The Lodger and Us

AFO's. Ankle Foot Orthotics. When I first heard these words, my heart ached a little bit more. I knew they would help The Lodger but here was something else we had to deal with and ultimately come to terms with.  Just last month The Lodger was fitted with AFOs. To the uninitiated these are also called splints. Splints. It's such a harsh word. It's an even harsher word when you attach it to your two year old little boy.  When we attended our orthotics appointment, I was hoping that the physiotherapist had it wrong, that he wouldn't need them. The Lodger as usual, smiled and waved through his assessment and it was concluded that he would need AFO's. The warrior in me, smiled and said 'Anything that helps him to walk is great'. Inside, I was sad. Here's another thing that The Lodger had to deal with.  As parents, we approach all the challenges The Lodger faces with positivity. AFOs were the last thing we wanted for our son but for them...

I recently read a blog about what we can learn from people with Prader Willi syndrome and it got me thinking. I started to think about the good things of PWS. The benefits of PWS. The things that make me feel good about The Lodgers development. Possibly just my benefits of PWS but I thought I'd share them anyway. This may seem strange. How can you see benefits to a rare and so far incurable syndrome? Well I do and I'm sticking with it. So here's my Top 5 benefits of Prader Willi Syndrome . No 1. Slooooow motion The Lodger is 2 and he is growing so slowly. It's brilliant. He's been nearly walking for 6 months and he was nearly crawling for a year before that. Before that he was nearly rolling for ages. We never miss anything the lodger does as it takes him so long to do it. And I enjoy every day of that wait. The tiny changes. The growing confidence. The mental strength in his little face and he pulls up to peer out the window at the cat in t...