Luke was born a healthy 9 lbs, 7 oz, and from the start was great at eating and pooping and even sleeping! However, six weeks after his birth, reality hit me. His wonderful pediatrician confirmed that Luke had congenital torticollis or "tort" for short. I know, I had never heard of such a thing and it sounds dreadful. It really isn't. Basically, it means, "crooked neck." Most likely, due to Luke's large size and my rather small uterus size, Luke simply got crowded in the womb and as a result his SCM shoulder muscle tightened up, causing him to tilt his neck to the left--ALL THE TIME! And while this can affect any number of skills, such as walking and running and even eating, it should not bring the devastation or the despair that so many other sicknesses and disorders can bring upon a family. After all, he could see and hear and his motor strength proved to be very strong. He cooed and smiled and interacted with others perfectly. However, that is exactly how I felt--devastated and in despair.
Our next step was the long journey of physical therapy. From 8 weeks of age until he was a year old, Luke received PT from Early Intervention, from a Pediatric PT Hospital, and at the worst of times, from BOTH. Luke is a stubborn little boy (like his mama!) and most of the PT is parent-reliant, meaning, Andy and I were responsible for conducting his shoulder stretches all day and every day. Luke HATED it--he screamed and cried every time. Inside, I was screaming and crying as well. It was horrible to watch my tiny baby go through this. This was a battle I was just not up for and I admit that sometimes I just felt sorry for myself. However, I always managed to buck up and get him the help he needed to outgrow this. I threw myself into Internet research, visited various specialists all throughout Richmond and even contemplated traveling to Atlanta for a surgical solution.
Then, our miracle happened. In mid-October, at 9 months old, Luke got the chicken pox! This in itself was unbelievable to all, including his pediatrician. Neither his daycare, nor the PT Hospital reported any outbreaks. To this day, we do not know where Luke caught this. Anyways, at the time, Luke was undergoing his most intense and frequent PT sessions, as his progress was not improving as it should be. However, due to his little body being covered in chicken pox, not only was he out of PT for awhile, we had to put a hold on the at-home stretches as well, so as not to exacerbate any discomfort from the chicken pox. While I was somewhat relieved at the break, I worried what the absence in PT would bring for Luke. BUT lo and behold, after two weeks of no stretching, I realized that Luke was not tilting his head nearly as often and that I could even see the left side of his neck, something that was so precious to me, as it was always scrunched up. I couldn't believe it. We raced Luke back down to Richmond to see his orthopedist, who also marveled at the change. He credits the break in the PT, I credit God for "blessing" us with the chicken pox so that we could all slow down enough to pause the PT in the first place. For I, certainly, would never on my own have stopped it. I was so determined to "fix" him, that I went into overdrive trying to get him all the help he needed. In addition to my own determination, his physical therapists, orthopedist, and pediatrician all urged us to extend his PT sessions and to work harder at home with him. Thankfully, the Good Lord stepped in and straightened us all out--literally and figuratively. And today, Luke can walk and run with the best of them. And while you might never know he suffered from torticollis, I will never forget the journey, nor take for granted his ability to run around like crazy! Run, Luke, Run!
To this day, I STILL look at the perfect straightness of his neck with complete adoration. My favorite thing to do is to kiss the left side, as for so many months, it was off limits. I never knew how silly a mother could get over her son's neck! Despite his chubby cheeks and irresistible dimples, his neck is my favorite spot to plant a kiss! And it always brings delightful giggles from Luke!!
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