Wednesday 8th April 2009

Well, 1 year and a day from Sarah's diagnosis, we are here, and progress is being made. Actually, things are so nice and NORMAL that the anniversary of that awful day almost passed unnoticed in the Ardrey household. I had remembered it was looming, but we had a fab weekend, and it slipped our minds! I took Katie to Hillingdon to do her ACT test for her university in the USA on Saturday morning, then came home, bet on the Grand National and lost, took Sarah bag packing in Waitrose with the guides,pottered around and had chinese takeaway for tea. Sunday, we had a lovely lie in - haven't slept past 8.30am in months and we were still in bed and asleep at 10.30!!! Wonderful, and really needed! In the afternoon, I took Sarah to the park for a game of tennis as I had promised. She walked from the car to the court with no crutches on the flat bits, and with 1 crutch on the hills. We had a giggle at her stumbling around the court,and missing the balls that weren't close enough for her to hit, but we were there, and laughing, and being active - it was great!
I took her to physio on Monday and she was very pleased with Sarah's progress - she said her walking had improved, her exercises were better, and she was getting stronger.
Monday night Sarah went to swimming club, and after her session, as it was Easter, they kept the slide open and Sarah went on the snake slide - she climbed up the 4 flights of stairs to the top and down she came, grinning from ear to ear! She then got up, and did it again, and again, and again!! Better exercise for her legs than anything else I have tried to get her to do!! Tuesday - 'D' day - then came and went - oh what a difference to 12 months ago - no hospital appointment, no team of specialist nurses there to pick us up from the floor and tell us it would all be OK; just us working, and Sarah playing with friends. What a relief.
And what a turning point too - it seems Sarah has found the use of her leg from somewhere in the depths of her brain. I always said it was in her head, and she needed to want to do it - well, Tuesday she went to her nieces house to play (Shai is 12), and ended up going to Hounslow for pizza by themselves, and a trip round the shops. They came home on the bus, and she had a sleepover.She has had a taste of independance and its lovely to see.She's now asked me to get her an Oyster card so she can go out more often!! Today, she has been out in the garden, walking about playing swingball, and not a crutch in sight!! She's been up steps, down steps, and in and out of the shed to get garden toys, and didn't even bat an eyelid when I said if she carries on like this, she won't need her crutches when she goes back to school in 2 weeks time! It is amazing to think, that just 1 month ago she was nervous, and wobbly, and refused to leave the house without her crutches - now there's no stopping her. She still walks really slowly, and there is a slight limp(bigger when she's not concentrating!) - her technique needs some work, but I think she has realised what she has been missing having to carry the crutches around with her all day, and no amount of nagging and pleading was going to get her to realise it - she had to find out for herself and she has at last - roll on summer, and long may this wonderful life continue!!