Today was an okay day for Ella. I would love to say it was fabulous, but she struggled as the day went on. Much to my delight, her morning started off great. We laughed our way through breakfast, played with Jack, and some toys, before CJ woke up, and hung out with the boys the rest of the morning. The laughs her brothers can get from her are contagious.

Lunch was awesome too! She ate every last bite of the hamburger Steve made for her and all of her mandarin oranges. After lunch I took her to her room to get cleaned up, where we laughed and read a book before I turned on Goldie and Bear so she could relax. She really was in such great spirits.

It wasn’t until Dani arrived that things got weird. Ella was making strange faces, and twice her body went limp. If it lasted three seconds, that was a lot, but it happened. The face she was making looked all too familiar, and not in a good way. We were given a two week timeframe for her to adjust to the meds and I am unsure if this is part of the adjustment. I am going to reach out to her neurologist tonight for feedback. If it’s normal, I want to know.

With all that has been going on with covid, Ella has missed so much. She hasn’t been getting the therapies that have been helping her keep on track and moving. She hasn’t been getting the group socialization she loves. Her routine has completely been screwed up, as well as the structure of her day. All these adjustments to any child are tough, but especially for Ella who thrives on consistency.

One place we also loved taking Ella every week was to her chiropractor, Dr. Joe Carfora, of Carfora Chiropractic. Due to the fact that Ella sits most of the day and has low tone, there are many things going on with her musculoskeletal system that we feel can painlessly, and effectively, be adjusted with chiropractic care. One of the most noticeable for us is her difficulty pooping. Dr. Joe is amazing! Not only after her treatment is she feeling better and showing increased movements, we also leave with the promise of a poop (it’s the little things).

We have been seeing Dr. Joe over a year now and he continues to play a huge role in our care plan for Ella. Not only that, he has truly become such a great friend and advocate. I can’t tell you how many times he has listened and offered a new perspective on struggles we are having with Ella. He shares in our joys, feels our pain, and is one of Ella’s biggest cheerleaders.

I will never forget the first day Ella met Dr. Joe. We were sitting in his office going over her medial history and getting feedback on ways he thought Ella could benefit from chiropractic care. He paused and asked if he could hold, and talk, to Ella for moment. The second he picked her up, she grinned from ear to ear. That smile will get you every time. He was hooked.

Since that first day, their bond has only grown deeper. When she comes in the office he always asks about her day, talks to her during the entire adjustment, is always telling her how pretty she looks, and makes it his personal mission to get her to laugh at each visit. He doesn’t treat her any differently than me, despite the fact that she is nonverbal and has tried to rip his beard and nose off. I lied, he does wipe her boogers. He still won’t wipe mine. 😉

Dr. Joe is one in a million and we are so thankful that we found him. As expected, he is just as wonderful with Steve and myself, when it comes to quality care. We are old and falling apart but he is doing a great job of putting us back together. This week he is returning to the office, and we could not be more excited. It’s been a long few months without him. Not that he needs a fabulous endorsement, but if you are in the market for a chiropractor, I give Dr. Joe five stars.

Ella has an army and Dr. Joe is certainly part of it. This week will be her first time seeing him since the seizures began. It will be interesting to see if she responds differently to treatment. One thing I know for sure is that she will be over the moon excited to see her buddy.

P.S. I decided this morning I need to work on getting my posts up earlier in the day. I went back and read what I wrote, without my eyes half closed, and all I can say is that you guys must speak my language or are really good at decoding things. I clearly failed with the timetable tonight. Ugh.

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