When she is in her Boston brace she can't fully feel when someone gives her a hug. She wanted a "real" brace-free hug. I was happy to oblige.
Dancer Girl is a hugger. Maybe that's what makes the brace hugs tough for her. We try our best to wrap our arms around her so she still feels the hug, but it is different. And for a hugger, that is hard to accept.
She has been doing so well with the brace - never really complaining (sure, there are moments of frustration but overall her attitude has been remarkable), not protesting when we tell her to put it on or trying to bargain extra out-of-brace time, even remembering herself to get in her hours (although most days she needs a friendly reminder) - that we forget sometimes how it continues to impact the little things for her every day.
But it is hard, it is not comfortable, it is inconvenient, it is restrictive, and it makes hugs less... huggy.
It also makes it so she can't feel if the seatbelt is on in the car - a strange sensation by her report.
She can't tell if her pants are slipping from her "waist" - that is where a belt adds some security!
She can't get at that itch that just popped up on her stomach, often resulting in fairly interesting attempts to poke pencils and sticks in there before finally giving up and taking off the brace in the bathroom to relieve the itching.
But the hardest part emotionally for her are the hugs.
I am glad she still wants hugs so am happy to give them whenever she needs it - brace-free or not. It is nice for both of us.
Hi, so glad I found your blogsite. My daughter is just about to get her brace and we are all really worried. The hugging is something that I have been thinking about a lot. My daughter is Big on hugs and she wont have thought about the impact of the brace in this respect, but I have. Do you sometime take the brace off, just for a hug ??
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PandaMom
The hugging was awkward at first and surprised us all a bit. We learned to hug differently - higher up above the brace (depending on the brace this may or may not work), making the most of brace-free moments to get the hugs in, and sometimes taking it off for a good hug. The problem with that is the logistics of removing it, but sometimes you just really need a good hug! There will be an adjustment. Be patient. And even after you think the adjustment has happened there will be tears. Be patient again. It has been up & down but we have been surprised and impressed by how well our daughter has handled it all in the end. When does your daughter get her brace? Do let us know how things are going. We are always happy to share and listen as best we can in this format.
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