Voiding Dysfunction Therapy Session #3 and Volunteer Help

What I REEEEALLY want to post about is the miracles that took place at Disney, however time does not permit just yet!! I will need hours to prepare for that one!!

However, yesterday was Day 3 of Garrett's 6 week, once per week voiding dysfunction therapy. Yesterday he got onto the exam table and let Mr. Kevin, the physical therapist, put the three stickers on his bum that measure his muscle use. It took a bit, but eventually Garrett relaxed enough that his muscle relaxation made the computer's measurements get low enough that some music would play. At home at in Orlando on our trip, we worked daily on some potty exercises. They are described near the end of this post. But today was focused on how to use his pelvic floor muscles. Garrett got a bit more control of the muscles and had the music playing on and off as he relaxed them some, but then he kept lying there on the table making his belly do the wave while his caregiver RaeAnn and I tried so hard not to giggle. I was holding it together pretty well even with Garrett passing lots of gas and looking at me when he did it, but THEN Mr. Kevin sent me over the edge. The music wasn't playing, but Garrett was talking about "farts." And then it happened. Mr. Kevin says (in his most soothing voice that almost had me dead asleep at once, oh, and he looks just like Jesus in the movies), "Garrett, good job buddy. Know what I want you to do next? I want you to make the music play and fart at the same time!" I LOST IT!!!! Totally unprofessional of me, but I could no longer sit there on these giggles that had errupted. So I put my head down and laughed silently, that convulsive, silent laugh until I was crying HARD!!! It was just too funny!!! And then RaeAnn leans over and says, "Grouchy would be out in the waiting room howling like a coyote right now!" And then I started laughing and crying harder because I could hear him in my mind!!! Mr. Kevin was proud of Garrett for going along with his therapy more today. Garrett is super-anxious about some things, and doctors' offices or exam rooms are some of those things. Kevin said Garrett's pelvic floor is just super-closed and tight, but thinks there is help for that by continuing therapy. It should go three more sessions/weeks, but I will bet we need to extend that some since halfway through we are only now getting into the treatment part. Stay tuned for week four update next week!

Here is Garrett with two of our friends, Seth and Joe (these two guys are such great sports!!!), at Give Kids the World, working on potty exercises:

Begin by sitting a bit forward on the potty with feet on the floor or if you are small, feet on a stool. Lean forward and clasp hands and rest forearms near the knees. Seth and Joe and Garrett are here showing how to take long, deep breaths and then next let them out slowly....S-L-O-W-L-Y..... Do that three times: 

Next you make a big belly a few times:

Then you relax and try to push poop out. Okay, we skipped that step and ended the exercise.....for obvious reasons.....COUCH!!!!

Blessings and happy pooping!
Clara-Leigh