Keep On Swimming

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So much time has passed since I blogged - hard to believe!    
So here is the latest news from my little spot in the world..


First of all, I am somewhat broken.  Literally.  
I had been running again.. getting back into my groove.. feeling good.  I love to run, as I find that it is the only activity that helps 'center' me.  Clears my mind, makes life take on a bit of a positive glow.  Allows me to eat more fattening food without causing tight-jean-syndrome.  :)  
The last run that I had was 3 weeks ago.   It was a normal run - a bit of right knee pain in the beginning until I truly warmed up.. and then smooth-going.  Later that day, however, I was holding Devika and had my foot planted - turned my body - and heard the dreaded 'pop' that no runner (or anyone else for that matter) wants to hear.  And so it began...


The past 3 weeks have been increasingly more painful.  My primary physician had examined me a few days post-injury and suggested we try physical therapy before contacting an orthopedic surgeon or getting an x-ray or mri.  I've endured many PT sessions now and each has become more hideously painful and less productive due to pain.  I'm convinced that 99% of physical therapists are fulfilling some form of a sadistic fetish!!!


I finally was able to get in with an orth surgeon this past Monday, who told me that I'm textbook for a meniscus tear - and he set me up for an MRI that took place yesterday.  This coming Monday, I will find out the details and likely be scheduling a surgery.  In the meantime, he told me to use crutches whenever possible.  
Have you ever tried to care for 2 small children and walk with crutches?  Not easy I tell you!  Quite the challenge.  Needless to say, the crutches spend most of their days leaning against the wall.


But enough about me.  


My girls are doing pretty well lately.  Maya is in kindergarten and is progressing amazingly well!  I am so very proud of her.  Today was a teacher/parent conference - my first!  Maya's teacher told me that Maya tested high - she should be in the 1st grade reading and math.. but her fine motor skills are a little delayed/slow.. so they kept her in the kindergarten level classes.  I agree that this is the right thing to do - she is very slow when writing/reading/thinking through her answers.  She LOVES homework, but it takes her ~2 hours instead of the probably 30 minutes that it should take.  We are working on this..


Maya also has made some good friends in kindergarten.  Her best buddy is a boy named Garret.  All day and night I hear stories about Garret.  :)  So cute!  They play in the dirt every day during recess.  The girl comes home from school simply covered in sand/dirt from head to foot!  Lately they have been 'building bonfires'.  
The only thing that Maya is constantly upset by at school (other than occasional random kindie drama) is that she can't run fast.  She claims to be the slowest kid in the class.  She also gets upset that she can't run as fast as Garret.  She is sure that it is her shoes - we are on the lookout for super-fast shoes to replace her 'slow' sneakers.  


Devika is enjoying her preschool class also.  We have experienced 2!! days of drop-offs where she did not scream and cry and try to hold on to my leg.  Baby steps..


I am, however, becoming concerned about Devi and some of her behaviors. 


Approximately 2 weeks ago, Devi began doing an odd self-soothing type of behavior.  At first it only seemed to occur when she was extremely tired.  Unfortunately, it seems to be becoming more and more frequent.  She lays on her tummy in what Maya calls her 'froggy' position (a fetal-type position but on her tummy).  She then rocks herself and makes a very odd and slightly loud breathing-noise.  She won't stop doing it - I really have to work at a distraction to get her up off of the floor.  I'm afraid she might even be doing this at school on occasion, though her teachers haven't mentioned it to me. Her nanny (2 days/week) told me that the teacher mentioned that Devi was very tired on Monday.  I assume she was doing her rocking and this is what prompted the teacher to say this.  She was rocking while her nanny was here that day - at Chik Fil A during lunch and then at home.
This seems to be a 'stimming' type behavior.  We haven't seen Devi do this type of thing since her first months at home with us.


Another odd thing that Devi does is to over-scratch any itchy spots she might have on her body.  I thought this might be just a bit more than normal, but her nanny has voiced concern over it also (her nanny was Maya's nanny a couple years ago and has been in childcare/daycare all her life - and is 50 yrs old).  If Devi has a little cut or itch, it takes forever to heal b/c she won't leave it alone.  Right now she has a small rash on her bum and she keeps scratching at it until it bleeds if we don't see her and make her stop.
  
The other worrisome behavior is Devi's repetitive behavior.  She will say the same word or phrase over and over and over.  Until I want to put my head through a wall.  I had asked her OT about this, back in June when it seemed to be getting very annoying (btw she no longer qualifies for at-home OT due to her age, so we don't have an OT to work with now - she gets OT at school but they never talk to us about it), and was told that this is a pretty normal 2/3-yr old behavior.  While I agree that it CAN be.. I don't think that what we are dealing with falls into this realm.  
Again, a friend of mine who runs a small daycare told me today that she felt this was something new (she has watched Devi on many occasions in the past) she is seeing with Devi and NOT something normal.  
All the time she does this.. 'Mommy.. mommy.. mommy.. mommy.. ' - and she doesn't need anything.  If I can get her to stop repeating this in order to find out if she needs to tell me something - she never has anything to say.  Sometimes she will just say 'I love you'.. and then start again.  She did this with my friend today also - 'Miss J.. Miss J.. Miss J.. Miss J.. '.  
Luckily, I have not heard that she does this at school.. yet.  At school she just can't sit still.  She often sits in a special chair at circle time that has 3 sides to keep her contained.. and she is flipping around inside the chair constantly.  I might have mentioned this once before.. her teachers took a short video of this for me.  


What scares me about all of this is that these all seem like autism-related behaviors.  Devi's previous OT had assured me that D was in no way autistic b/c she has pretty good verbal skills and does not have major social issues.  I was glad to hear that, but as these behaviors keep increasing, I am finding myself getting worried about this again.  And not that our family could not deal with it - 'autism' doesn't equate to something completely traumatic/hideous to us or anything.  I just want to ensure that Devi has the best care possible for whatever challenges she might be encountering.  If she needs further evaluation or therapy, I want to make sure that she gets it.


I am now in the process of completing the 'Getting Started' paperwork for the Star Center.  This is a therapy center in Denver that specializes in treating Sensory Processing Disorder.  D's pediatrician recommended we take her there, and we had actually been already considering it from the advice of a friend.  Now I am feeling a sense of urgency that we get her there and be sure we are getting all the help that we possibly can for her.  


So that is the latest.  So happy that it is getting cool and crisp outside now - it is time for pumpkin patches and apple cider - and pumpkin spice lattes!  Speaking of which, I think it is time for my 3:00 caffeinated pick-me-up.  :)