Two Worlds

Sometimes, I feel a little schizophrenic.

In the sense that I feel I am in two worlds at once.

The world of Vera and Daen - is one filled with hospital visits, medications, constantly figuring out what's causing Vera's this and that, and anxiety over when Daen's JIA will rear its ugly head.

The other, is the world of Advertising which I love and have an immense passion for. Work is a magical world of make-believe. We make up words, pictures, storylines - all while having more than a few laughs. The irony is, I work to de-stress, to get away from my full-time job of mothering two kids with special needs.

In the midst of rushing between the two worlds, mostly when I'm driving, I sometimes wonder who I really am.

That's when I know it's time to get my fix: A good book and a flat white.

Who Will Look After Vera?

The other day, I casually asked Daen.

"When Mummy and Daddy grow old, who will look after Chea Chea?"

"Auntie!" he quipped, referring to our helper.

"When Auntie grows old, who will look after Chea Chea?" I continued.

"Daen!" he offered, without the slightly hesitation. 

"When Daen grows old, who will look after Chea Chea?" I ventured.

"Nobody!" 

The reality of his answer hit me somewhat, and tears welled up in my eyes. 

He looked at me, then with a soft voice said: "Don't worry. I'll still look after Chea Chea when I'm old."

Vera's Rifton Activity Chair is Here!

The Queen has a new throne

Finally, Vera's proper chair arrived at our home.

The good helpful people from DNR Wheels brought it and fitted it for her.

A kind old friend and my mother chipped in for this chair, which came in at a hefty S$4800 (US$3800) including shipping.

Like Vera's Bugaboo Bee pram, it is scalable on many fronts, so it can grow with her - so we considered it a worthwhile investment if she can use it for the next 6 years. Thankfully, Vera doesn't grow fast height-wise.

Immediate benefits:
1) Less strain on our backs carrying her in and out
2) Side supports for her curved spine
3) She can 'sit' with us at the dining table
4) Look at us at eye level instead of looking up at us all the time
5) Proper footrest

Long-term benefits:
When Vera gets really heavy, we will be able to push her to the bathroom to do a transfer, and minimise carrying.

For now, she is well-supported and I am a happy mom. : )

Auntie L

Auntie L is Vera's first physiotherapist.

I believe we brought Vera to see her when she was a year old or so.

We received lots of good, practical advice from her. Each visit was an educational cum hands-on session.

We stopped seeing Auntie L a few years later when Vera seemed to fall sick every few months and hence made little progress physio-wise.

Vera is now 6 and we bumped into Auntie L at the hospital today.

One look at Vera and she could tell she was slouching in her pram because the seat had become too shallow. It no longer supported her under the knees.

I think having her point that out to me was an Eureka moment. Sometimes we get lost in the day-to-day matters to actually take stock and review current "settings". 

She offered some suggestions to extend the seat, since the backrest of the pram still had room for height growth. 

When I related the events to Ian, he recalled, "I think the Bugaboo Bee's seat can be extended. That's one of the reasons you bought it."

I had completely forgotten. I googled to find out if it were indeed true that the Bee's seat could be extended. 

Yes it can! With a simple seat lift and tug, no screws whatever. 

I adjusted it to the exactly depth required - 10 inches - and happily found it could still protrude some more. 

Sometimes the solution is right under your nose - you just need the right people to point it out to you!