PT Update

Today at therapy...

• Mary noticed that Mia's knee is more swollen than usual.
  
  
• Mia had a very difficult time doing the stairs exercise and refused to go up the stairs using her left leg first. The same thing with coming down the stairs...she refused to go down the stairs using her right leg first. It seemed like her left leg was really bothering her today.
  
  
• Mary applied moist heat to her left leg and massaged her knee which allowed for a better extension, but Mia was still protecting her leg during the exercises.
  
  
• Mary measured Mia's knee today and she is around -3 degrees. At her last appointment with the rheumatologist, he said the goal is not only for Mia's leg to be completely straight, but when she is sitting down with her legs together out in front of her that we should be able to lift her left foot up so that it is off the floor. This is something all kids can do. Mia can do it with her right leg, but not with her left because of how the JRA is effecting her knee.

So, these are the things we need to work on with her...and what we need to pray about. Mia goes back next Wednesday for another appointment with her rheumatologist. This will be a longer appointment because they are going to be doing more blood work and checking for any JRA markers in her blood and checking her sedimentation rate. They will also be checking for traces of mycoplasma in her blood.

Will keep you posted...