Not sure what to do....

[humphrey711]

<br>Hello all. I am looking for thoughts and opinions here. My daughter has chest pt three times a week with a PT from a local agency that specializes in cf. This woman lives in my town and has been working with my daughter for two years and she does a good job. My problem is she is inflexible and doesn't have the greatest personality. A few months ago there was a change in our schedule and i forgot she was coming on a particular day. I was next door when I saw her pull up and ran home. The first thing she said to me was "when i get here I expect her to be here" in a very stern tone. I was irritated to say the least.She is afraid of dogs so I always have our dogs outside when she comes over. A few weeks ago she had a car accident and had whip lash. On Friday my dogs ran in the house when I thought the door was closed and they ran at her but didn't bite her. She actually grabbed my kiddo and pulled her in front of her. Today she calls me to tell me she was re-injured when the dogs knocked into her and that she called her agency and they support her !00%. If another incident like this happens again she can no longer see our daughter. Fine. I get that. Again what bothers me is her tone. It was like she was threatening me. I was not happy and shared my concerns with her. Bottom line....it is time to find a new therapist. The problem is there is only one agency I know of that actually has therapists that know how to do this and they don't have anyone else that can see my kiddo. So now I am on the hunt for a new agency or anyone who might know how to do this. We live in MA so if anyone knows of an agency please let me know. On the other hand we have been toying with idea of the vest. She has PT three times a week and we do the rest of the week. My daughter is only going to be five in April so she is still growing. Not sure how the vest works with that. I realize I am rambling and this is long but any thoughts are appreciated on the situation, agencies, the vest. Thanks!

 

[humphrey711]

<br>Hello all. I am looking for thoughts and opinions here. My daughter has chest pt three times a week with a PT from a local agency that specializes in cf. This woman lives in my town and has been working with my daughter for two years and she does a good job. My problem is she is inflexible and doesn't have the greatest personality. A few months ago there was a change in our schedule and i forgot she was coming on a particular day. I was next door when I saw her pull up and ran home. The first thing she said to me was "when i get here I expect her to be here" in a very stern tone. I was irritated to say the least.She is afraid of dogs so I always have our dogs outside when she comes over. A few weeks ago she had a car accident and had whip lash. On Friday my dogs ran in the house when I thought the door was closed and they ran at her but didn't bite her. She actually grabbed my kiddo and pulled her in front of her. Today she calls me to tell me she was re-injured when the dogs knocked into her and that she called her agency and they support her !00%. If another incident like this happens again she can no longer see our daughter. Fine. I get that. Again what bothers me is her tone. It was like she was threatening me. I was not happy and shared my concerns with her. Bottom line....it is time to find a new therapist. The problem is there is only one agency I know of that actually has therapists that know how to do this and they don't have anyone else that can see my kiddo. So now I am on the hunt for a new agency or anyone who might know how to do this. We live in MA so if anyone knows of an agency please let me know. On the other hand we have been toying with idea of the vest. She has PT three times a week and we do the rest of the week. My daughter is only going to be five in April so she is still growing. Not sure how the vest works with that. I realize I am rambling and this is long but any thoughts are appreciated on the situation, agencies, the vest. Thanks!

 

[azdesertrat]

Most assuredly time to get rid of the therapist.
I used the vest for about 9 months pre-trans. It seemed to work pretty good. I would do all my meds via nebulizer while doing 'vest therapy'.
I have no idea what problems you may have with a child of 5 & the vest. I guess you would have to talk with her pulmonologist about finding the right size & when the time comes, trading for the next larger as needed.
As dog lovers, we've always had the idea 'love me, love my dog(s)'! Best of luck to you.

 

[azdesertrat]

Most assuredly time to get rid of the therapist.
I used the vest for about 9 months pre-trans. It seemed to work pretty good. I would do all my meds via nebulizer while doing 'vest therapy'.
I have no idea what problems you may have with a child of 5 & the vest. I guess you would have to talk with her pulmonologist about finding the right size & when the time comes, trading for the next larger as needed.
As dog lovers, we've always had the idea 'love me, love my dog(s)'! Best of luck to you.

 

[kitomd21]

The vest can be started when a child's chest circumference meets a certain measurement - definitely by the time they are 1.5 to 2 yrs old. It's the same machine for everyone - child or adult. The actual vest size changes as they grow. The settings on the machine also vary per the size of the child. DD uses the vest - my goodness, what a time saver. We did manual CPT for over a year at 2-3 times daily until she was about 1.5 yrs old.

 

[kitomd21]

The vest can be started when a child's chest circumference meets a certain measurement - definitely by the time they are 1.5 to 2 yrs old. It's the same machine for everyone - child or adult. The actual vest size changes as they grow. The settings on the machine also vary per the size of the child. DD uses the vest - my goodness, what a time saver. We did manual CPT for over a year at 2-3 times daily until she was about 1.5 yrs old.

 

[Beccamom]

We have the Hill Rom Vest and I believe all 3 companies work the same way. As the child grows the machine iteself stays the same just the Vest size grows. We were told that new vests as a person grows are free as well as replacement parts such as hoses. We have not needed a new vest size yet. If size changes was a concern I would not worry about that.

 

[Beccamom]

We have the Hill Rom Vest and I believe all 3 companies work the same way. As the child grows the machine iteself stays the same just the Vest size grows. We were told that new vests as a person grows are free as well as replacement parts such as hoses. We have not needed a new vest size yet. If size changes was a concern I would not worry about that.

 

[JENNYC]

I was such a skeptic when the vest was mentioned to us for our then 5 year old. I was afraid that it wouldn't do as good as we were doing her Chest PT, you know not flipping her in all different positions and such. She was hospitalized several times that particular year with her lungs infections. We have had the vest now for 1.5 years and will never look back. She has had 0 lung problems since we have had the vest. Not to mention everyone is happier! She sits and plays games while doing her vest, and she's not getting flipped every which way and she controls it; and we are not wearing our arms out! I truly believe you will LOVE the vest! My vote is give it a shot! Good Luck!!

 

[JENNYC]

I was such a skeptic when the vest was mentioned to us for our then 5 year old. I was afraid that it wouldn't do as good as we were doing her Chest PT, you know not flipping her in all different positions and such. She was hospitalized several times that particular year with her lungs infections. We have had the vest now for 1.5 years and will never look back. She has had 0 lung problems since we have had the vest. Not to mention everyone is happier! She sits and plays games while doing her vest, and she's not getting flipped every which way and she controls it; and we are not wearing our arms out! I truly believe you will LOVE the vest! My vote is give it a shot! Good Luck!!

 

[ymikhale]

CPT is very individual, some people swear by the vest, others prefer manual. If you have an option to try out the vest, i would go for it, you will see if it works for you. In my country there is no vest, we only have PTs, so i can hear you on the difficulty of finding a good one. If you feel you relationship with her is deteriorating it is definitely worth looking for a new one if you go that route.

 

[ymikhale]

CPT is very individual, some people swear by the vest, others prefer manual. If you have an option to try out the vest, i would go for it, you will see if it works for you. In my country there is no vest, we only have PTs, so i can hear you on the difficulty of finding a good one. If you feel you relationship with her is deteriorating it is definitely worth looking for a new one if you go that route.

 

[PatrickM]

Hi,
The vest is great. It frees up your time so much and as your daughter gets older she'll appreciate being able to do it when "she" wants and not when it is scheduled. It will give her some flexibility and control. I am in Mass as well, I am not sure where you go for CF care but we used to be at MGH and they were not as pro vest. We switched to Children's 3 years ago and they use the vest a lot there. It can be a bit of a hassle depending on your insurance company and I was told by our MD that once you own the vest the insurance company will supposedly not pay for in home PT if you should need that down the line. I figured I could always do the PT myself if it came to that. We went with the vest and have never regretted it. Call the nurses at your clinic and ask them to put you in touch with the physical therapist. He/she can help you with the vest.

As far as finding other agencies to do chest pt ask your clinic. I am sure there are other people out there if that is what you are more comfortable with. It does sound like your current pt lady isn't a good match any longer. Plus I would think performing the chest pt on people all day would bother her whip lash more than your dogs startling her would.

Good luck,

Tara

 

[PatrickM]

Hi,
The vest is great. It frees up your time so much and as your daughter gets older she'll appreciate being able to do it when "she" wants and not when it is scheduled. It will give her some flexibility and control. I am in Mass as well, I am not sure where you go for CF care but we used to be at MGH and they were not as pro vest. We switched to Children's 3 years ago and they use the vest a lot there. It can be a bit of a hassle depending on your insurance company and I was told by our MD that once you own the vest the insurance company will supposedly not pay for in home PT if you should need that down the line. I figured I could always do the PT myself if it came to that. We went with the vest and have never regretted it. Call the nurses at your clinic and ask them to put you in touch with the physical therapist. He/she can help you with the vest.

As far as finding other agencies to do chest pt ask your clinic. I am sure there are other people out there if that is what you are more comfortable with. It does sound like your current pt lady isn't a good match any longer. Plus I would think performing the chest pt on people all day would bother her whip lash more than your dogs startling her would.

Good luck,

Tara

 

[Cherylwithone]

Contact Children's Hospital in Boston. I am sure they know of others that can do this.My daughter uses the vest (Hillrom). She can do it while watching TV which makes it go by faster.<br>I would have gotten ridden of that lady long ago. How was she doing PT if she had whiplash?

 

[Cherylwithone]

Contact Children's Hospital in Boston. I am sure they know of others that can do this.My daughter uses the vest (Hillrom). She can do it while watching TV which makes it go by faster.<br>I would have gotten ridden of that lady long ago. How was she doing PT if she had whiplash?

 

[mysticrose]

I LOVE the vest it has made our lives soo much easier! When they are in the hospital the kids opt for the vest because they feel like they really move more junk. There is also the wand thingy I can't remember the name of. We had that for awhile and it just didn't work that well.
As far as growing our experience has been pretty good. All I have had to do is call the company and they send out a new vest as long as the child in question meets up with their measurement requirements. Or when in clinic you can ask the RT if the vest is getting to small and they can help you figure out if you need a new one also.

GOOD LUCK!

 

[mysticrose]

I LOVE the vest it has made our lives soo much easier! When they are in the hospital the kids opt for the vest because they feel like they really move more junk. There is also the wand thingy I can't remember the name of. We had that for awhile and it just didn't work that well.
As far as growing our experience has been pretty good. All I have had to do is call the company and they send out a new vest as long as the child in question meets up with their measurement requirements. Or when in clinic you can ask the RT if the vest is getting to small and they can help you figure out if you need a new one also.

GOOD LUCK!

 

[cinderellasmom]

Hi! <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> My daughter had her first lung infection the summer before kindergarten, and we came home, using The Vest machine. She was 5 when she started it, and back then all they had was the black one, with the navy blue pipes. This year they rolled out fashion colors, and because she was starting to outgrow her vest, (she's 10 now -5th grade), (and also the ports were the vest plugs into the pipes was chipping badly) she chose a pink one. I love it because the bladder pack unzips from the bottom of the vest, and with the old one, you had to spot clean it. The new style that recently came out, you can actually wash in the washing machine! <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> They were also very speedy in sending us new pipes when our pipes wore out. Sent it out overnight shipping, for free, and the pipes and vest were replaced for free. The new pipes were white. The pink color is called "rose" but it's more like a fuschia. I know they also sell decals that you can buy from Hill-rom for the vest machine, of different things, if you wanted to pretty it up...but if i remember right they were pricey...around $60-65.
We've put a lot of hours on this machine, and we love it a lot more than the old PT.
Rebecca <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[cinderellasmom]

Hi! <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> My daughter had her first lung infection the summer before kindergarten, and we came home, using The Vest machine. She was 5 when she started it, and back then all they had was the black one, with the navy blue pipes. This year they rolled out fashion colors, and because she was starting to outgrow her vest, (she's 10 now -5th grade), (and also the ports were the vest plugs into the pipes was chipping badly) she chose a pink one. I love it because the bladder pack unzips from the bottom of the vest, and with the old one, you had to spot clean it. The new style that recently came out, you can actually wash in the washing machine! <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> They were also very speedy in sending us new pipes when our pipes wore out. Sent it out overnight shipping, for free, and the pipes and vest were replaced for free. The new pipes were white. The pink color is called "rose" but it's more like a fuschia. I know they also sell decals that you can buy from Hill-rom for the vest machine, of different things, if you wanted to pretty it up...but if i remember right they were pricey...around $60-65.
We've put a lot of hours on this machine, and we love it a lot more than the old PT.
Rebecca <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">