PE Lessons are now Banned
K has been doing really well since returning to school at the start of September. So much so that many people thought his pain had vanished. Oh — if only! What had happened was a combination of the pain (both back & stomach) dropping to a tolerable level and K finally “owning” or accepting it as part of his life for now.
He also started physiotherapy at the local hospital at the end of August (to help him lengthen his badly shortened ham strings) — attending every few weeks with a routine of exercise to perform three times a day. His progress was excellent and, by early October, he was able to use a cross-trainer and other equipment in the Physio Dept. for short periods of time without any problem. The wheelchair started gathering dust and he was voluntarily using the stairs (rather than the disability elevator) in school to try and strengthen his legs.
With all of this positive progress, it was decided to encourage him to start taking part in PE again at school. Bad idea 🙁
Last Wednesday, he was hit in the stomach whilst playing dodgeball. At first, he as fine – just a little winded. Ten minutes later, the stomach pain started to increase. After few more minutes, he was sent to the school’s Medical Room. They contacted me as they went through the usual routine of pain medication and a warm wheatbag but, two hours later, I had to bring him home in the wheelchair.
He was off for the next 2 days with severe pain but started to improve over the weekend. Monday, he went back into school and was fine. Tuesday, he work with pain but was given pains meds and sent into school. Later in the morning, he was back in the Medical Room again for more pain meds. Shortly after noon, he was brought home — again in the wheelchair as there was no way he could walk the .75 miles home. When he got home, he couldn’t even undress himself. 🙁
So we’ve now had another 2 days off school. That’s just a little over 50% attendance in the past 2 weeks. I’ve now got a week’s half-term holiday to get him back to the point where he can get to school and stay there. But no more PE lessons. Its just too risky.
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