A Curvy Spine, a Happy Chair, and a NORMAL Heart

Today was a busy and great day for miss Stella Bella. 

We started with an orthopedic appointment at Phoenix Children's Hospital with Dr Segal. This was our first time going to an orthopedic doctor and we were referred to see one by Stella's physical therapist. He took an xray and it showed that her spine is curved 22 degrees (so she has mild scoliosis) but her spine is still very flexible. It is great that her spine is still flexible because if the curvature is caused by her right side being weaker then it is possible that as her right side gets stronger it will correct itself.

We then went to the Adapt Shop to pick up Stella's happy chair. We have been patiently waiting for the floor sitter to be completed so Stella could learn to sit up correctly. But when we sat her in the chair at the office it was a <not so> happy chair. She was overly tired from the busy day and unfamiliar with where she was so we couldn't test it out at the shop; we had to just take it home.

Then we went to the cardiologist at the PCH east valley clinic by Mercy Gilbert for a routine echo and follow-up. It was a little bittersweet because this was our first appointment without our favorite NP, Laura, who has been with us since the beginning...but since we are no longer able to see Laura we are now able to go to the office that is closer to home. We started with her measurements and her blood pressure and saturations were normal. She is in the 50th percentile for height at 31.5 inches and the 5th percentile for weight at 19 lbs 10 oz. Then we went to her echo and Dr Puntel came with us to read the echo as it was happening...everything looked great! Her gradiance in both the left and right pulmonary veins was stable and slightly better from the last time. Dr Puntel said that her pressures were "normal!" This is the first time anything about Stella's heart has been described as "normal!" What a relief to hear those words! We are now able to wean Stella off of the diuretic she has been on and we will go back for another echo on September 20th.

When we got home we decided to try to use Stella's happy chair again and she loved it!

The happy chair is made out of a very soft foam that is lightweight yet durable. It is custom-made for each child to provide the right amount of support and to help them sit correctly.

Stella's chair has a table that can slide over it so she can experience what it is like to play with her toys while sitting.

Stella really enjoyed sitting in her happy chair once we were home and in an environment that she recognized. We will use it daily and Gayle, the physical therapist who helped to create it, said that after 3 weeks she usually sees significant improvement.

 Finally Stella is a HAPPY GIRL in a HAPPY CHAIR!