botubaby update

With almost a year and a half since Gracelyn was hospitalized with C-Botulism, I look at her and am amazed at how she can run, roll around, lift her arms and legs, touch her face, pick up objects, eat and drink on her own, ALL things that due to the paralysis of nerves, she couldn't do a year ago. Now she can and she does them well.
We saw her physical therapist, Mr. Derrick, a month ago, for the first time since she was discharged from PT a year ago, and he was shocked at how well she was doing. He was using technical physical terms as he watched her step, step up, walk backwards, duck under a railing, balance on a wobbly apparatus, but then looked at me and said "she's physically normal, where a toddler her age should be!" YAY!! I knew it because I could see it and with 3 older kids, I knew she was where they were physically at her age but it was great to hear it from a pro. I mentioned to him that she wasn't talking and he said to me that it'll come.
Well last Thursday after looking at a Mickey Mouse book with a family member and Gracelyn not being able to tell who the characters were, the person became frustrated and asked if I thought there was a problem with G. My kids not knowing cartoon characters doesn't set off alarm bells and whistles to me. This person has been and was comparing Gracelyn to her cousin who is 7 months older and is the first child while G is the fourth. I asked if she remembered that Gracelyn was paralyzed and almost died? No response. While she was alluding to a mental issue. I know it's NOT mental and we left.
Now I am not going to act as if I am not concerned about Gracelyn. I worry about all of my kids but none like I have been about G. I worry daily about the effects of the toxin that invaded her little body. People at church specifically, I suppose because they prayed for her for so long, ask me often if I have seen any other affects in her in the last year. The toxin broke down the "connectors" between nerves and muscles making it impossible for G to do anything. I believe Gracelyn needed more speech therapy than what she received while in the hospital. She drank from a bottle after 3 weeks of nothing by mouth and 3 days later she was home. She was much too weak to suck so she was fed by syringe for several weeks following, much too long and her docs agree.
I spoke to our pediatrician Friday when Blaine went in for his 5 year well check. She agreed with me. She said it's like the saying, "if you don't use it, you lose it." Gracelyn can communicate and she understands when we tell her to do or not do something so the doctor reinforced that it's NOT mental. She needs therapy to build the muscles in order to talk. Gracelyn jabbers alot but it's not clear and she cannot enunciate most first syllables of words. She needs therapy and that is exactly what she will get. We go in for an evaluation around the middle of this month to begin the process.
Friday I also called the Botulism Prevention and Treatment Program in CA. I just love them, specifically Jessica. She is my go-to gal and she can always calm my fears and give me specifics as to my worries about Gracelyn. She also agreed and said that Gracelyn would benefit from speech therapy and also reminded me that she is child #4 so that very well may be a large part of it too.
Regardless, Gracelyn, with the stubbornness and mercy and grace God blessed her with, has tackled the challenges set before her and is just perfect. We thank God for her and know that she can overcome any challenge she may face.