The Good, The Bad, The "I REALLY Shouldn't Laugh at That:" Adventures in Relapses

This site is dedicated to the good, the bad, and the "I really shouldn't laugh at that."

Today we're going to discuss all three, because why not?

So, in December 2015, Kyle had a bilateral derotational osteotomy. This is fancy talk for "the surgeon broke both his legs, turned the bones around, pinned them together, slapped some casts on him, and went on his merry way."

It turns out there's a very small chance that kids with cerebral palsy (Kyle has ataxic CP) will relapse following this surgery.

I took this picture just a couple nights ago. I had noticed, when Kyle was digging for a toy, that his right leg looked a little...funny. But not the good kind of funny. The bad kind of funny that makes you go "Oh dear God, here we go again. Second verse, same as the first." So I had him stand up straight, feet together, legs together, and took a photo.

I sent that photo to my mom, who showed it to my grandparents, and all 3 confirmed they saw the same thing I did: Kyle's leg did indeed, look bowed. Again.

The next morning, I emailed the picture to his orthopedist and called to see if I could get him in. We're working on getting him in ASAP, but right now he's not able to be seen until August.

The doctor agrees, it appears Kyle has relapsed.

Now, a relapse isn't necessarily the end of the world. It feels like it is, but it isn't. We have a visual confirmation that he's likely relapsed, but we need x-rays to see how bad it is and what we need to do about it. In the extreme, Kyle will need ANOTHER surgery.

Because Kyle has, like his mother, terrible anxiety, we discuss the worst case scenarios together so we're prepared. So I sat Kyle down and explained to him what was going on and what might happen.

He cried. He was angry. Because of course he was. Wouldn't you be? I am, and it's not even my leg.

ANYWAYS. Finally, Kyle, being the amazing kid he is, told me that no matter how much he DOES NOT WANT another surgery, if the doctor says he has to do it, he will.

But he has conditions.

One of these conditions is that I am not allowed, now or ever, to recommend that he dress up as Frankenstein for Halloween.

I mean really, how unfair.

The Reality of Childhood Bipolar Disorder

Several months ago, I wrote this post about the reality of ADHD/ODD in kids like Kyle.

Today, for my edification and yours, I want to talk to about the reality of childhood bipolar disorder...in children like my four year old son, Taryn.

Yes, I said four year old.

The reality is, bipolar and other mood disorders do exist in young children. As with ADHD and ODD, it's the severity and occurrence of the behavioral issues that win these kids their diagnosis and set them apart from more typical children of similar ages. And, just like ADHD and ODD, the diagnosis is difficult to get.

No one wants to label the adorable curly-haired tot in front of them as mentally/emotionally disturbed or unbalanced. No one wants to look at his exhausted, teary-eyed mother and tell her "I am so sorry - this will never end. Your toddler displays all the signs and symptoms of a life-long mental illness called bipolar disorder. He will not outgrow it."

But, to any pediatricians and pediatric psychologists out there, please, don't take his adorable face and my tears to mean I can't handle what you feel is wrong with him. Please, don't fear placing a label on him. You're not labeling him. You're opening a door for me to help him. I came to you for answers, because nothing I did was helping him. I'm his mother; I'm supposed to be able to help him. That's my job. Your job is to tell me what's going on with him. I can't do my job if you're reluctant to do yours.


                                              Source

Now that we have that out of the way, let's get back to talking the reality of this disorder. Let's talk about the dark parts of it, not because we want to drown in the despair, but because acknowledging the truth of the matter is the only way to begin helping these kids and families. To help my kid, and my family.

As I did in the ADHD/ODD post, I'm going to answer the most common questions we hear about Early Childhood Onset Bipolar Disorder. There will be links, of course, to reputable sources for you to learn more, should you choose to. And I so hope you choose to.

What is Early Childhood Onset Bipolar Disorder?

In a nutshell, ECOBD (acronyms are your friend!) is bipolar disorder that presents in very young children. From what I understand, these children are usually early elementary aged or younger when they begin exhibiting signs and are hopefully diagnosed. In the DSM 5, this disorder is now called disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, but it is one and the same. Many pediatric psychologists may even call it bipolar disorder to help parents put a more familiar name to it, as Taryn's did.

What Are the Symptoms of Early Childhood Onset Bipolar Disorder?

Not every child will have all the same symptoms, but there are a few main ones to look out for, and they do differ from what you'd expect to see in adult bipolar sufferers. Signs that your child may have this disorder include

1. Extreme temper tantrums that often result in violence or aggression towards others/things
2. These outbursts occur three or more times per week and are not consistent with outbursts expected in children of that age
3. Extreme sadness or lack of interest in play
4. Defiance of authority
5. Hyperactivity, agitation, irritability
6. Inappropriate sleep habits
7. Wetting the bed, night terrors
8. Strong, frequent cravings, most likely for carbs and sugar
9. Separation anxiety
10. Impaired judgment, impulsivity, racing thoughts, and pressure to keep talking
11. Dare-devil behavior
12. Inappropriate sexual behavior. Maybe your little guy likes to pull out his private parts and play with them, even though he knows better. Maybe he's a little TOO interested in what makes boys and girls different.

These are just a few of the symptoms, and are actually the symptoms my own child exhibited and continues to exhibit now, post-diagnosis.

Those symptoms sound an awful lot like other childhood disorders, such as ADHD and ODD. How do you know it's not that?

Good question. Many children with bipolar disorder are often misdiagnosed as having ADHD, ODD, or other behavioral disorders. Taryn was originally suspected to have ADHD. He still might - the disorders are often co-morbid. So how do you tell the difference?

The easiest answer to that lies in the mania experienced by bipolar sufferers. The hyperactivity and impulsivity in ADHD sufferers is present at all times. For someone with just bipolar disorder, it's only present during manic episodes. A person with both suffers from increased hyperactivity and impulsiveness during these manic episodes. It can be very hard to tell the difference, so be sure to document and bring it up to your healthcare provider.

What Can I Do If My Child Has Bipolar Disorder?

From one bipolar child's mother to another, the most important thing you can do for them is love them. Love them so much, it hurts. Love them through the hard times, and the good times. Hold them when they're falling apart. Don't hate them for their rages; they don't mean it, and they're probably just as scared as you are, if not more so. 

As far as medically helping them, there aren't a whole lot of options for the younger bipolar sufferers. Part of that is because pediatric bipolar disorders are a relatively new area of interest. Many insurances don't even accept the diagnosis, or if they do, make it difficult to get treatment. You may have to fight for your child, to get him or her the help they need. I am very fortunate in that my children's doctor does not believe in minimizing what the parents see or feel in their children and was willing to refer him out to a neurologist and a psychologist to get us some answers, and that she was willing to fight the insurance company with me to get him the help he needed once he was formally diagnosed.

Speaking of which, treatment for pediatric bipolar disorders is very similar to what an adult would be given. Play therapy is an excellent tool for any child suffering a psychiatric problem. Good communication with schools and possibly developing a 504 for behavior will help your child in the classroom. And yes, medication will at some point become necessary. 

                                              Source

Living with a child who has a mental illness, which is what bipolar disorder is, can be difficult. It's overwhelming, exhausting, and frustrating. I can't imagine how my son feels on a daily basis. I can't imagine what it's like to be him. I can't imagine it, because I'm not bipolar. What I can do, is love him. Love him even when I'm so tired from trying to help him that I feel numb. Love him so hard, that he'll never feel unworthy. 

What I can do, is teach you about him and other children with bipolar disorder. Because he is not alone, and neither are they. No matter how alone they feel in the midst of their rage, their mania, their depression - they are not alone. 

To my precious boy, who will likely one day stumble across this blog and read this post, if you remember this day - the sound of your mother sobbing at the kitchen table while you rage in your room, the feel of your mother's arms holding you tight as you both cry together when you've worn yourself out, the smell of the hot chocolate she made you when you were finally finished crying - if you remember this day, or any of the others so much like it, while you read this post, know that I will always love you. I will always fight for you. And I will always be so proud of you for fighting your own mind, for continuing to be you, and for just continuing. I love you.

Snapshots of Chaos: Living with Behavioral Disorders

"Kyle was caught writing in Sharpie on school property. This is technically vandalism, but since he's never done anything like this before..."

I felt sick, like I was going to vomit as I listened to the teacher on the other end of the phone.

I can hear you now, as you read this. "What's the big deal? All kids do something stupid like that at some point."

You're right. They do.

Here's what else he has done today alone:

-Gone to school on the coldest day of the year thus far in shorts and a t-shirt (left out year round since we do live in the south). He told me his jacket was in his bag. (Stupid Mom. Should've checked.) He told his teacher he wasn't wearing one because he doesn't have one.

-Decided he wanted the pizza (he can't eat) at school instead of what was in his lunchbox. Pitched a giant fit and proceeded to tell the school nurse, lunch lady, custodian, and anyone else in ear shot that his food was rotten. It was not. It was last night's leftovers.

-Blamed his missing homework on his baby brother eating it. I think it goes without saying that this was not true.

-Drew on his little brother with markers when he got home.

-Was told to take a bath. Painted the shower walls with shampoo instead.

-Was told to clean under his bed. Took four hours and Mommy finally went in and bagged everything up rather than continue to fight with him.

So, what's the big deal? The big deal is that he has a behavioral disorder, and because there are people out there who think a six year old can't have a behavioral disorder, I have to fight tooth and nail for him to get help. The big deal is that people who don't realize how hard this make it even harder by trying to excuse his behavior as a boy being a boy, a kid being a kid, or however they want to put it.

The big deal is that I'm exhausted. This was just today. Today alone. Let's not get into the last week, the last month, or God forbid the last year.

The big deal is that HE is exhausted. Do you know how hard it is for him to try and behave, and how much it takes out of him? I do. I've listened to him breakdown and call himself every name he can think of because he. Can't. Stop. Himself.

Life with a child who has a behavioral/neurological disorder (or more than one, as Kyle does) is hard,  on the child and the whole family. His siblings pick up bad habits from him. He's the kid no one wants to play with. His self-esteem and confidence take blow after blow as he is teased, made fun of, or just plain avoided for his uncontrollable behavior. His mother visibly cringes each time the school's name flashes across the caller ID.

Everyone wants stories of overcoming the odds. They want to hear about kids succeeding despite their problems. No one wants to talk about the hell that is living with these disorders on a daily basis, outside of those golden moments when they beat the odds.

The fact of the matter is, these kids and their families need you to support us during THESE times, during the exhaustion and the chaos, not just when everything is all rainbows and unicorns. We need you to pick us up now, when our kids are struggling and we are at our wit's end, so that we CAN have those moments in the sun.

So go find that mother who looks like she's one more phone call away from a mental breakdown and give her a hug. Go find that father who looks defeated and bring him a cup of coffee and listen to him talk. And encourage your kids to play with mine. He's a good boy, really. They all are. 

When He Can't Handle School

Where we live, school started about three and a half weeks ago. And Kyle's been doing...okay. He's had one especially bad day that resulted in a two hour screaming, crying, cursing meltdown in the middle of class, and two behavioral notices from PE, but other than that, it's just the usual "talking in class," "won't sit still," etc. run of the mill things that are part of raising a child with ADHD. So far, so good.

But I learned something last year that most, if not all, special needs families learn sooner or later: some days, he just can't handle school.

I don't mean he just doesn't want to go. This isn't a case of "Lazy Mom lets kid walk all over her, stay home from school, watch TV and eat ice cream all day."

Actually, I kind of wish that's all it was. At least that option involves ice cream.

No, this involved a 45 minute meltdown over...well, he woke up. And apparently, this was not a good thing. Meltdowns are rough on everyone involved, and when they start out the day in meltdown mode, the day does not get any better.

This leaves you with two choices: you can either send your child to school, keep your fingers crossed, throw some salt over your shoulder, say a few dozen prayers, and kiss a rabbit's foot...or, you can keep your child home and hope he's okay to attend tomorrow.

It's that second choice that I stick with when I just know he can't handle school. And it's days like today that make his IEP and my ability to communicate with his school so very, very important.

I was going to write this post about IEPs, parent rights, student rights, etc.

But I find that tonight, I am too exhausted from a day of wrangling meltdowning children, a teething baby, three sets of homework, a Cub Scout meeting, and straightening out a house that never seems to stay clean for longer than five minutes. So, tomorrow we'll talk IEPs. Tonight, we'll pray tomorrow he goes to school.

If you'll excuse me, I'm pretty sure the laundry I just folded unfolded itself. That, or one of my four year olds isn't as asleep as I thought he was.

ADHD/ODD: Myth VS Reality

How do you punish a child for behavior you know the child can't control? How do you look at your child and say, "I know you can't control yourself, and I know we're working on that, but you're grounded for a week for something you couldn't stop yourself from doing"? Do you punish them when you know they can't control it? Or do you let it slide? Or some grey area in the middle?

This is the conundrum faced by many families like mine, whose children have severe ADHD and ODD, or other behavioral issues. We face the stigma from society, too, of being "overly permissive parents" who "made" our kids into brats. And that stigma often makes our job even harder. We want our kids to understand that the world won't let them act the way they do, that the world won't be kind to them, and yet we want to change the world for them, so that they can be themselves without fear. And we start by teaching the world that they are wrong about our kids.

Brought to you by today's events in the life of  my autistic, severe ADHD and ODD six year old son, here are some myths about ADHD and ODD busted for you by one very tired, very worn down, very teary momma:

"He can totally control himself! He just doesn't WANT to!"

ADHD/ADD is a chemical imbalance in the brain. ODD is most likely caused by a combination of genetic, biological, and environmental factors. Think of it this way: imagine a car. Everything looks perfect, so you start driving down the road. You come to a stop light. It's red, so you go to stop the car and realize...there are no brakes. The brake pedal is there, but the brakes don't work. This is what it's like for children with ADHD and ODD: the set up is there, but the connections don't work. KNOWING they shouldn't do or say something doesn't equate to being able to STOP themselves.

ADHD isn't a big deal. So he's a little hyper- big whoop! 

This a problem much more complex than a little case of ants-in-the-pants. ADHD involves impairments in many areas, such as organization, focus, controlling their emotions, motivation, and memory. So yes, it IS a big deal.

Your kid doesn't have a behavioral disorder- he's just a brat.

Yes, there are children out there who have no behavioral disorders but act out very similarly to how most people understand kids with ADHD or ODD to behave. However, the difference between these children lies in the severity and patterns of behavior. For example, to be diagnosed with ODD, a child must:

1. often lose their temper
2. argue with adults/authority figures
3. actively defy or refuse to comply with rules and requests of adults/authority figures
4. deliberately annoy people
5. blame others for his or her own actions
6. be touchy or easily annoyed by others
7. often be angry and/or resentful
8. be spiteful and vindictive, often for reasons unknown to those around them

The child must display at least four of these behaviors on a regular basis for six consecutive months to be diagnosed with ODD, which is far more than a "typical" child. Rule of thumb: compare the behavior to typical children of that age range. If it is more intense, happens more often, etc., the child most likely has a behavior disorder like ODD. See a doctor for diagnosis/referral. 

ADHD isn't real. It was made up by Big Pharma to keep kids medicated.

So, here we can debunk at least three myths associated with ADHD. First: ADHD is indeed very real. So real, in fact, that it's not even a modern disorder. The first recorded case of anything resembling ADHD can be traced all the way back to 1775. For my fellow Americans out there, that means it even predates our Declaration of Independence. Please refer to my first and second points for more information on what ADHD entails. 

As to keeping kids medicated, let's talk about this in two parts. We'll start with the "kids" part. 

Eventually, children grow up, no matter how much we beg them not to (and I've found yelling, "IT'S A TRAP!" has little to no affect on the matter either). Children with ADHD grow up, too. They become...drum roll, please...ADULTS with ADHD. There's even such a thing as Adult-onset ADHD.

Moving on from there, let's talk about the medicated half of that phrase up there. While it's true that ADHD is commonly treated with medication, it's by no means the only treatment, nor are these kids being overly medicated. In fact, most studies agree the medicated ADHD children are receiving appropriate medication OR are actually under medicated.

So no, Big Pharma didn't invent ADHD, and it's not a made-up disease to keep lazy parents from having to do their jobs.

There's nothing wrong with your kid. You're just a bad parent.

This particular myth is what hurts families like mine the most. There are many people in the world afraid to have their child seen or to reveal that their child has a diagnosis of ADHD, ODD, or other behavioral disorders because of the amount of people who blame the parents. Before we move onto facts, let me just say: if you are one of those people shouting from the rooftops that these disorders don't exist and it's just bad parenting, I hope I'm able to help change your thinking, and also...please, for the love of what little sanity remains to parents like me...STOP!

Now then. Facts. Most research actually indicates that ADHD is genetic in nature, although neurological factors such as birth defects, brain damage, and certain infections can also lead to ADHD development. As for ODD, I mentioned earlier that ODD is most likely caused by a combination of genetic, biological, and environmental factors. Why did I say "most likely"? Well, like many disorders, we're only now beginning to understand ODD, and we're not yet sure what causes it. So does that mean bad parenting or a lack of parenting skills causes ODD? 

The short answer is, no. The long answer is, in certain dynamics, a lack of parenting skills can contribute to ODD symptoms, but alone, will not cause them. The other factors (genetic/biological) need to be in place for an environmental factor to have an affect, and you don't have to have an environmental factor to end up with ODD. 

In our case, there is a family history on one side of both ADHD and ODD. My kids were, forgive the dramatics, doomed from the start. I will be the first to admit that my being a young, inexperienced parent probably did contribute to how bad Kyle's ODD became, but by no means did having a young, inexperienced parent CAUSE Kyle to have ODD, or any other child like him. There's a difference between "cause" and "contributing effect." I take responsibility for CONTRIBUTING to Kyle's ODD with my youth and inexperience as a parent, and have sought out groups and support for parents with kids like him to learn how to help him and how to better my skills as a parent before it's too late to help him. And yes, there will be a time when it's too late. 

Speaking of being too late, because these disorders are best treated when kids are young, it is best to get them seen and diagnosed as soon as possible. Getting a diagnosis doesn't mean the child must be medicated. What it does mean is that the parents can have an answer for why their child acts the way they do, the child can receive understanding, and all parties can receive help from a trained professional to give the child the best shot at growing up to be a productive member of society. And society needs to recognize that these disorders exist, and early intervention is the best way to help, instead of shaming parents and judging young children.

When It's Not a Tantrum and You Need to Hush About My Kid

"I would NEVER let my child act like that!" claims Madam Holier-Than-Thou as your child rocks on the floor of the grocery store, hands clapped over his ears, tears streaming down his face. You feel tears well in your own eyes as you try frantically to gather your struggling child off the ground so you can hopefully calm him down, or leave if you absolutely must. Everything in you wants to scream at this woman, and all the others staring at you, judging you, judging your child, that there is a difference between what your child is doing and what they think your child is doing, but you're too exhausted to try, and too worn down to know where to start, so you just mumble "He's autistic" and keep going, praying they'll leave you alone.

Millions of parents the world over live this or similar scenarios every day. As the public opinion of the "Bratty Child" takes over, more and more people feel it's okay for them to say something to parents whose children are acting in a way they disagree with, without knowing the family at all. There's a huge difference between "Little Timmy didn't get his way" and "Little Timmy's brain is overloaded and he can't take the sensory input anymore."

A tantrum means Little Timmy isn't getting what he wants. You can stop the tantrum. Little Timmy wants a cookie in the grocery store and got told no? You can either give in or distract him, and Little Timmy will stop. He'll also watch you, waiting to see if you're paying attention to what he's doing. Little Timmy is being a kid- this is perfectly normal childhood behavior and most children, yes even the special needs ones, do this at some point or another.

A meltdown means Little Timmy doesn't care if you're paying attention or not. It's triggered by sensory overload- too much noise, too many people, lights that are too bright, etc. There's nothing you can do to stop it once it starts. You can remove the child from the situation, but the child is still going to be in meltdown mode until they themselves work it out. 

Outsiders often can't tell the difference, because they weren't taught, and because they don't know the child in question. It's one reason why many parents, myself included, despise taking our kids out- they're not giving us a hard time, they're HAVING a hard time, but Judgey McJudgeyFace over there thinks she knows best and thinks our kids are brats. So, the message our kids get over something they can't help? They're naughty children.

And the term "meltdown" is used by parents of NT children frequently to describe their children's tantrums. It  makes it harder for the world to understand what a true meltdown is when they see this word being used incorrectly. There's a meme on Facebook that I feel fits this perfectly:

So no, it wasn't a meltdown and you need to stop. In the same token, my kid didn't have a tantrum and you need to hush about my kid.

Kyle's Journey, in Honor of World Clubfoot Day 2016

If you visit our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/lifewithkyle, you'll find a video of Kyle talking about his clubfoot journey. 

Here, I'd like to share with you all the parts of his story he doesn't remember. This is a little collage I made to illustrate his journey and how far he has come since his birth. From left to right, each story illustrates a part of his journey.

Far left: Kyle's leg post op, January 2016. He had three metal screws sticking out of each leg (the third one is on the outside of his foot and not evidenced in the photo). He was fresh from a bilateral derotational osteotomy, wherein both his lower leg bones were surgically broken and rotated to further allow correction of his clubfeet. 

Middle, top left: Waiting to get his full length casts off, May 2014. This was post tendon transfer, which took place in April 2014.

Second Middle, top left: Kyle the day he was born, July 26, 2010. You can see his bowed legs, his clubfeet, and even his bluish tint from loss of oxygen. 

Far Right, top: Kyle just a few days ago, post castings, braces, AFOs, surgeries, etc. Nearly six years old, and at last, he stands straight. He does not and may never be physically able to do certain things, but oh my heart...look at those beautiful feet!

Far Left, bottom: Kyle and his bear Clover in the hospital December 2015. Just a day or two post BDO. 

Middle, bottom: Kyle awaiting surgery with Clover April 15, 2014. This was his tendon transfer.

Far right, top picture: Kyle in October 2011, post a failed tendon lengthening procedure. He was wearing full length casts, curled up on a chair in our living room, reading a book. Kid is tough as tough can be.
Far right, bottom picture: Kyle in August 2011, his first round of Ponsetti Method casts. 

Here, we have pictures of Kyle's feet sans casts and braces throughout the years. I actually made this last year (2015), so we're short a picture of this year's, but just scroll up: you'll see 'em. 

Top, left: Kyle and my mother, his Lala, when Kyle was about two months old or so. You can see his bowed legs and clubfeet.
Top, right: Kyle's feet, post tendon transfer 2014. 
Bottom, left: Kyle's feet, May 2015.
Bottom, right: Kyle's feet October 2015, the day we found out he would be having the derotational osteotomy after all.

We found out sometime in 2012 that Kai's feet are not the only things affected by his clubbed feet-they have affected his entire bone and muscle structure from his hips down. Not uncommon, but not something we were aware of before. The brown things on his legs here in this picture with his PCA were his knee immobilizers-meant to hold his legs straight and make him do a sort of robot walk that helps to strengthen his hips and his butt to correct his posture and help him walk more "normally." Sadly, this intervention failed. To this day, Kyle has problems with his hips and his posture which affect his ability to walk, run, jump, etc. as others do. 

Here we have ourselves another collage, containing some of the pictures I couldn't fit on the other collage.

Top, left: Kyle, October 2011. Some of his first Ponsetti Method casts. Although this method has become the most popular method (and is almost entirely non-surgical) for correcting clubfeet, not every child responds to it. Kyle was one of them.

Top, right: Kyle, March 2012, happily playing with his toys, despite the heavy casts weighing him down. 

Bottom, left: Rotator straps, or what I lovingly referred to as "Medieval torture devices." These were used to help fix his muscular and skeletal structure without the need for surgical intervention. As we all well know, that...did not go as planned.

Bottom, right: Kyle's feet, roughly February 2013. Rather than improving, his feet had at that point worsened. He was nearly back to where he was the day he was born. It was during that time frame that I realized it was time to push for a different  method, and came to accept (though terrified) that he would most likely need surgery.

In all, Kyle has had 82 casts spanning the first five years of his life. Because his first pediatrician believed his feet would "fix themselves," Kyle was not able to get treatment for his feet until he was five months old. Due to an insurance problem, he wasn't able to continue with treatment until after his first birthday. In part, these delays helped make the situation worse. Kyle didn't walk until the end of March, 2012. Even then, as most children do when they learn to walk, he was not steady or able to walk far until nearly a year later and after rigorous physical therapy. In addition to the casts, Kyle has gone through three rounds of what we call "BnB": boots and bars, in which a clubfoot child wears braces attached to a bar, used to keep the feet in the correct position for 23 hours out of the day to start, eventually going to twelve hour wear. He has had several pairs of AFOs, or what we've referred to as "braces," to help keep his feet in the correct position as he walks. Those failed miserably. 

Through it all, this child has let nothing hold him back. He is strong, he is determined, and he's faced almost everything with a smile on his face. To be his mother is an honor. To watch him grow and become a young man is a joy. To share him with all of you and see how much love this child receives humbles me. 

Our journey started nearly six years ago. His journey is not over yet. He will continue to see his ortho every six months for the foreseeable future. He may relapse, as he has in the past. But we have at last reached a point in his life where surgery may finally become a distant memory, and multiple rounds of casts and interventions a thing of the past. 

And without the love and support we have received over these six years, we would not have made it this far.

Thank you all for being you, and for loving my son as much as you all do. You're all wonderful. Pizza for all of you.