May certainly was a busy one for The Carignan's...we did lots to promote awareness of pediatric stroke. We bowled in Lexington, we went to the 4th annual Poker Run in Indiana and we had our 1st annual walk in Shelbyville. We had a good turnout-about 40 people came and walked with us! Next year we hope to have an even bigger turnout. Cassidy and I got to be on television-we got interviewed for our walk, and we even got to meet Jennifer Love Hewitt-her boyfriend Jamie Kennedy was being interviewed right before us, so we got a picture taken with them. And, thanks to the Community Health Charities in Louisville, and the Kentucky and Southern Indiana Stroke Association, Cass was chosen to be on a poster highlighting pediatric stroke....I'll see if I can get a link or the actual poster on here somehow...I think it's just about time we sat Cassidy down and really talked to her about what happened and why she had a stroke, etc...the other day she wanted to draw a picture of herself and her stroke-that threw me off guard. She has never wondered why she wears a brace, and if someone asks her, she basically just tells them it helps her to walk better. She is very mature for a 5 year old, so I think she can handle anything we tell her. I am really nervous about her going in to kindergarten next year and having all those little eyes on her and her brace and her having to answer all of their questions. I know some kids can be mean, so of course I want to shelter her from all of that. Who knows if it will happen, but I just want to prepare her for what could come at school. I know I'm jumping from topic to topic right now, but I haven't written in awhile. So whatever jumps into my head, I'll type-sorry! We had a clinic appointment last week-her doctor told me that she needs a new brace (yes, we just got one in January!), she'd probably do good with another round of botox, and we should do constraint therapy. WOW! Just when I think we're doing good....also, I think we will be switching therapists again. I am just not happy with the ones she's got now. If I move her to this new place close by, they are working exclusively with The Luci Center, where Cass does therapeutic horseback riding-they will start doing hippotherapy, which would be covered by insurance, so I wouldn't have to pay out of pocket. So we got fitted for a new brace and we'll see what the new therapists say about constraint therapy this summer. I really dread starting over with new therapists, but her OT now isn't working with "righty" as much as I'd like and is too fixated on how Cass holds her pencil with her left hand. I don't care about that right now-she needs "righty" stronger. It's just so hard starting over. I know in my gut it's the right thing to do, but I hate it for Cassidy to have to meet new people all the time. We'll also head back up to Cincinnati Children's to see Dr. Vargas-Adams at the stroke clinic to see what she thinks about the botox. Ok, so I think I'm done for now. Check out all the new pictures I put up of our adventures in May!
