Ben Update

Snowy Morning

Got up this morning to find we have another covering of snow.  Not very much - around a centimetre - and it is still snowing lightly. I mention this because it will not go down well with Ben.  Snow usually means Ben disappears for hours on end playing and sledging in the adjacent fields.  Only returning when he is wet or tired or hungry. So with his current confinement he will not be allowed out today.

Otherwise Ben is doing very well.  It took him awhile to fully understand the implications of his accident and why it is important not to run around, etcetera, and why he must mainly either lie down or stand. He is allowed to sit for short periods, e.g, meal times. Occasionally he has to have a reminder but in the main appreciates what he needs to do to get better.

Pulpit Ben

School has been the major issue though. Fortunately his teacher has been very understanding and due to the snow a couple of weeks ago the school was closed for the week.  One of the problems was having to stand so I built him a pulpit to go on top of his desk, which seems to be working well.  Also his desk is next to a wall section and he can lean here when he is not at his desk and they have also provided him with a place to lie down - with a mattress!

He started going back just for half days and then Tom would bring the other work back for him and he did that in the evening.  The first week he found extremely tiring. In fact the Thursday he came home after an hour and then missed the Friday.  With the weekend he had a good rest and was back on the Monday.

This week he went back expecting to do half days but felt much better and on the Tuesday he returned to school after lunch.  Now he is doing full days but we collect him at lunch time and he comes home for his lunch and a rest. Plus the staff were concerned that the lunch time rush maybe a bit too much for him (and them).  One half day a week the children have PE or swimming so he stays home then.

Apart from lying down on the sofa, watching TV, he has been helping his mum do some baking, so we have a good supply of buns and biscuits.  He has also invented a little board game, which between us we have developed, into quite a good little game. Otherwise he lies down playing with toys or reading.

He has another scan on the 9th April and after that we are hoping he will be able to start swimming, then cycling - depending on the scan results and doctor.  Rugby is out until September, and similar activities.  The only thing he is a little upset about is that the doctor has says he may have to miss the school trip (although the teachers are happy for him to go).  We'll have to wait and see on the results for that one.

So he is half way through the six weeks the doctors said he must lie or stand and we are very pleased at how he is coping with it.  There again this injury doesn't seem to stop him winding his brother up!!