Progress

Today Lonnie went to school without the wheelchair! She is walking slow and her legs still do not straighten completely, but she really wanted to try today on her feet. I hope all goes well, I will know when I pick her up this afternoon.

Medical issues

Lonnie started having difficulty with her right leg on August 28th. She could not straighten it out completely and I could see bruising on both of her knees. It did not improve over Labor Day weekend, so Tuesday we took her to Urgent Care. The doctor there took x-rays which showed no broken bones and she thought she might have done some tendon damage. We wrapped her knee with an Ace bandage and gave her Ibuprofen for 3 days. By then, the bruising was on both legs and knees and she could not straighten either of her knees. We took her to UNM Childrens Hospital where they diagnosed her with a condition called HSP. Basically an inflammation of the blood vessels in her legs. We have been taking her to school in a wheelchair and she is on Ibuprofen 3 times a day. Finally, after more than a month, she can almost straighten her legs completely. Her walking is still unsteady, but she is trying very hard to get well....I promised to take her bowling as soon as she is able.

The stress of dealing with this is showing in her behavior at school. She gets frustrated easily and yells at teachers and other children when they try to help her. I am trying to put the brakes on this before it gets more out-of-hand. I told her if she doesn't stop yelling at others, I won't be able to take her bowling.