Pray for Meredith

We are seeing some great benefits from the intensive therapy that Meredith is getting three times a week.  It’s called Interactive Metronome and is exactly like it’s name.  She listens to a cowbell metronome through headphones and has to keep its beat.  A trigger is on her hand (and is on the floor for when she uses her feet to keep the beat) and measures how accurately she claps with the bell.  The computer scores her accuracy.   Her scores have recently improved a lot, and it’s improving her attention span and motor control quite a bit.  We’ve also seen better behavior and she’s getting better following multi-step commands and answering questions.    I’m hoping we see these great results take place in school too and can gradually lengthen her time there over this next semester.

Finally, after beginning discussions with them in early August, Meredith has been approved for Speech and OT from the public school system.  From our first discussion with them when they tried to dissuade us from attempting the tedious paperwork necessary to get a private school student into the public school system, we’re finally done and she will get 30 minutes per week of those two therapies starting in January.  And for the first time, this year the school system is contracting OT out to private students, so an OT will meet Meredith at TCA.  Speech is still done at the public schools so we will take her there for that.

Overall it only took 3 meetings (with about 8-12 people at each meeting), 5 therapists and psychologists individually observing Meredith in the classroom, 3 therapists evaluating her, a couple of hours of testing, a phone interview and about 2 trees worth of paperwork to cut through the red tape — to prove that she does in fact need the help they are required to provide!    The good news is they will be focusing on skills she needs help with in the classroom that aren’t currently being addressed in private therapies.    I think it will be worth all the trouble!

Meredith is now medicine free! Amazing when I remember back to the summer of 8 meds per day throughout the day, coaxing her into it when she was off the tube and gained enough of herself back to refuse them or spit them out. One more battle behind us, hopefully for good.

We are considering one medication for her ADHD-like symptoms (impulsiveness, hyper-activity, lack of attention/focus) suggested by her neurologist. But for now we are waiting to see the full benefits of the intensive therapy (interactive metronome) that she does 3 times a week. It’s supposed to help those behavior problems as well as motor planning and cognition. It’s a boring therapy but the therapists do their best to make it fun and to motivate her. She will continue this through January which will give us time to see the results before her next neurology appointment on February 5th.

I want to share with you the lyrics of a Bebo Norman song. I first heard this on one of my early trips between home and Cincinnati. It became my prayer and my plea wherever I was — in the hospital, at the Ronald McDonald house, at home. At that time it was a cry for mercy; words I cried out in fear and pain that gave me hope. And now I say them asking God to keep my eyes on Him now that life is nearly normal again and very hectic and sometimes mundane. Now that my thoughts are in the everyday details of transportation and school lunches, library work and laundry, and everyday parenting decisions. May God still cause me to cry out to Him and to know my constant need for Him and His constant goodness to me.

“God, my God, I cry out
Your beloved needs You now
God, be near, calm my fear
And take my doubt

Your kindness is what pulls me up
Your love is all that draws me in

I will lift my eyes to the Maker
Of the mountains I can’t climb
I will lift my eyes to the Calmer
Of the oceans raging wild
I will lift my eyes to the Healer
Of the hurt I hold inside
I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes to You

God, my God, let Mercy sing
Her melody over me
God, right here all I bring
Is all of me

‘Cause You are and You were and You will be forever
The Lover I need to save me
‘Cause You fashioned the earth and You hold it together, God
So hold me now” ~ Bebo Norman, I Will Life My Eyes

Lannie meets the Cake!

And thank you, LORD, that you gave us this day!!!

Early family celebration in Clarksdale