Wednesday, June 13, 2012

The Hand Splints Experiment

Sadie got her hand splints on June 1, and me being skeptic that they could actually help her hands open up, I decided to do a little photo essay to show the progress since we got them.  This first picture is after wearing them for a day.  This is pretty much our baseline as this is what her hands normally look like (sometimes tighter fists depending on the circumstances).

After Day 1 of Hand Splints (June 1)
I decided to take a picture and document after one week, to note any drastic change.  Then it'll be probably July 1 before I take another picture.  I am shocked that in one week her hands have improved so much (sorry this isn't the most flattering picture of Sadie below!)!!  Even after just a couple of days I noticed that her thumbs stuck out more, so that putting her in long sleeves (I know, crazy to think of long sleeves when our daily temps are over 100 degrees) her thumbs would get caught!  It used to be so easy to pull sleeves over those little fists, now I have to work a little harder at it!

I've also noticed her ability to reach and grab is improving.  She still has a hard time from a sitting position, but laying on the floor with her toys hanging down from above, she can purposefully and slowly reach and grab one of the little links that her toys are hanging from (when the splints are off).  And she gets so proud of herself when she does!  The other night we were playing with a new app on the ipad (fish school...coolest app ever for preschool-age children!) and she was able, with my help, to open her hand and actually touch something with ONE FINGER!!!  No fist-touching, but pointing!!  

I can't wait to see what those hands can do after a month!

After Day 8 of Hand Splints (June 9)
I will update this post on July 1. :)

4 comments:

  1. How many hours a day is Sadie wearing her splints?

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    1. She wears them pretty much all day. We've incorporated them into our morning routine: get dressed, fix hair, brush teeth, hand splints. She doesn't seem to mind them, they almost seem comfortable in some way. So, probably 9 or 10 hours a day.

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  2. Wow, I just happen to notice her head support that seem to extend down her torso, what is that.....Maya can use something like that.
    Thanks

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    1. It's kinda part of the Happy Chair. When the PT came to fit Sadie for her Happy Chair, she noticed that her Chill-Out Chair wasn't very supportive, so she offered to make a "insert" for the Chill Out Chair. That's what that blue thing is that you see. Sometimes I think Sadie likes it, other times she acts weird in it. And the foam isn't waterproof, so I feel like it's just a ticking time bomb. Luckily she hasn't puked or peed or had a poo-splosion on it yet... but it's just a matter of time!! If you email me, I can send you better pictures of it, and maybe you can see if you can make, or have someone make something like it for Maya!

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