Bradley will be starting his Sophomore year of High School tomorrow. He will be in the Marching Band again and he will start Driver's Education.
I will continue to push Bradley in all of the parades. He loves being a part of the Band and I want to do everything possible to allow him this opportunity. When I push him in the parades, I have a great sense of pride in my son and I am thankful to God for making it all possible.
Driver's Education and Driving are milestones that every teenager hopes to reach. This is one thing we were not sure would be possible for Bradley. Our expectation was that he would need special accommodations requiring hand controls to drive, something he will still need eventually.
This year also brings questions about his mobility. As he gets older, we are noticing that he is gradually declining. Our current challenge is the diificulty he is having with walking because of the pain in his ankle. We are waiting to confirm a diagnosis of avascular necrosis (the breaking down of bones in his ankles due to lack of blood flow-most likely caused by long term steroid use). That MRI will be done next month.
We anticipate the possibility that he may have to stop his steroids (the gold standard for slowing or maintaining muscle strength in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy). If steroids are stopped, we anticipate a faster decline in mobility. Of course, the steroids will be decreased slowly before being stopped completely. But still, things could change significantly for him. We may be looking at a power wheelchair in the near future.
But then again, Bradley has already beat the odds. He has fought hard with determination and inner strength from God. And God has given him almost 3 1/2 years more of walking. God has been good to Bradley and to us. I praise God for that!
