2019-2020

We come to terms with the idea that we will have to spend more than one hour, more than one evening or weekend in hospitals. We make friends with specialists, ask what to do next, how and where to continue to maintain the vaginal cycle. How to help our son. The family doctor and the rehabilitation specialists of the Antakalnis Polyclinic (Ato Polyclinic) open the doors of the early development department. Although again, the time and amount of exercises are very limited, but drop by drop and the stone is broken. Usually 5 procedural sessions are assigned to each specialist. Unfortunately, that's all.

As the years go by, the knowledge base increases. According to Ato diagnosis, we learn that there is a possibility of using sanatorium treatment, 2 times a year, for a whole month, with the possibility of extending the stay (we are talking about 2019 in the past tense), at the moment (in 2023), sanatorium treatment, to our knowledge, is no longer limited, but a rehabilitation specialist can tell you everything more precisely.

We are looking for a children's sanatorium: Palanga Gitaras, Abromiškės Rehabilitation Hospital Children's Department, Druskininkai Children's Rehabilitation Sanatorium Saulutė. We have heard various reviews about all of them, in some places it is difficult to get a place, in others you have to avoid summer, due to the number of patients or lack of specialists. We choose Abromiškės because we have heard good reviews about the specialists and Ato grandparents live right next door, in Elektrėnai, so if necessary, we can get reinforcements. The ward is good, everything is in place. The therapy consists of the already mentioned exercises, warming up and stimulation. For children of this age, there is not much more that can be done. Everything went smoothly.

2019 - Our fight begins here

In 2019, we begin a rehabilitation cycle at Vilnius University Hospital, Santara Clinics. Thanks to Laima Mikulėnaitė and Romualdas Sinkevičius, we get the opportunity to visit specialists. Kinesiology, ergo, water music, electrical impulse therapy, massages, speech therapy, warm muscle wraps. A very good start, but although the first few times are gratifying, you increasingly realize that it will be needed every day, and the rehabilitation time allocated by the state is very limited. Early rehabilitation is allocated only 40 days per year.

The signs of paralysis become more and more visible as he grows. His arm is close to his body and clenched into a fist. His left leg is limp and unstable, so we increasingly understand that exercise, sports, stretching exercises, and an active lifestyle are as necessary as air.

Walking is not easy, especially when the surface is uneven and hilly. The advice is - walking, climbing stairs, balancing are good exercises for a child to develop, strengthen muscles, posture and balance.

2020, continue the work we started and are amazed by Ato perseverance

We try to take advantage of any opportunity to improve. Whether we are outside or at home, both legs and both hands work. If the left hand does not listen, and the right takes over, a tip is to use the practice of limiting the right hand. A simple mitten can help here. The glove suppresses the right hand, but this causes great discomfort to the child, apply the restriction very gently and for a short period of time. The child needs to use both hands as much as possible, complementing each other.

Toys adapted for ergo therapy appear in our house, which help to improve. Not only does it develop the brain, but also fine motor skills.

We continue to collect information, try to find private specialists who could work with Ata, we exercise at home as much as possible. The advice is that you can effectively use KINESIOTAPE. Unfortunately, Ata doesn't like it very much, we do "tapering" at home very rarely. However, we find an alternative to improve the position of the thumb of his left hand. Thumb splint from https://www.stockxmedical.com/en/child-splint-cmc-black.html, light, quite comfortable and high-quality. Ata got used to this splint quickly. He wore it not only at home, but also in kindergarten.

Another year passes like this. Although we do everything we can, the disease continues to progress without waiting for anything.