 months she is still not walking, though she is getting there.
Let me tell you though, that she has got an amazing vocabulary for a 20 month old... I too
often find myself wondering "WHEN" will she be walking!? But I try to focus on
the positives, especially now that she can start to pick up on my vibes. I don't want her
to have any complexes about her shortcomings, because they don't mean squat when it comes
to how much we love her... besides, we all have our shortcomings... " Heather adds, "My son Hunter was also diagnosed with PVL. The doctor said he had a very small area of it though. He is now almost 10 mos. old (6 1/2 mos. corrected). He started rolling over for real in February from tummy to back and just this month he started from back to tummy. He started reaching for things in January only after he got a Fisher Price Lights and Sounds Gym. He loves it, you ought to look into one. He isn't sitting up yet. We're working on that, but he's gotten up on all fours a couple times so I wonder if crawling is around the corner too??!! Does your son receive physical therapy? Hunter's PT comes for 30 min. twice a week. I think this has really helped him and me, because I would watch her work with him and then I would do the same things throughout the week. It really seemed like Hunter wasn't doing anything forever and one day he rolled over and ever since he's been rollin' and scootin' and grabbin'..... It just all seems to come at once. Be patient. I know that's hard to hear, I was just like you and now it's like, "Why isn't he sitting up yet?? or When's he gonna crawl??" So, I've been trying to focus on the things that he is doing and my DH and I are very proud of him." Purnima responds, "My son Naryan (25 weeker) is also 7 months and 3-4 months corrected. He had a grade 3 bleed and does almost exactly what you describe for Matthew thus far. We are going in for an MRI on the 20th of this month. The neurologist has asked us to expect a few PVL changes. I am petrified too. But it seems to me that Naryan is constantly trying to grab objects and turn. EIP visits him every week. He has made progress in that area so far. I think there will be some damage and delays but you and I just have to wait and watch. Maybe they both will be lucky." |
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