Esella Started Physical Therapy Yesterday!

Yesterday was Esella's first physical therapy appointment. I was a little nervous about how she would do (since the PT is at a hospital and she is now officially terrified of doctors...more on that later....*sigh*). I REALLY talked up the whole thing and said it was a new "class" like Gymboree and that she would have an awesome new "teacher."

When we first walked in the building she immediately started saying "No Esella, No Esella" as she could sense we were in a medical facility. Poor thing. She continued to repeat this over and over the entire 15 minutes I was filling out paperwork and talking to the reception ladies. Finally our physical therapist was ready for us and we headed in the room. 

Once we got in the room and Esella saw the toys she relaxed quite a bit. And after about 20-30 minutes she seemed totally comfortable and would follow 95% of the directions her PT would give her. The PT, Elena, was able to get Esella to do EVERYTHING on her assessment except stand on one foot (she wouldn't try it)! Pretty good for a two year old. :)

Elena noted that Esella's right knee is stiff and she definitely favors her left leg. She recommends 45min a week of PT for at least 6 weeks to help regain range of motion in her right knee. We were already given homework! 

Esella LOVES Elena and I think PT will be fantastic. 

Now...why is Esella so terrified of doctors? Well given how much she has been poked and proded these past few months, one would expect some dislike of those in white coats...however what REALLY did it was last weekend....

On Saturday Esella woke from her nap with a fever..we ended up taking her to urgent care where the doctor suspected an ear infection but she had too much wax to for him to see her eardrum...so he said they needed to flush her ears out...

WORST. IDEA. EVER.

It was HORRIBLE. We had to hold her down while the 12 year old medical assistant shot blasts of water in our babies ears. She shrieked and screamed and fought every step. And then after like the 15th shot of water in her little canal Justin says "Is that blood?" The 12 year old medical assistant looked horrified and said "Let me get the doctor." Lovely. Like she hasn't been through enough with blood draws and pokes and prods and anesthesia (not to mention the pain and inflammation from the arthritis) but now her ear is bleeding. 

The doctor came in and said this is not uncommon, blah blah blah. And said he didn't "think" it was the eardrum, but it was red and bulging so she does have an ear infection. And be sure to follow up with your pediatrician in a few days.

 So Esella is now even MORE freaked out by doctors. In fact on Monday she was watching Sesame Street and they had a segment on doctors and she FREAKED! She was crying for us to turn it off and Justin had to pick her up and hug and rock her to calm her down :(

Then I had to take her in on Tuesday as she had a rash covering her torso...yes it never ends. My poor bay who had never had an ear infection let alone a FEVER in her first two years of life now has had two of them in the last 3 months. 

Not to mention that silly chronic disease she now has...funny how she was rarely sick until it came along...

We will continue to be thankful that it is not cancer or some terminal illness...but Juvenile Arthritis Sucks!

Esella is now on the mend and finally starting to feel better. Looking forward to getting out of cold and flu season!  

And to end on a positive note...the other morning we were in bed and I was feeding Everett (this is every morning!) and Esella tells me she is "hungee". I tell her "a couple more minutes" but that did not fly...she promptly got off the bed and headed downstairs. I get down there about three minutes later and find THIS:

Can you tell she is proud of herself??

And Esella thought Everett might want to play with her "laptop"