Botox and Pressure Vests

We had Oksana's evaluation done at the spasticity clinic on Wednesday. She did fantastic. When they put the hospital bracelet on her she said it was cute and wanted to know if she could take it home! They asked a lot of questions about her, measured her range of motion, checked her from head to toe, did some activities with her to check her coordination, and watched her walk with and without her braces. She will also be getting a sedated MRI in the next 4-6 weeks. This will tell us exactly where the damage is to her brain. We are particularly interested in this because we have a suspicion that there may be damage in an area that affects her cognitively. Yes, she's made tons of progress but the reality is she is still VERY behind even compared to other kids her age or younger with CP who have been home for a shorter period of time than she has. It will be good information to have about her as we approach the time when she will go to school.

After all of their testing and checking it was decided that Oksana would indeed benefit from botox. She got her first dose (one in each hamstring) that day. They put some stuff on her to numb her skin. She didn't say much during the first dose but at the second one she cried a bit and said it hurt. All they had to do was say "treat" and she was a happy camper so it didn't last long. When you hear a doctor say "treat" you might think of a piece of candy or a cheap toy. Oh no, they came out with a Rapunzel doll and some bubbles! That's not a "treat" that's a birthday gift! She was thrilled! As soon as I saw Rapunzel I knew that beautiful hair would not last long in Oksana's hands. Sure enough within 1/2 an hour of getting her out of the box Rapunzel looked like she had been in a tornado!


She was sore for the remainder of the day but by the next morning she said she was much better. We go back in 4-6 weeks (hopefully the same day as the MRI) to see how the botox is working and if we are all pleased she will get another dose in 3 months. It was quite funny to hear her telling people she got "But-tox"!

What I'm learning about CP is that there are MANY different things that can be used to help. There isn't one thing that helps, it is a combination of things that can be used for maximum results, and what works for one person may not work for the next. This week Oksana's PT decided to try a pressure vest. Here is a picture of her in it:

A pressure vest is used for kids with sensory issues and muscle tone issues. It basically "hugs" her upper body and helps sturdy up the trunk muscles. She does not care for it but once it's on she doesn't complain. I can't say I've seen a huge difference. It's so hard to tell. I felt the same way about Kinesio tape. They said the combination of the botox with these other items may give greater results. Time will tell.