This is Allison at the end of January. Her MRI showed that everything was intact, but as you can very well see, something is wrong. She couldn't lift her shoulder or hold it in place without a figure-of-eight brace. Sometimes it would drop even with the brace on. The orthopedists finally determined that it was her collarbone popping in and out of the SC joint. The instability caused constant bruising where the scar tissue would break and bleed every time it popped in and out (which was with almost every breath). The only thing that they knew to do was for her to continue wearing her figure-of-eight brace and her sling all the time, and, if it wasn't healing in three weeks, they would refer her to a specialist in Charlotte if they could find someone that would accept her. What should we expect? This is not the first time a doctor has said he doesn't know what else to do with her. Considering the previous nine weeks in the same braces and nothing but worsening, we decided to ask for a referral to the specialist in Charlotte.
Certainly, the Lord is the Great Physician and knows exactly what needs to be done even when it seems so strange and silly to us. The morning after her appointment with the orthopedist, we had some appointments with our doctor. It "just so happens" that he had just gotten a new chiropractor in the office. Of course, with God there are no coincidences. This doctor had come from New York, and had seen the kinesio taping method. He had never actually taped, but if we were willing, he was willing. Sometimes you get to the point of "we've tried everything else and nothing is working......so why not?!?" We first envisioned Allison with tape from here to yonder, round and round, like a mummy, trying to keep pressure on the collarbone. You can imagine our shock when the doctor, as he's looking at his "instruction manual", cuts three small pieces of tape about an inch wide and six inches long. We popped her into joint, and he then proceeded to place them crossing over her SC joint. As he was carefully placing them, Mom spoke the question that was running through all of our minds and one that is probably running through yours at this very moment....."Now, what are three little pieces of tape going to do?" We soon found out.
The first thing that amazed us was that she got up off the table without help and didn't pop out! Then within an hour she was free of pain for the first time in nine weeks. This far exceeded our highest hopes. After the first taping, she went 10 hours without popping out of joint. What a blessing! The greatest accomplishment was when she went all the way from Thursday, Feb. 19th to Friday, Feb. 27th without popping out! The Lord certainly directed our paths in a way that was far beyond human reasoning. What a great God that we serve!
The doctor taught us how to tape her so that we could do it at home instead of having to take her to the office. The tape lasts for 3-5 days before it starts wearing out and coming loose, so, at the least, she would have to go in twice a week. These pictures are from our first in-home taping...what an experience!
This was when her collarbone wasn't staying in joint a whole 24 hours so the adhesive on the tape was still very much so intact. We found that baby oil gel works great to loosen it up. That way we can leave the skin with as little irritation as possible.
Peeling the tape off.
Okay, okay.....it does hurt a
little bit....or is this the true colors shining through? : )
Whew! It's off!
Washing off the residue.
Popping it back into place.
Now, after all the preliminaries, the taping begins...
One...
So serious
Two...
Three...
All done!
This is what three little pieces of tape can do in two days compared to the first picture of what the braces were "accomplishing" in nine weeks. What a difference! We are so thankful to the Lord for giving the doctors wisdom!
She chose hot pink to match her kinesio tape. (see Feb.25th blog post)
Want to "sign" her cast?......just leave a comment! : )
