Limb lengthening - practical things...

I am slightly delayed writing this, a few months after removal, but hopefully I can remember all the practical things that helped us...

- Stay at a Ronald McDonald Hose if you can - the interactions with the staff and volunteers will give your child the much needed variety...
- Set up the home tutoring before discharge, it takes a while to arrange
- See if your child is eligible for free disability transport - in some cities they have a special bus service with a wheelchair lift - super helpful!!!
- Learn how to operate the wheelchair and get your kid used to it before surgery
- Use a backpack - shoulder bags and pushing a wheelchair don't mix well
- Blue medical bed pads ROCK when you have to move a child from a pool to a wheelchair into a shower - who says they are single use - Ours lasted months of showering and pool time
- Noone will tell you this before: your child will need a commode, get one to have ready after discharge
- You may need 2 grown ups to move a child around initially - find out - have a plan
- Push up bars help give your child extra length in their arms as they use their arms to move around
- If your child will have pool therapy every day, get a padlock, keep flipflops, shorts, all bathing things, hair dryer in a locker - will sav you all the carrying around...
- Traveling to the UK: we have a magical thing called 6+ paracetamol/acetaminophen oral suspension- you will want to buy bottles of this stuff, trust me
- Kids need to wear footplates all they long - whatever you do, ALWAYS put the darn velcro in the same spot...

I am sure there is a million other things I can't remember anymore, will come back and add to this