3 weeks

Meet Gabe!

Meet Gabe's Cast!

(And yes, I know it's purple... purples Gabe's favorite color!)***

For the next 3 weeks Gabriel will be wearing 3 different casts on his 2 little arms. Each Tuesday, yesterday being the first, Gabe will get a new cast on one of his arms. The first 2 weeks the casts will be 'stretching and strengthening' cast on his left arm. This cast made of plaster and fiberglass will stretch his muscles and strengthen his shoulder.

The 'stretching and strengthening' cast is all in preperation of Gabe's 3rd cast; the restriction cast. This cast will go on his RIGHT arm and even encompass his cute little fingers. The goal of the restriction cast will be to force Gabe to use his left arm during that week.

In case you haven't picked up on the fact before; Gabe is pretty stubborn and strong-willed (a lot like his dad) and although he's worn a removable restricter cast on his right arm for a few hours everyday for the past 5(?) months, he's now learned to wait it out. Gabe knows that eventually it will come off so he just waits to do what he wants until it comes off, then he uses his handy-dandy right arm to do whatever he needs to do.

We need Gabe to learn that both arms work! That lefty can be just as handy-dandy as righty. Here's to hoping this will work!!! And it better work, because I'm not sure what the next step to get Gabe to recognize and use his left hand and arm would be.

Does Gabe like his cast, you ask? Not a bit. His whining has increased a bit, he tries to pull it off (which is pretty funny if you ask me) and since it inhibits his rolling a bit, I've found him yelling a bit more. While he doesn't like it, it isn't hurting him. So we'll just roll with it and hope we get a little bit more sleep tonight than last night!

***Purple really isn't Gabe's favorite color, it was just the only option. I've been told his next cast will be something more manly like blue, green or red. But if anyone can pull off a purple cast, Gabe can [smile]! But I do look forward to running into someone who asks why purple, because I will most certainly tell them it's Gabe's favorite color!