This child...

This child has been bothering me for ALMOST a month.



This child got the flu way back then and started hurting and would say at least once per day, "Mom, my knee" or "Mom, I can't raise my right leg" (her Legg Perthes is in her left). Now there is a certain amount of soreness that happens with every illness. You know how older people talk about feeling the cold and flu in their joints...well same deal here. But this was more than that.

She then sorta got better and the ice storm blew in...and she started hurting some more. Now there is a certain amount of stiffness and pain that rolls in with any change in the weather. I don't tell you all of those, cuz well, we live in Texas...but suffice to say spring and fall are sore seasons for Beanie. But this was bad enough that she really did have days she could NOT get up the stairs...and a couple of times I had to help her into her bed. (It's a tall princess bed, you see.) But this was bigger than that. Now her joints were locking. Her muscles wouldn't relax. She started taking 2 epsom salt baths per day and I was giving a lot more motrin than I usually have to, and it still was JUST barely cutting it.



Well this week she was particularly troubling. I'm talkin' SORE! The "hurt you to look at her" sore. The "can I carry you, baby" sore. Round about Tuesday, I'd had it...course, Wednesday I woke with a raging fever and zero energy...so we sat. She sat in a bath...but we all sat.

Thursday, I managed to rally and take her to the chiro. He was perplexed. She was bothering him. He had NEVER (in the 2 years he's been working with us, including 14 days ago when we saw him last) seen her this stiff...this twisted. (I said, "I know, RIGHT?") So he adjusted a little here and there...her knees were completely wonky. Her right hip was out. And her back...her poor back...I could see it was completely crooked when he had her stand a certain way. So it was all adjusted. She felt better immediately.

But Dr. Jeff (that's what we call him) was still perplexed. He made her walk. He muscle tested. He made her stand. And then he said, "Well, hmmm, her left leg is finally shorter than the other. That's why her right hurts so bad, she's WAY overcompensating...she needs a heel lift." And sure enough, he was right. When she stood square with her back to me, her left cheek is a good 3/4 inch lower in her jeans.

Now this SHOULD be something I knew...I mean I'd seen the X-Rays...you don't lose HALF of your femoral head without losing leg length at least for awhile. Goes to show how much we DON'T think about things if we don't want to, because I was definately set back a pace. And that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that has been growing all month got to be about the size of a grapefruit.



So we went home. I called Scottish Rite...talked to them about her leg being shorter, they assured me this was normal. Talked to them about a possible heel lift, they agreed this could help. Talked to them about looking at the X-Ray from December 2009 again and making sure there was no Perthes in her right hip, they agreed that they would and call me. My momma heart needs to be sure.

Friday morning dawned with a very sore little girl. Into the tub she went and then BACK to the chiro...this time with the X-Rays that we have. He fitted her with a heel lift on the left side (9mm), adjusted her again, made her walk and stand again, and told me to bring her back Monday after her muscles had relaxed into the heel lift, so he could be sure it wasn't too high. And we went home.

Now, I noticed something within about an hour. She was walking a bit more. She had been just sitting and if she had to move at all, it was with a lot of thought and a frowning brow. She was getting up easier. She was still stiff, make no mistake...but she went and got her OWN blanket instead of sending her sister for the first time all week.



She woke up Saturday morning a completely new kid. She said, "It doesn't hurt at all!!" I said, "At all????" She said, "Nope" and shifted her weight back and forth to prove it. She stepped up on a stool. She offered to make breakfast (she's a mean scrambled egg maker). I let her.

I also let her play outside with her sisters.

But I didn't let her help her daddy with soccer practice, because well, running on awful sore joints, even if they aren't sore at this MOMENT, seemed unwise.

I wouldn't let her ride her scooter, because well, she still couldn't lift her right leg high enough to ride her bike, I'm not sure pounding that leg down on the ground seemed like the best thing under the circumstances.

I wouldn't let her go to her friend's down the street to *build a hotel*...I thought that MIGHT NOT be a grand idea in light of this being the first time in a week she could carry her own weight up and down the stairs. By this time she was put out, to say the least.

She was sore again last night, but play worn sore...not itty bitty little old lady sore. I haven't seen her yet this morning. I don't know how she feels after even the small amount of playing yesterday. But I hope she's decided to stop being such a bother, cuz I've decided the sick pit of my stomach needs a break.



See ya around...