Braces And Bells

Reyna started using her custom-made wrist braces yesterday. When I picked her up, I was told that we had homework for today – we’re to take two 10-minute walks, very slow, with at least a two hour break in between. Most importantly, Reyna is to wear her braces and her bells during the walks. The braces provide support for her wrists and help prevent new stress fractures. The bells alert the entire neighborhood to our presence and remind Reyna that she also needs to pick up and use her back legs. I don’t know about the second part, but the bells do the first part beautifully. How she does today, including how she recovers from the walks and how stiff/sore she becomes, will determine what they do during her PT sessions tomorrow.

The bells go on very easily, but the braces take a bit of effort. They have a hole in the back for the pad at the top of her foot, so they have to be positioned just right. They're secured with long strips of some kind of super-velcro that sticks to everything, including itself. Reyna is remarkably patient, though, and doesn't fuss when I put them on her.



In this clip, Reyna is walking faster than she’s supposed to be, but its very hard to keep her to a slow pace and work the video camera. On our second walk today, maybe I’ll get lucky and a neighbor will be outside and willing to record us walking.



Here, Reyna is in complete denial. “What braces? What bells? Mom? I don’t see Mom.” Her roll was unfortunately interrupted by the mail man (who, I’d like to add, she did not bark at (at whom she did not bark?)).



"Lalalalalala...I can't hear you!"