Are there things that can help FOP?

A good rule with FOP is to do what feels comfortable. If moving a certain way or sitting in a certain position hurts, your body is telling you that it's not good for you to do it.

As far as pain, you're the judge; if something hurts, don't do it!

One thing that can help with FOP is to take good care of your teeth.

-Try not to get any cavities. You should brush and floss your teeth every day. Some people brush after every meal.

-Don't eat sweets, sticky foods, or soda in between meals because the sugar sticks to your teeth and cause cavities. If you do snack on something sweet, brush your teeth as soon as you're done eating.

-There are plaque rinses to keep your teeth clean and fluoride treatments to make them strong.

-Ask your dentist about the best way to take care of your teeth. Be sure to have a check-up twice a year.

Sometimes people with FOP can't open up their mouths. But most of them can still eat food that's cut into small pieces, like meat, cereal, bread, and cooked vegetables. Soft foods like noodles and mashed potatoes work too.

Should you drink milk?

It's well known that the calcium in milk helps build strong bones. So if you don't drink milk, will FOP bones stop growing? No. It's not calcium that makes FOP bones grow. It's that DNA computer program we talked about. Your body needs calcium for all your bones to grow and stay healthy. You don't need more calcium because you have FOP, but you should drink two or three glasses of milk every day.

Some people with FOP have trouble hearing. It's called a "conductive hearing loss." It won't make you go deaf. Hearing aids should solve the problem.

There are many kinds of tools and equipment that can help you do things. A reacher can help pull things toward you. You can use a gripper to help pick things up from the floor.

Raising a flag or a stick instead of your hand will get your teacher's attention.

You can use the eraser end of a pencil or a wooden dowel to type on a computer keyboard. Utensils like forks and spoons, combs and brushes can have long handles added. Sponges with long handles, a hand-held shower head, and a bench in the shower stall or a bath chair in the tub can help you take a bath or a shower. I have always slept on a waterbed. There is less pressure on your body in a waterbed than on a mattress.

These are just some suggestions to make things easier for you. There are catalog companies that sell all kinds of special equipment and tools. You might invent some things that will help too.

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