Shriners rules AGAIN....

So we already knew it, but Shriners continues to rock!!
Sammy had an appt. for a check-up today, and we saw pretty much EVERY dept. while we were there. (That's a good thing!) :)
We first had x-rays done of his hips and spine and they said they look good. :) (I am always paranoid that he will get scoliosis or subluxated hips...)
Then we saw a PA, who checked him over and was blown away at how active Sam was when he took off his braces. (We finally are getting him to wear them all day, but he WON'T move his legs in them AT ALL) As soon as one of the braces came off his leg, he started bicycling that leg and then both like a mad man when he was "free". So when the doc came in (Dr. Mack---I LOVE him with all of my being! He is the MAN! Sammy loves him, too! He also has a son with CP) he saw how crazy he was moving his legs like a madman without the braces on, and said since he isn't super tight in his heels, he actually has really good range of motion in them, he could just wear them at night for stretching and not during the day. He told us that we were rational parents and that we are doing what works for Sam and us, and to keep going with it. We asked about giving him oral Baclofen, which is a muscle relaxant for high tone, since the PT suggested it and I was thinking about it too from parents on my CP board. He said that basically it's not a miracle drug and that people don't see dramatic improvements from it. He said that Sam's tone isn't bad enough to warrant the loss of trunk and neck strength that he does have now by putting him on the meds. (obviously it relaxes ALL of the muscles) So the long and short of it is, that it wouldn't really have the benefits outweigh the negatives. (He would also lose some awareness with it--UGH!)
Anywho, so then the PA brought up using knee immobilizers at night to get a hamstring stretch. The PT there gave us ones that are a little too small for now, until they order the right size (all of this just handed to us--keep in mind!) I tried to put them on him before he went down, and he started screaming after they were on for like 1 minute. Ok, so off they came...can't fall asleep like that! :(
So I went to go put them on him after he fell asleep and it occurred to me that he is so relaxed and TOTALLY motionless when he sleeps, that I just straightened his legs out before i left the room. So they will stay outstretched until he wakes up. It's bascially the same amount of straight that he would do in the immobilizers, since you can only get him to straighten his leg to a certain point anyway. So we'll see what happens there...
Then we saw the OT who gave us new soft thumb splints (again, for free!) and she asked about the bath seat they had gotten for us last time we saw them, and we told her it didn't work because of the pommel and the height was too high for the water level in the tub. (We felt badly because they paid for it, and we couldn't use it) She got out a catalog and picked one out and showed us a new one in person and tried Sam sitting in it, and it REALLY seems like it will work with this one! I am psyched! I can't wait to have my little man be able to take a REAL bath like any other kid! He loves the tubby! :) They will pay for this one, too, if our ins. won't cover it, which Blue Cross doesn't cover ANY bath or toileting equipment!! What BS, hah?? Like, oh, my kid doesn't need to bathe or crap like any other kid! DUH! :(
He also got fitted for new braces today. He chose the truck motif for them. So much for calling them his poo-poo kitties! :(

It is just SO amazing at how much stuff we got from there today free of charge!! (I know, that's the idea of Shriners--but it still blows me away!) Everyone there is SO awesome--they are ALL so caring and truly concerned about YOUR child, like they are the only one they see! :)
Ok, so enough rambling...we just feel blessed to be so close to such an amazing place! :)

Oh yeah, he also is waiting for his new glasses to come in..I'm calling tomorrow...it's been 2 weeks so far...The eye doctor said that most CP kids outgrow this eye turning thing, and that it's good because his prescription isn't getting stronger, it's actually a little less than before. Yippee, it's nice to have good news now and again! :)