[Jarrod Guth]

My son (14) just had spinal fusion surgery in June of this year. He has had some issues after the surgery such as sitting for too long can cause his back to be sore. We’ve been doing half days for school right now. He does seem to sit up much more, but he’s not able to bend over which has made toileting tough.

I installed a bidet for him which helps at home, but at school it’s been an issue. I’d love to hear advice on this if there is any.

I wasn’t told and I didn’t know about VBT. I know it’s fairly new, but I wish I had known about it. I don’t know if that would have been the better way to go or not.

[Jarrod Guth]

My son Maxwell is 14 and, in a wheelchair, full time. We have made it a point to make it to the gym at least 3 times a week this year. We were doing well last year, but he had surgery and then I had surgery and we weren’t able to finish the year strong. However, this year we are trying to focus more on a healthy lifestyle.

Getting to the gym is the hardest part, but once we get going, he loves it and when we are in a routine, he really needs it. I think it helps with his confidence and helps with his sleep patterns.

Do you have any thoughts what might be good for me as a caregiver to encourage and keep him motivated from your perspective?

Happy New Year!  I wish you all the best on your goals. It’s an exciting feeling to start fresh.

[Jarrod Guth]

For my son Maxwell, I have made sure that our lights are connected to Google Home, so (as long as it’s not a power outage) he can get the lights back on quickly with his voice. I have also added emergency plugin lights around the house, so they will kick on if there is a power outage. They double as nightlights as well. Not sure if any of this helps, but it has helped us keep him out of the dark.