What is this all about I can hear you thinking – well, four months ago Simon (the noisy, boisterous 13 year old with HME) came home from school and announced that he would like to do Tae Kwon-Do. I was a little taken aback (and pleased) as he usually likes to spend his spare time playing video games, skate boarding or out on his scooter and I always felt he needed a constructive way to use up his unlimited energy. However, quite a bit of his short life has been taken up with operations and we have never really found anything suitable. He knew of a local class and had found out all the details, all I had to do was get him there, which I duly did the next time they had a meeting. I had no idea what to expect or how he would get on.

The first class was difficult – we had to explain about HME (you know, usual thing – “… it’s a rare orthopaedic condition…”, the warm up made his foot hurt, the stretching was difficult for Simon and with one leg shorter than the other, performing in bare feet (without his usual heel raise) was tricky. HOWEVER, I left him there to deal with it, went home and waited slightly nervously - he came out at the end smiling and determined to carry on (phew!).

The first couple of mornings after he had been to Tae Kwon-Do Simon was so stiff he could hardly walk (tee hee – a good sign?), and he did have a problem at the beginning with a painful foot (all the running), but now he has learnt to stop before it hurts. His instructor is wonderful and assumes that Simon will know his limits and stop if necessary, otherwise treats him the same as everyone else.

He doesn’t have a problem with the Tae Kwon-Do moves and loves doing them. He is now much fitter, much more supple (can proudly touch his toes), he is stronger and his confidence is growing. It is also wonderful for him to have an interest that provides exercise. In fact, he is so keen that recently when he had to go into hospital for an operation on his leg, the evening before the op. he went to Tae Kwon-Do from the ward – can’t keep a good man down!

Helen Small

We would love to hear about your hobbies too! Please write and tell us for the next newsletter.

Conference 2003

I am delighted to announce that the date of the next conference will be Saturday 8th March 2003. Mark your calendars and diaries now!

The conference will be held at The Westley Hotel, Acocks Green, Birmingham. The Westley is affiliated to the Best Western group of hotels and has excellent conference facilities and hotel amenities. The hotel is located on the outskirts of Birmingham City Centre with good road links and access to the airport and a railway station.

Following off the back of the success of the October 2001 conference, we are again planning that the conference will provide the ideal opportunity for families, adults and children affected by HME to learn more about the condition and to meet for an informative, interesting and sociable event. For children aged up to 14 years we have again hired the services of a professional crèche/ workshop.

Although not our first conference or meeting, this will be the first conference since we became a registered charity and, therefore, we will be holding our first AGM during the course of the day.

Also new to our arrangements is a fundraising event in the evening. This will be at the hotel, which has offered a special accommodation rate for any members wishing to stay overnight. The evening will be a relaxed occasion; we are planning a disco and will have our own bar facilities. What better way to unwind from the conference whilst helping to raise funds? Following the conference, the hotel carvery restaurant will be open to members for dinner, again at a special rate.

Full details on the conference, evening event, accommodation and booking arrangements will be forwarded in due course. In the meantime, Helen and myself are enjoying putting together an exciting programme of speakers to entice you, and look forward to receiving your support and to seeing you again next March.

Sarah Nicholls

Medication

Cast your minds back to a previous newsletter when there was a submission regarding that certain painkillers given after surgery could hinder bone healing. We recently spotted in a national paper and magazine an article with reference to this. Researchers suggest that non- steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen) can delay or even prevent the mending of broken bones and that people should steer clear of these drugs. Obviously there is going to be some controversy over this matter but the general consensus is to temporarily avoid the use of these drugs during bone healing. Should you or a member of your family be having orthopaedic surgery soon, it may make sense to approach your consultant to double-check on his/her feelings about this subject.

More at Journal of Bone and Mineral Research (vol 17, p 963)

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