To believe or NOT to believe...

I had a heartbreaking conversation with Julia's PT last week. After her session, I just looked at her PT and said....."So, What do you think?......." This person is someone that has been working with disabled kids for over 30 years and seems to know her stuff, or at least have life experiences.....She said cautiously, "well, most kids get most of what they are going to get back 6-12 months after injury." I said, "well, its been three years in January...". She, again cautiously, said, "yes it has been". She said that Julia's responses are different than most kids responses to PT. THat her muscles and responses are just "different" than most brain injured children that she has worked with. She asked if Julia has had a recent MRI. I said, no...not since sept 08 when she was again in PICU seizing uncontrolably.....she said she wanted to talk to the neurologist. As we were leaving the room, she said....this is the hard part.....that I may want to look into residential placement for Julia, as there is usually a 5-6 year wait list for placement. She said that Julia is cute and "manageable" now, but that when kids hit puberty, they often change and can become aggressive and violent. That it could affect my whole family...and that it would be wise to have a place for her lined up - and she stressed ' IF NEEDED. If five or six years comes and she is better or at least controlable, then no harm done - move her down the list another year or so....if she is CURED (what I want!!!) then again, no harm done. But to start considering her future now. What a difficult conversation. I was physically ill the rest of the day thinking about it. My mom, bless her heart, talked to several people she knows with similar situations who said that what this therapist said was not off base. Just to consider signing her up, and wait, and pray, and see. I don't want to believe it will be necessary, and I WILL NOT believe it will be necessary, but I have another child to consider - who just today was CRYING hysterically because Julia would not stop crying - do his feelings and his future well being matter too? Just a simple question to consider. This is about EVERYONE.

Thanks for listening...I will assume some negative responses to this post. I am just trying to think forward.

Susan