All I can say is "Wow, what a crazy ride!" I have to admit that these last couple of months have been tough but they have gone by fast and with my school finals coming to an end, signs of Spring, and Korbin starting to walk without assistance....I can FINALLY see a light at the end of the tunnel!
For those of you that haven't already heard, Korbin had his follow-up appointment on April 12 and his x-rays showed that the surgery is healing well enough for Korbin to start walking again! To be honest we didn't really know what to expect, especially after being in a wheelchair for almost eight weeks. Our hope was for him to just get up and go but like everything else it didn't come without challenges. Korbin is re-learning to walk all over again and it has been a very slow and difficult process thus far.
At first, the okay to start walking was a day Korbin was looking forward to but it quickly turned to disappointment after he learned that it was harder than he thought it would be. The therapist started him out on a walker and for the first week he was only comfortable to take a few steps at a time. Any other time you would catch him crawling on his hands and knees to get him where he wanted to go. Brad and I have found that each day needs to consist of constant support, encouragement, and even a little tough love to keep him motivated.
Korbin is still going to school in his wheelchair until he is able to walk strongly without assistance by request of his therapist. Brad and I have been feeling like the wheelchair is going to haunt us forever! Korbin has not only taken several chunks out of our walls but just got busted at school by tipping flat on his back by doing a wheelie...that's our boy!
Okay, now for an emotional moment. This whole ordeal has been nothing but hard to watch and what took me by surprise was how heartbreaking it has been watching him struggle to gain his independence back. It is so difficult to watch my child limp, hobble and stumble under the weight of his own body. It is gut wrenching to wipe his tears at the end of the day because his feet hurt so badly he can't stand up anymore. It is extremely hard to hold back my own tears when I look at his defeated face and tell him not to give up. I wish nothing more than to take his place because I realize that I honestly can't imagine what he is going through physically.
It wasn't until the past two days that Korbin's determination has kicked in and he has decided that he is not giving up or giving in to this stupid disease. He has ditched the walker and is committed to walking on his own. He is still struggling to turn his foot in when he walks but he is making leaps and bounds! And although I have known this all along I just have to say that at the end of the day I sit back watching his progress and realize that I have one AMAZING little boy! He has so many forces against him and although he has had his moments of tears and defeat, he doesn't give up! He finds the positive in everything and continues to push through his challenges each and everyday. He truly is my hero and I am continuing to learn so much from him.
Although Korbin has more challenges to face with perthes disease, we have started to barrel through some pretty big hurdles. Brad and I are SO proud to have Korbin as our son! He brings new meaning to the words TOUGH, STRONG, OPTIMISM, and DETERMINATION. Keep it up buddy! We LOVE you sooo much and one day mommy and daddy promise this challenge WILL all be over!
