"You will look back on therapies, appointments, sleepless nights, tears, triumphs, milestones, equipment, ignorance, struggle, strength ... and you will say with certainty ... It was ABSOLUTELY worth it."
What is a therapy mom you ask? I'm sure there are many personal descriptions, each mom (or dad) could tell you their own version. My life consists of the most beautiful little boy, who attends Occupational therapy 2 x per week, Physical therapy 1 x per week and Speech 1 x per week. In the big scheme of things, I can see that he is making huge progress and I know that this is just our "normal" for now. However, if you have ever been a therapy mom, you know its exhausting, its unfair and it just down right gets old. Life is scheduled around appointments, not play dates or preschool or fun ... but therapy, doctors visits, lab tests, or whatever it may be. If you are a therapy mom, you also know therapy doesn't end when you walk out of the building, it is hours upon hours poured into playing the right way, putting weight on the correct extremity, practicing sounds and words over and over, among many other tools and tricks we learn along the way.
It hasn't always been sunshine and rainbows, I have shed countless tears, poured my heart out to dear friends, my husband, and doctors. I have been angry that my little boy has to know what an AFO is, or that he has been casted for weeks to participate in Constraint Induced Movement Therapy ... but today I want to encourage you!! Therapy does get better. A year and a half later, I am stronger emotionally and physically and because of that I am more determined to help him be the best HE can be. My son walks, runs, jumps, attempts to play with two hands, is trying to say words and knows sign language. But even more than those things, he is overall healthy and happy. Like many toddlers he is defiant, has tantrums, loves to read, color on walls, and do all the silly things toddlers do ... and to me he is absolutely perfect when I look at him, because he is mine!
When you are having a bad day ... remember it is OK. Cry, scream, eat a cookie, drink some wine ... and then remember that tomorrow is a new start. My biggest inspiration is knowing my son will see how I think of him and treat him and if I strive to show him how amazing he is, I know he will grow up with compassion and a belief that he can do anything.