Looking back at the year gone by...

While Yatish started physiotherapy in his second month as soon as his paediatrician found stiffness in his legs, the massage lady Mehboobi sensed it on the 15th day of his birth. I am sure this illiterate lady would have handled hundreds of babies in her life time and instinctively knew something was not ok with him. In her own way she tried to tell me and also assure me in the same breath that everything would be alright with him. God has sent me so many angels to help me along the way and she definitely is one of them. A physiotherapist in my hometown gave me a home programme and she also recommended a splint for his neck, as he had no neck control and as his neck muscles were weak.

http://www.seriousinjurylaw.co.uk/cerebral-palsy-massage-treatment.php


http://www.healthoutsource.co.ke/articles/sci/uploads/SPLINTING.pdf


Yatish did not like to wear his splint and it took all my skills to make him wear for 15 minutes in a day. Moreover, it was done very crudely with whatever material was available and I am not really sure whether it was the best option. Once we returned to Bangalore after 4 months, Yatish had his naming ceremony. Beginning with his first train travel to Bangalore, in his 9 years of life Yatish has travelled so much that he can give any CEO a run for his money.

Once in Bangalore, we consulted a paediatrician and he asked us to get a CT scan. To take a CT scan, Yatish had to be completely still, when placed in the scanner and that is too much to ask of a 6 month old. So the lab technician suggested that I put him to sleep and when he is asleep we can take the scan. So we tightly wrapped Yatish in a sheet and placed him in the scanner. The AC was in full blast and just then Yatish decided that he needs to pee, throwing all our efforts to wind. It took us almost half a day to get the scan done. I am sure there must be an easier way to do this.

Yatish’s first flight was also very memorable. We were on our way to Mumbai to meet Dr. Johari and Asha Chitnis. I was sitting on the aisle seat with Yatish and the air hostess was standing just next to me and she was telling about the safety precautions and looking at her gesturing, Yatish burst out laughing and the poor airhostess was so distracted that she forgot what she was saying and had to start all over again.


Asha Chitins clinic was one more experience. It was actually a tailor shop converted to a physiotherapy centre. At any given point of time, there would be 10-15 kids crammed into that small hole and the hapless parents waiting on the footpath. The sight makes you cringe with anger and helplessness. Anger because these kids definitely deserve better facilities and helplessness because you cannot do much about it. It is like a sweat shop and the kids are put through a rigorous regime, without much thought for their comfort or their state of mind. It makes me wonder, why we always settle for less, when actually we should be demanding a better deal for our children.

During this trip we were also to make his first AFO (ankle foot orthosis). Taking the measurements is a process in itself. First the casting is done in plaster of paris bandage as in when you have a fracture and the mould is made and then the orthosis is made with polypropylene. This was a new experience for Yatish and absolutely did not like the feel of plaster on his legs and was wailing so much by the end of it all we were completely exhausted.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankle-foot_orthosis

Yatish had a quiet first birthday because we were not sure what to celebrate. We just had a pooja in the temple and just gave away some sweets at Sophia school.