Our appointment with Sammy's surgeon went well. She thinks that he is just walking that way as a protective measure--especially because of his lack of balance.
We met with a physical therapist at CHLA on Friday so she could evaluate Sammy. She was amazed at his range of motion/flexibility of his left hip. The bowing of his legs caused the rotation problem with his feet that was corrected by his last surgery, but the bowing apparently also caused his hips to have a pretty wide range of motion. He also has weakened gluteus (butt) muscles caused from not walking for so long, so add that with the balance issue and the wide range of motion in his hip--and that is why he is turning in his left foot. It's the most comfortable and provides him with a better sense of balance. He also isn't taking normal strides with his legs, he does more of a shuffle with his feet. And he has been walking heel first and even quite a bit on his heels, so all those things need to be addressed.
So, we will be going to physical therapy twice a week for the next month or so to see if we can improve his walking and strengthen his muscles. Fortunately, his therapist is really sweet and patient and the activities they do are pretty fun for him (so far...). I just hope he can make some marked improvement before he starts school next month.
And I am continually amazed at how great the women at my church are. I put out a call for help with watching Helene and Hannah for all these appointments since other children are not allowed in the PT sessions, and I am so grateful for all the people who immediately volunteered to watch the girls for me.
Seriously, you guys rock!
Showing posts with label Sammy's legs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sammy's legs. Show all posts
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Update on Sammy plus a few woes of motherhood
I thought I would give an update on Sammy for my own records, if nothing else.
He had a fever of 102.5 the day after we took the casts off. If the casts were still on, I would have been concerned about possible infection, but everything looked good on his legs. I have no idea where he picked up whatever he had, but I was just relieved that no one else came down with it--especially Helene.
On Saturday, he was pretty out of it and vegged on the couch most of the day, but did make some walking attempts, albeit only very timidly and with the assistance of the furniture. His fever was still pretty high that day and he was so sad about it. I felt so badly for him...he finally gets his boots off and then he gets sick.
His fever was gone by Sunday morning, but I still kept him home from church because it had been less than 24 hours since his fever had gone away and I didn't want him getting anyone else sick.
He's been walking more and more this week, but he still can't keep his balance very well and prefers to hold someone's hand or hold onto something. The other issue that has come up is that he is drastically turning in his left foot while he walks. REALLY turning it in...it reminds me of how Kevin Spacey walked in The Usual Suspects (great movie, BTW). I'm not sure if he is doing that to help his balance issue, but the turn in problem is pretty much the reason why we did this last surgery and it needs to be addressed ASAP.
As of today, in addition to turning in his left foot, he is still very unsteady on his feet, cannot do stairs or even maneuver a small curb without holding onto something, and walks extremely slow. He was so frustrated today while we played at the park and asked me "why am I so slow?" It just breaks my heart time and time again.
So, it's back to CHLA on Thursday for an evaluation and I already have a physical therapy appointment scheduled for Friday if needed. School starts in a month and I don't want him still having walking/balance issues when starting out at a brand new school. And don't even get me started on my school woes--they are a plenty these days, but I just can't deal with them right now.
And I've been passive-agressively potty training Hannah. It needs to be done before preschool starts, but it has been such a game and never-ending power struggle with her that I am just done with it--without ever "officially" starting. I think I just need to take the plunge and put her in underwear and tough it out for a day or two...or a week. I know she can DO it...she just would rather see me tear out my hair. That girl can dish out some serious sassiness.
Helene, while still my sweet and serene baby, has become so grouchy at night. It all starts around 8pm and nothing makes her happy. She'll fall asleep and then wake up 45 minutes later screaming. She never wakes up screaming during the day or in the middle of the night...only between the hours that the older kids are in bed until I finally go to bed. Maybe she's just trying to get me to go to bed before 1am.
I went to movies with my friend Jean last Thursday night, and was gone from 9:15pm-12:30am (Harry Potter...long movie!) and Samuel said Helene screamed and cried the entire time. I fed her before I left and left a little bit of breastmilk for Samuel to feed her if he needed it. When I finally got home, she was literally shaking from being so upset and had a scratchy voice from crying so hard. No clue what that was all about, and yet she STILL wouldn't go to sleep until after 1am. I thought for sure she would have passed out from exhaustion from all the crying the minute I took her to bed and nursed her, but nope. It was so unlike her. I felt so badly for Samuel--nothing worse than a crying screaming baby. I'm sure that's the last I get to go out without her for a long time.
Anyway, here's hoping that this coming week is better and that Sammy can make some progress with his walking.
He had a fever of 102.5 the day after we took the casts off. If the casts were still on, I would have been concerned about possible infection, but everything looked good on his legs. I have no idea where he picked up whatever he had, but I was just relieved that no one else came down with it--especially Helene.
On Saturday, he was pretty out of it and vegged on the couch most of the day, but did make some walking attempts, albeit only very timidly and with the assistance of the furniture. His fever was still pretty high that day and he was so sad about it. I felt so badly for him...he finally gets his boots off and then he gets sick.
His fever was gone by Sunday morning, but I still kept him home from church because it had been less than 24 hours since his fever had gone away and I didn't want him getting anyone else sick.
He's been walking more and more this week, but he still can't keep his balance very well and prefers to hold someone's hand or hold onto something. The other issue that has come up is that he is drastically turning in his left foot while he walks. REALLY turning it in...it reminds me of how Kevin Spacey walked in The Usual Suspects (great movie, BTW). I'm not sure if he is doing that to help his balance issue, but the turn in problem is pretty much the reason why we did this last surgery and it needs to be addressed ASAP.
As of today, in addition to turning in his left foot, he is still very unsteady on his feet, cannot do stairs or even maneuver a small curb without holding onto something, and walks extremely slow. He was so frustrated today while we played at the park and asked me "why am I so slow?" It just breaks my heart time and time again.
So, it's back to CHLA on Thursday for an evaluation and I already have a physical therapy appointment scheduled for Friday if needed. School starts in a month and I don't want him still having walking/balance issues when starting out at a brand new school. And don't even get me started on my school woes--they are a plenty these days, but I just can't deal with them right now.
And I've been passive-agressively potty training Hannah. It needs to be done before preschool starts, but it has been such a game and never-ending power struggle with her that I am just done with it--without ever "officially" starting. I think I just need to take the plunge and put her in underwear and tough it out for a day or two...or a week. I know she can DO it...she just would rather see me tear out my hair. That girl can dish out some serious sassiness.
Helene, while still my sweet and serene baby, has become so grouchy at night. It all starts around 8pm and nothing makes her happy. She'll fall asleep and then wake up 45 minutes later screaming. She never wakes up screaming during the day or in the middle of the night...only between the hours that the older kids are in bed until I finally go to bed. Maybe she's just trying to get me to go to bed before 1am.
I went to movies with my friend Jean last Thursday night, and was gone from 9:15pm-12:30am (Harry Potter...long movie!) and Samuel said Helene screamed and cried the entire time. I fed her before I left and left a little bit of breastmilk for Samuel to feed her if he needed it. When I finally got home, she was literally shaking from being so upset and had a scratchy voice from crying so hard. No clue what that was all about, and yet she STILL wouldn't go to sleep until after 1am. I thought for sure she would have passed out from exhaustion from all the crying the minute I took her to bed and nursed her, but nope. It was so unlike her. I felt so badly for Samuel--nothing worse than a crying screaming baby. I'm sure that's the last I get to go out without her for a long time.
Anyway, here's hoping that this coming week is better and that Sammy can make some progress with his walking.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
No more boots!
So, the boots came off today!! HOORAY!!
Getting started...
Sammy hated the loud noise that the saw makes that they use to cut the casts, so this time we brought some music for him to listen to. He loved it! And the lollipop helped too!
One down...
All done! Reading books with Dad while we wait for the doctor.
Hannah chose a yellow lollipop...trying to match her shirt?
Helene tried to talk me into giving her a lollipop too...
I just had to include this picture. Hannah loves to hold onto Samuel's ears whenever she is on his shoulders. It makes me laugh every time.
Sammy is still pretty apprehensive about walking--more psychological than anything else I think since he was getting around okay with the casts. His surgeon said it may take up to a week for him to feel like walking, and not to pressure him. He can resume almost all normal activity, except no jumping and no contact sports, like soccer.
His little legs are sooooo skinny now. So sad. And I won't go into too much detail on how gross his feet were after being in casts for 10 weeks. There were so many layers of dead skin that I had to soak and scrub them several times with an old toothbrush to exfoliate all the layers. Yuck.
So things are looking good and we are so happy to have this all behind us. It was a long summer, but hopefully we can get in some swimming and other fun stuff before school starts.
On our way to CHLA!
Getting started...
Sammy hated the loud noise that the saw makes that they use to cut the casts, so this time we brought some music for him to listen to. He loved it! And the lollipop helped too!
One down...
All done! Reading books with Dad while we wait for the doctor.
Hannah chose a yellow lollipop...trying to match her shirt?
Helene tried to talk me into giving her a lollipop too...
I just had to include this picture. Hannah loves to hold onto Samuel's ears whenever she is on his shoulders. It makes me laugh every time. 
Sammy is still pretty apprehensive about walking--more psychological than anything else I think since he was getting around okay with the casts. His surgeon said it may take up to a week for him to feel like walking, and not to pressure him. He can resume almost all normal activity, except no jumping and no contact sports, like soccer.
His little legs are sooooo skinny now. So sad. And I won't go into too much detail on how gross his feet were after being in casts for 10 weeks. There were so many layers of dead skin that I had to soak and scrub them several times with an old toothbrush to exfoliate all the layers. Yuck.
So things are looking good and we are so happy to have this all behind us. It was a long summer, but hopefully we can get in some swimming and other fun stuff before school starts.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Blue Boots
We were scheduled to meet with Sammy's surgeon last Thursday to remove the casts and take out the pins in his legs. But that Tuesday before, he kept telling me that his right leg was really hurting and he awoke at 9:30pm and 3am with enough pain that he needed codeine to feel better. His surgeon wanted us to bring him in on Wednesday so he didn't have to wait it out in pain until Thursday.
They took more x-rays and everything looked good, so off we went to the cast room to get the pink casts removed. The cast room was crazy busy and we waited about 30 minutes before they took the casts off. Sammy's legs looked so little and skinny from muscle loss and he was a little freaked out by the way they looked (with these big metal things sticking out of him), but he was happy to have them off.
We took him back down the hall to the clinical area of the office and waited for his surgeon to come back in to remove the pins. That was pretty traumatic for him. Quick, but not painless. I held him down while Samuel held his legs and the doctor pulled them out. Even though I'm sure that totally hurt, he seemed happy they were out after he stopped screaming and crying. Then it was back down the hall for new casts. They were still super busy and we waited about an hour to get new casts put on.
Sammy chose blue this time and his foot is positioned flat as if walking, so he can attempted to stand and take a few steps if he chooses to. He was too scared to walk or even stand the first few days, but he has since stood with the help of the furniture and taken a step or two as long as he is holding on to something. It's not something he does often, but he has attempted it on occasion. I am sure that he will be moving around more these next few weeks.
He is so cute and keeps telling me that "these boots don't hurt, Mom". Poor guy still thinks that it was the boots that were hurting him and not a clue about what really happened. That's probably a good thing.
These "boots" come off on July 30th and then we should be done. Whoo hoo! Sammy and I CANNOT wait!
A big THANK YOU to Danielle for watching Hannah for me while I took Sammy to his appointment. I figured it would be a quick visit because it usually is, but with all the waiting in the x-ray and cast rooms, what I thought would only take 2 hours ended up being 4. I am so grateful that Danielle was able to watch Hannah for me because it would have been an absolute nightmare with all three kids bored and restless in the waiting room for hours.
They took more x-rays and everything looked good, so off we went to the cast room to get the pink casts removed. The cast room was crazy busy and we waited about 30 minutes before they took the casts off. Sammy's legs looked so little and skinny from muscle loss and he was a little freaked out by the way they looked (with these big metal things sticking out of him), but he was happy to have them off.
We took him back down the hall to the clinical area of the office and waited for his surgeon to come back in to remove the pins. That was pretty traumatic for him. Quick, but not painless. I held him down while Samuel held his legs and the doctor pulled them out. Even though I'm sure that totally hurt, he seemed happy they were out after he stopped screaming and crying. Then it was back down the hall for new casts. They were still super busy and we waited about an hour to get new casts put on.
Sammy chose blue this time and his foot is positioned flat as if walking, so he can attempted to stand and take a few steps if he chooses to. He was too scared to walk or even stand the first few days, but he has since stood with the help of the furniture and taken a step or two as long as he is holding on to something. It's not something he does often, but he has attempted it on occasion. I am sure that he will be moving around more these next few weeks.
He is so cute and keeps telling me that "these boots don't hurt, Mom". Poor guy still thinks that it was the boots that were hurting him and not a clue about what really happened. That's probably a good thing.
These "boots" come off on July 30th and then we should be done. Whoo hoo! Sammy and I CANNOT wait!
A big THANK YOU to Danielle for watching Hannah for me while I took Sammy to his appointment. I figured it would be a quick visit because it usually is, but with all the waiting in the x-ray and cast rooms, what I thought would only take 2 hours ended up being 4. I am so grateful that Danielle was able to watch Hannah for me because it would have been an absolute nightmare with all three kids bored and restless in the waiting room for hours.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Pink legs and 15 weeks
So I am feeling better after my catastrophic day. Thanks to all for your sweet comments--I needed them!
We went to see Sammy's surgeon last week for a post-op appointment. She was a little concerned about all the movement he had been doing and wanted to make sure all the pins were still in place.
While waiting for them to x-ray his legs, the technician turned to me and asked if there was any chance I could be pregnant since they were having me stay in the room to hold his legs in place. I looked at him and said "ummmm, I better not be! I have a 3 month old!!" and then actually panicked for a brief moment. What if I was?? I would absolutely die because they would be EXACTLY 1 year apart. I quickly got over it and had a nice laugh, but thanks x-ray tech for making me mentally freak out for that brief moment.
His surgeon said that everything looked great and that everything was still in place. YAY! She wanted to re-wrap his casts since they had to cut into them on the day after his surgery because his legs swelled so much and the casts were too tight. Now they were a bit loose. Samuel took him over to the cast room and Sammy came out with hot pink legs. No real surprise there as pink is his favorite color.
Can you tell he is feeling much better?
Sammy went back to school today for the first time since the surgery. It went really well and when I picked him up he told me how much fun he had and that he wanted to go to school every day. I didn't have the heart to tell him that school is over in two weeks. Oh well, he'll enjoy these last weeks at least.
And then just for fun--check out this adorable face!
15 weeks already!
We went to see Sammy's surgeon last week for a post-op appointment. She was a little concerned about all the movement he had been doing and wanted to make sure all the pins were still in place.
While waiting for them to x-ray his legs, the technician turned to me and asked if there was any chance I could be pregnant since they were having me stay in the room to hold his legs in place. I looked at him and said "ummmm, I better not be! I have a 3 month old!!" and then actually panicked for a brief moment. What if I was?? I would absolutely die because they would be EXACTLY 1 year apart. I quickly got over it and had a nice laugh, but thanks x-ray tech for making me mentally freak out for that brief moment.
His surgeon said that everything looked great and that everything was still in place. YAY! She wanted to re-wrap his casts since they had to cut into them on the day after his surgery because his legs swelled so much and the casts were too tight. Now they were a bit loose. Samuel took him over to the cast room and Sammy came out with hot pink legs. No real surprise there as pink is his favorite color.
So now his legs look like this.
Can you tell he is feeling much better?
Sammy went back to school today for the first time since the surgery. It went really well and when I picked him up he told me how much fun he had and that he wanted to go to school every day. I didn't have the heart to tell him that school is over in two weeks. Oh well, he'll enjoy these last weeks at least.
And then just for fun--check out this adorable face!
15 weeks already!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
End of a long week
I won't lie. I am so glad this week is over. It's been a long road, but looks like we are finally on the upswing of things.
I've had a few people ask me what exactly the surgery entailed, so I'll give it to you in layman terms: they cut off his feet, moved them outwards 20 degrees and then set the bones with pins and wrapped it all in a cast. Obviously, the cutting off of the feet wasn't through both sides of the skin, they cut through one side of skin and stopped when they were entirely through the bone and then moved everything. So, some of the skin on the side that wasn't cut through will be twisted, but I was told it wouldn't be that noticeable. I will have to ask and see if it evens out over time. So, yeah, really painful. I would need the morphine for longer than 3 days--that's for sure!
Sammy had a total and complete breakdown on Thursday night, more emotional than anything. I felt so bad for him, he was so upset about everything and was kicking, screaming, throwing things and just so frustrated and really had no idea how else to express his feelings. I tried to sit on the couch and hold him, but he wanted nothing to do with me. I gave him time to let it all out and after close to an hour, I was considering calling his surgeon and asking for some valium when he finally calmed down. I put him to bed and he fell right asleep. Poor little guy. He slept until close to 10am (went to bed at midnight), so that's the best night's sleep he's had so far.
Since then, there haven't been anymore outbursts and he's been sleeping quite well. We've been pretty much hibernating indoors, except for Thursday when I took Hannah and Helene over to Dana's to play--and for me to get away for a bit too.
Samuel went back to work Friday night and has been working double shifts since. I've been too intimidated to attempt going anywhere with all the kids, but finally gave in to cabin fever today and we went to the Arboretum to hang out for a bit in the afternoon. We skipped church since Samuel had to work and I was not going to try the wheelchair, Helene in the carseat, and Hannah all by myself at church.
The Arboretum was the perfect Sunday outing. Beautiful weather and everything was in bloom. I was thrilled that my favorite tree was blooming too. So pretty and smells absolutely divine.
I'm sure we were quite the spectacle with me pushing the wheelchair, trying to hold Hannah's hand (I was actually content to let her run ahead, but she wanted to hold hands), and carrying Helene in the Moby Wrap. We stayed about an hour and then it was time to head back and make dinner. I think next time I'll try the double stroller, I just wanted to keep his legs elevated for now and can't really do that with the stroller.
Trying not to smile...
Pushing really fast! 
Yay for new toys
and much needed entertainment!
She even included a little something for Hannah too!
Sammy's class at school made him lots of "get well" cards
He LOVED them!
There has been much more than this, but I didn't think to take pictures of everything. Thanks again to all for the overwhelming love and support we have gotten from all of you!! Whether you are near or far--we feel the love and are so blessed to have such amazing friends and family!
I've had a few people ask me what exactly the surgery entailed, so I'll give it to you in layman terms: they cut off his feet, moved them outwards 20 degrees and then set the bones with pins and wrapped it all in a cast. Obviously, the cutting off of the feet wasn't through both sides of the skin, they cut through one side of skin and stopped when they were entirely through the bone and then moved everything. So, some of the skin on the side that wasn't cut through will be twisted, but I was told it wouldn't be that noticeable. I will have to ask and see if it evens out over time. So, yeah, really painful. I would need the morphine for longer than 3 days--that's for sure!
Sammy had a total and complete breakdown on Thursday night, more emotional than anything. I felt so bad for him, he was so upset about everything and was kicking, screaming, throwing things and just so frustrated and really had no idea how else to express his feelings. I tried to sit on the couch and hold him, but he wanted nothing to do with me. I gave him time to let it all out and after close to an hour, I was considering calling his surgeon and asking for some valium when he finally calmed down. I put him to bed and he fell right asleep. Poor little guy. He slept until close to 10am (went to bed at midnight), so that's the best night's sleep he's had so far.
Since then, there haven't been anymore outbursts and he's been sleeping quite well. We've been pretty much hibernating indoors, except for Thursday when I took Hannah and Helene over to Dana's to play--and for me to get away for a bit too.
Samuel went back to work Friday night and has been working double shifts since. I've been too intimidated to attempt going anywhere with all the kids, but finally gave in to cabin fever today and we went to the Arboretum to hang out for a bit in the afternoon. We skipped church since Samuel had to work and I was not going to try the wheelchair, Helene in the carseat, and Hannah all by myself at church.
The Arboretum was the perfect Sunday outing. Beautiful weather and everything was in bloom. I was thrilled that my favorite tree was blooming too. So pretty and smells absolutely divine.
I'm sure we were quite the spectacle with me pushing the wheelchair, trying to hold Hannah's hand (I was actually content to let her run ahead, but she wanted to hold hands), and carrying Helene in the Moby Wrap. We stayed about an hour and then it was time to head back and make dinner. I think next time I'll try the double stroller, I just wanted to keep his legs elevated for now and can't really do that with the stroller.Hannah wanted to try pushing the wheelchair
and actually did a great job!
and actually did a great job!
Trying not to smile...
Pushing really fast! 
Everyone has been so great with bringing by meals, gifts, and mailing cards and CARE packages for Sammy. It really has been so sweet and so incredibly thoughtful. THANK YOU to all!!
Cupcakes my neighbor brought by...soooo yummy.
Yay for new toysand much needed entertainment!
She even included a little something for Hannah too!
Sammy's class at school made him lots of "get well" cardsHe LOVED them!
There has been much more than this, but I didn't think to take pictures of everything. Thanks again to all for the overwhelming love and support we have gotten from all of you!! Whether you are near or far--we feel the love and are so blessed to have such amazing friends and family!Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Home Sweet Home
We're home. YAY! So tired and ready to go to bed. And so excited to sleep in my OWN bed.
Sammy was excited about his wheelchair for about 15 seconds...and then after sitting in it he realized that it was the only way he could get around and became totally frustrated. He told me he wanted to get out and I told him his options were the couch, chair, or bed. He was pretty sad. It's going to be a long 10 weeks. That's for sure.
Hannah is so happy to have us home. She has really missed me since we are pretty much together 24/7...and she has seen me about 4 hours of the last 48. Poor thing. She was so sad last night when I left to go back to the hospital. We are going to hang out tomorrow for sure--I missed my girl!
Helene is just happy to have her milk supply back and to not have to use a bottle. She is such a sweet and snugly baby--I missed her!!
Let's hope we can get through the night without too much pain and drama.
Sammy was excited about his wheelchair for about 15 seconds...and then after sitting in it he realized that it was the only way he could get around and became totally frustrated. He told me he wanted to get out and I told him his options were the couch, chair, or bed. He was pretty sad. It's going to be a long 10 weeks. That's for sure.
Hannah is so happy to have us home. She has really missed me since we are pretty much together 24/7...and she has seen me about 4 hours of the last 48. Poor thing. She was so sad last night when I left to go back to the hospital. We are going to hang out tomorrow for sure--I missed my girl!
Helene is just happy to have her milk supply back and to not have to use a bottle. She is such a sweet and snugly baby--I missed her!!
Let's hope we can get through the night without too much pain and drama.
Update
I finally got home at 11:30am and have a few moments to eat, shower, feed the baby and pump--then it's back to the hospital.
After our frustrating and exhausting day yesterday, that included lots of drama with our nurse that I won't take the time to complain about now, we finally had a good night last night.
Sammy went to sleep about midnight after his dose of morphine and slept until about 2:30 and got another does then. He was able to sleep until 7am without waking up or needing more meds. Unfortunately, after going that long without anything he was pretty miserable. We gave him the morphine and Toradol (that's the other pain med that I didn't know the name of). That worked for a bit, but about an hour later he needed more pain meds. I told him that he needed to start taking the Tylenol w/codeine to help with the pain and that we wouldn't be able to go home until he started taking medicine by mouth. After much discussion, I was able to get him to take the dosage. YAY! I am hoping I can keep him taking it, so we can go home today.
I am leaving in a few minutes to head back over to the hospital and see how he is doing. They said as long as the codeine can control the pain, and that he is eating and drinking enough, he should be able to come home today. I am keeping my fingers crossed!!
After our frustrating and exhausting day yesterday, that included lots of drama with our nurse that I won't take the time to complain about now, we finally had a good night last night.
Sammy went to sleep about midnight after his dose of morphine and slept until about 2:30 and got another does then. He was able to sleep until 7am without waking up or needing more meds. Unfortunately, after going that long without anything he was pretty miserable. We gave him the morphine and Toradol (that's the other pain med that I didn't know the name of). That worked for a bit, but about an hour later he needed more pain meds. I told him that he needed to start taking the Tylenol w/codeine to help with the pain and that we wouldn't be able to go home until he started taking medicine by mouth. After much discussion, I was able to get him to take the dosage. YAY! I am hoping I can keep him taking it, so we can go home today.
I am leaving in a few minutes to head back over to the hospital and see how he is doing. They said as long as the codeine can control the pain, and that he is eating and drinking enough, he should be able to come home today. I am keeping my fingers crossed!!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Status on Sammy
In the pre-op areaSo, it's been a really long 24 hours. REALLY long.
I only have a few minutes to post before I have to get back to the hospital, but I wanted to give an update.
It didn't start out too well with Sammy refusing to take the oral medication that they give before they take the kids to the OR. He's taken it twice before with no problem, but absolutely refused this time. After trying and failing with three doses and lots of crying, kicking and spitting it out. Samuel had to put on a protective suit and cap and go with Sammy to the OR to help them administer a face mask of gas to knock him out. I wanted to take a picture of Sam in the "bunny suit", but didn't think Samuel would be very happy about it.
The operation itself went well and there were no complications. They gave Sammy a spinal block for the pain that was supposed to block the pain for 18 hours, as well as, a general anesthetic. He did really well in the recovery room and when they took him up to his room for the night. I felt like he was okay to leave with Samuel while I went home to feed Helene and say goodnight to Hannah.
Unfortunately, about an hour later, Samuel called and needed to me to come back ASAP as Sammy was in excruciating pain and was writhing in pain, screaming and basically losing control. It was totally surprising as we thought the block wouldn't wear off until sometime around 2am. By the time I was able to get back, it had taken morphine, valium and another pain medication that I can't remember the name of, to calm him down.
And it's been that miserable since then.
He is getting the morphine every 2 hours and that is barely containing the pain. I ended up spending the night (it was orginially planned for Samuel to spend the night) since Sammy wanted only Mommy at this point. He slept about 10 minutes of every hour last night and we both finally fell asleep around 4am this morning. We were not happy to be woken up at 6:30am by the street cleaning type machine that they use to wash the floors. It was so freaking loud and totally unacceptable to have them using at 6:30 in the morning on a post-surgery floor where there were kids who were up all night moaning or screaming in pain--and not just Sammy. I was so mad--I am definitely writing a letter about how unnecessary that is.
We are trying to get him off the morphine and switch to Tylenol with codeine so he can come home, but he is still refusing to take any oral medications, so we are staying another night. There is no way I'm taking him off morphine and bringing him home with just codeine...that he may or may not take.
Anyway, I am home for an hour to eat, put Hannah to bed, and nurse Helene, but I also wanted to give a quick update because I know people are wondering how we are doing. We are exhausted--physically, mentally, emotionally, but thanks to wonderful friends and family we are hanging in there.
My mom and dad got here Sunday night to help out and stay here with Hannah and Helene. It's so great to have family nearby.
This is just the basics of what is going on---I could SERIOUSLY write a novel about all the drama with nurses, Sammy, Sammy's roomate, etc., but I've GOT to go!! Hope we get some sleep tonight.
Thanks for all the prayers on our behalf--we sure do need them!
About an hour after surgery, before the pain meltdownSaturday, April 18, 2009
Surgery date
We have set a date for Sammy's next (and hopefully last) leg surgery. You can read more about the previous ones here and here and here.
It will be Monday, May 18th. Yep, exactly a month away. The official name for what they are doing is a bilateral tibial rotational osteotomy in both legs. In more simpler terms, they will be cutting through the shin bones and rotating his ankles and feet to correct his severe turn-in that was caused by the leg bowing.
I am trying not to freak out about it, but sometimes I just can't help it. This is the biggest (and most painful) surgery he will have had so far. The other two were outpatient, but this one will have him staying overnight, possibly longer. I am worried about the surgery and the pain he will be going through. It just breaks my heart to see him suffer and not be able to make the pain go away.
I am worried about the aftermath. He will have both legs in casts with pins holding the corrected bones in place. The casts will be on for 6-10 weeks, with possible physical therapy needed to help him walk after they are off. I am planning on sending him back to school just for a sense of normalcy when he is feeling up to it since school is in session until June 18th. I will have to get him a wheelchair so he can get around at school, but plan to just use the double stroller when I take him places with the two other kids. I foresee a summer full of Candyland, computer games and TV time since he won't be able to do much. Hopefully he can still get some swimming time in after the casts come off.
I am also stressing about how/when to tell him all this. Do I spring it on him the day before? Do I tell him now so he can prepare for it? Will he understand when I tell him that his legs will be in casts and he won't be able to walk or even take a bath?
Anyway, this post turned out way more deep and emotional than I planned. I really was going to just give the update that we have set the date for him, but then my mind starts racing. I know this is what needs to be done, just like the other two surgeries, and that it will all be okay. It's just the anticipation of it all that makes it all worse.
It will be Monday, May 18th. Yep, exactly a month away. The official name for what they are doing is a bilateral tibial rotational osteotomy in both legs. In more simpler terms, they will be cutting through the shin bones and rotating his ankles and feet to correct his severe turn-in that was caused by the leg bowing.
I am trying not to freak out about it, but sometimes I just can't help it. This is the biggest (and most painful) surgery he will have had so far. The other two were outpatient, but this one will have him staying overnight, possibly longer. I am worried about the surgery and the pain he will be going through. It just breaks my heart to see him suffer and not be able to make the pain go away.
I am worried about the aftermath. He will have both legs in casts with pins holding the corrected bones in place. The casts will be on for 6-10 weeks, with possible physical therapy needed to help him walk after they are off. I am planning on sending him back to school just for a sense of normalcy when he is feeling up to it since school is in session until June 18th. I will have to get him a wheelchair so he can get around at school, but plan to just use the double stroller when I take him places with the two other kids. I foresee a summer full of Candyland, computer games and TV time since he won't be able to do much. Hopefully he can still get some swimming time in after the casts come off.
I am also stressing about how/when to tell him all this. Do I spring it on him the day before? Do I tell him now so he can prepare for it? Will he understand when I tell him that his legs will be in casts and he won't be able to walk or even take a bath?
Anyway, this post turned out way more deep and emotional than I planned. I really was going to just give the update that we have set the date for him, but then my mind starts racing. I know this is what needs to be done, just like the other two surgeries, and that it will all be okay. It's just the anticipation of it all that makes it all worse.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Update
Things are still going really well. Sammy's been up and walking for the past 2 days with pretty much no problem. I even caught him jumping on my bed this morning...no joke. I am going to send him to school tomorrow and see how he does. He hasn't needed any pain medication yet today--YAY!
You can see that his knees are still really swollen, but his only complaint is when pulling pants on and off they rub against the bandages. He also looks a little "knock-kneed", but I think that is mostly from all the swelling--although the surgeon did say that his knees were a little over-corrected, but that it would straighten out as he healed.
Here is his progress over the past year and a half
My only other update is that I went to the OB this morning for my weekly appointment (I am 37 weeks). Baby is head down (YAY!), I am totally effaced and at 1 cm. As those who have had children know, that pretty much means nothing, but just though I would share. :) Just to compare, at my 37 week appointment with Hannah I was dilated 2 cm...and she was 4 days late.
You can see that his knees are still really swollen, but his only complaint is when pulling pants on and off they rub against the bandages. He also looks a little "knock-kneed", but I think that is mostly from all the swelling--although the surgeon did say that his knees were a little over-corrected, but that it would straighten out as he healed.
Here is his progress over the past year and a half
My only other update is that I went to the OB this morning for my weekly appointment (I am 37 weeks). Baby is head down (YAY!), I am totally effaced and at 1 cm. As those who have had children know, that pretty much means nothing, but just though I would share. :) Just to compare, at my 37 week appointment with Hannah I was dilated 2 cm...and she was 4 days late.
Monday, January 26, 2009
surgery day
So, we've been home from CHLA for about an hour now and everything is going so much better than the last time we did surgery. I guess that is obvious since I actually have a moment to get on the computer!
His surgery was scheduled for 9am this morning, but we had to be there at 6:30am (so I've been up since 5:30am...yawn!). My parents were sweet enough to come into town last night and spend the night so they could watch Hannah for the day for us.
He was in good spirits for all the pre-op stuff (getting a new toy from the nurses helped)
and his only complaint was how thirsty he was since he hadn't had anything to drink since 8:30pm last night. I felt bad that I had to keep telling him he couldn't have any water.
He didn't even get taken to the OR until almost 9:45am, so that was a bit of a drag because he was starting to get really restless and toys weren't helping at that point. After he went in, Samuel and I had breakfast at the hospital and then headed back to the waiting room. Surgery was supposed to take about an hour, so after another 30 minutes our surgeon came out and told us that all went well and the nurse would come get us soon to see him. We also talked with her about what the next steps would be in his treatment, and it looks like we will be doing another surgery this summer.
Last time, no one took us to recovery until after he had woken from the anesthesia and he was absolutely hysterical and screaming in pain. It was heartbreaking and I wanted to be sure that didn't happen again, so I made sure that the nurses knew to come get us before he woke up this time. I was so relieved that when we went back there, he was still asleep. We had a great nurse who was so attentive and sweet--it really made a huge difference.
When he finally awoke he was really upset about the IV in his hand and then I think it all hit him because he starting screaming about the pain and kicking his legs. I was really surprised that he was even able to move them at all. Last time any movement at all you could tell was excruciating for him, so I knew this was a good sign--despite the screaming.
We got him some apple juice which he really needed--poor guy. He was quite upset for about another hour, but after some pain medicine we got him calm enough to convince him to go home. He started to get upset again, but apparently it was because he wanted to get some hashbrowns from McDonalds to eat before going home. Another good sign, since last time, he didn't eat for at least 3 days.
I was apprehensive about the food since he had only been "awake" for about 2 hours. He must have been starving because he decided he also wanted a quesadilla from Taco Bell. He ate the quesadilla with no problem and said he felt fine, so we went to Jack in the Box for hashbrowns since it was already 1:30 and McDonlads doesn't serve them that late. He ate those as well with no nausea. Yeah, these aren't the best choices for food and I normally don't let him have all that junk, but I felt like he was entitled after all he had been through.
Since we've been home he's had about 3 glasses of water, one juice box and some cereal...I guess he was starving because any one who knows Sammy, knows that he is NOT a big eater at all.
He's been going 4 hours between pain meds and is content to just lie on the floor or couch and play with his cars. He has even attempted to walk even though he crumpled to the floor trying. I am so shocked because he didn't walk for about 2 weeks last time and needed pain medicine every two hours for the first 3 days after surgery. I am so relieved that everything is going so much better.
As for the next surgery, since his legs still have about a 9 degree curve left and he has such a severe turn-in, our doctor is going to have to cut the bones on each leg and actually move them to the correct position and then hold the bone in place with pins until they heal. He will be in casts for 6-10 weeks while the bones heal and will have to be in a wheelchair since he won't be able to walk. Yeah, I am NOT looking forward to that one at all. I am thinking that the double stroller will be our best friend this summer.
I am so grateful to everyone for their prayers, well wishes, emails, phone calls, and offers to watch Hannah for me. They have helped to make this a much better recovery than last time. Our family appreciates all the love!
His surgery was scheduled for 9am this morning, but we had to be there at 6:30am (so I've been up since 5:30am...yawn!). My parents were sweet enough to come into town last night and spend the night so they could watch Hannah for the day for us.
He was in good spirits for all the pre-op stuff (getting a new toy from the nurses helped)
and his only complaint was how thirsty he was since he hadn't had anything to drink since 8:30pm last night. I felt bad that I had to keep telling him he couldn't have any water.He didn't even get taken to the OR until almost 9:45am, so that was a bit of a drag because he was starting to get really restless and toys weren't helping at that point. After he went in, Samuel and I had breakfast at the hospital and then headed back to the waiting room. Surgery was supposed to take about an hour, so after another 30 minutes our surgeon came out and told us that all went well and the nurse would come get us soon to see him. We also talked with her about what the next steps would be in his treatment, and it looks like we will be doing another surgery this summer.
Last time, no one took us to recovery until after he had woken from the anesthesia and he was absolutely hysterical and screaming in pain. It was heartbreaking and I wanted to be sure that didn't happen again, so I made sure that the nurses knew to come get us before he woke up this time. I was so relieved that when we went back there, he was still asleep. We had a great nurse who was so attentive and sweet--it really made a huge difference.
When he finally awoke he was really upset about the IV in his hand and then I think it all hit him because he starting screaming about the pain and kicking his legs. I was really surprised that he was even able to move them at all. Last time any movement at all you could tell was excruciating for him, so I knew this was a good sign--despite the screaming.
We got him some apple juice which he really needed--poor guy. He was quite upset for about another hour, but after some pain medicine we got him calm enough to convince him to go home. He started to get upset again, but apparently it was because he wanted to get some hashbrowns from McDonalds to eat before going home. Another good sign, since last time, he didn't eat for at least 3 days.
I was apprehensive about the food since he had only been "awake" for about 2 hours. He must have been starving because he decided he also wanted a quesadilla from Taco Bell. He ate the quesadilla with no problem and said he felt fine, so we went to Jack in the Box for hashbrowns since it was already 1:30 and McDonlads doesn't serve them that late. He ate those as well with no nausea. Yeah, these aren't the best choices for food and I normally don't let him have all that junk, but I felt like he was entitled after all he had been through.
Since we've been home he's had about 3 glasses of water, one juice box and some cereal...I guess he was starving because any one who knows Sammy, knows that he is NOT a big eater at all.
He's been going 4 hours between pain meds and is content to just lie on the floor or couch and play with his cars. He has even attempted to walk even though he crumpled to the floor trying. I am so shocked because he didn't walk for about 2 weeks last time and needed pain medicine every two hours for the first 3 days after surgery. I am so relieved that everything is going so much better.
As for the next surgery, since his legs still have about a 9 degree curve left and he has such a severe turn-in, our doctor is going to have to cut the bones on each leg and actually move them to the correct position and then hold the bone in place with pins until they heal. He will be in casts for 6-10 weeks while the bones heal and will have to be in a wheelchair since he won't be able to walk. Yeah, I am NOT looking forward to that one at all. I am thinking that the double stroller will be our best friend this summer.
I am so grateful to everyone for their prayers, well wishes, emails, phone calls, and offers to watch Hannah for me. They have helped to make this a much better recovery than last time. Our family appreciates all the love!
Monday, January 19, 2009
surgery date
So I heard back from CHLA this afternoon and we are all set for Monday, January 26th. They can't give us a time until Friday or Saturday (!!), but at least we have a date. I am hoping we are the first surgery of the day like we were last time, but since they had to "squeeze" us in, I'm not going to get my hopes up.
I was able to move his party date to the Saturday before with no problem (YAY!) and sent an email out to most of the parents of the kids invited and called the rest.
It's nice to have some peace of mind in knowing when things are happening and what to expect (for the most part). Here's hoping it all goes smoothly.
Thanks for the emails and comments--I appreciate the love. :)
I was able to move his party date to the Saturday before with no problem (YAY!) and sent an email out to most of the parents of the kids invited and called the rest.
It's nice to have some peace of mind in knowing when things are happening and what to expect (for the most part). Here's hoping it all goes smoothly.
Thanks for the emails and comments--I appreciate the love. :)
In limbo...
I am so not a Type A personality. But even I like to have some bit of control over when things are going to happen and what the plan is.
Sammy had his 6 month surgery follow-up appointment on Thursday. Everything went well and he is now at 10 degrees which means he's improved another 5 degrees in 6 months!
The doctor was saying how pleased she was with his progress--and then dropped the bombshell on me. She wants to do surgery next week, if possible, to remove the plates. Huh?? I was pretty much in shock since I've been planning on July to have them removed.
Apparently, his knees are where they should be and so the curving won't be corrected any further at this point. Also, leaving the plates in will over-correct his knees while continuing to stunt his growth, so she doesn't want to wait any longer than necessary to have them removed.
Her only concern about timing was did I want to do this before or after the baby arrived. What a loaded question. I was still in shock at the time--and Samuel was in a meeting so there was no way for me to call and ask him, so I booked it for March 2. Then I thought about it.
How am I going to leave a 2 or 3 week old baby, who is breastfeeding, and who may or may not take a bottle, to be at the hospital with Sammy for at least 6-8 hours. Then have Sammy need my attention 100% of the time. I remember how hard it was last time. He didn't walk for two weeks, he couldn't sleep through the night because of the pain, he wouldn't eat, he cried so much. I can't do that again with a newborn baby (and Hannah) as well. Even with Samuel's help. It literally took two of us trading off who got to sleep and who took care of Sammy because it was a 24 hour job at the time. I've been told the recovery will be much better this time since they are taking the plates OUT and not drilling through the bone and putting them IN like before, but I still know it's not going to be an easy recovery for him.
So after considering all this. I called Children's Hospital to see if we could reschedule for January 26th. Unfortunately, his surgeon is booked, but they are working on fitting us in. I am just waiting to hear back.
Which leads to my next uncertainty. Sammy's birthday party. His birthday is Febraury 15th and he's been wanting to have a party at Chuck E. Cheese (again). I knew we couldn't have it close to his actual birthday because who knows when the baby will arrive, so I set it for January 30th--thinking that was a pretty safe date.
Now with a possible January 26th surgery date looming over our heads, there is no way he will be able to have his party on the 30th, as he most likely won't be able to walk yet. So, yet another thing I have no idea when it's going to happen. And of course, invitations have already been sent, so I will have to let everyone know last minute that we are changing it. And there is no way I can cancel it, he's been looking forward to this for 5 months now.
Then there is question of when will the baby arrive. I'm not due until February 18th and I don't have a history of going into labor early, so I am just praying at this point that the baby stays put until then. As long as the stress of all this doesn't put me into labor, right?
I hope to hear back from CHLA sometime this afternoon, so we'll see what happens.
Sammy had his 6 month surgery follow-up appointment on Thursday. Everything went well and he is now at 10 degrees which means he's improved another 5 degrees in 6 months!
The doctor was saying how pleased she was with his progress--and then dropped the bombshell on me. She wants to do surgery next week, if possible, to remove the plates. Huh?? I was pretty much in shock since I've been planning on July to have them removed.
Apparently, his knees are where they should be and so the curving won't be corrected any further at this point. Also, leaving the plates in will over-correct his knees while continuing to stunt his growth, so she doesn't want to wait any longer than necessary to have them removed.
Her only concern about timing was did I want to do this before or after the baby arrived. What a loaded question. I was still in shock at the time--and Samuel was in a meeting so there was no way for me to call and ask him, so I booked it for March 2. Then I thought about it.
How am I going to leave a 2 or 3 week old baby, who is breastfeeding, and who may or may not take a bottle, to be at the hospital with Sammy for at least 6-8 hours. Then have Sammy need my attention 100% of the time. I remember how hard it was last time. He didn't walk for two weeks, he couldn't sleep through the night because of the pain, he wouldn't eat, he cried so much. I can't do that again with a newborn baby (and Hannah) as well. Even with Samuel's help. It literally took two of us trading off who got to sleep and who took care of Sammy because it was a 24 hour job at the time. I've been told the recovery will be much better this time since they are taking the plates OUT and not drilling through the bone and putting them IN like before, but I still know it's not going to be an easy recovery for him.
So after considering all this. I called Children's Hospital to see if we could reschedule for January 26th. Unfortunately, his surgeon is booked, but they are working on fitting us in. I am just waiting to hear back.
Which leads to my next uncertainty. Sammy's birthday party. His birthday is Febraury 15th and he's been wanting to have a party at Chuck E. Cheese (again). I knew we couldn't have it close to his actual birthday because who knows when the baby will arrive, so I set it for January 30th--thinking that was a pretty safe date.
Now with a possible January 26th surgery date looming over our heads, there is no way he will be able to have his party on the 30th, as he most likely won't be able to walk yet. So, yet another thing I have no idea when it's going to happen. And of course, invitations have already been sent, so I will have to let everyone know last minute that we are changing it. And there is no way I can cancel it, he's been looking forward to this for 5 months now.
Then there is question of when will the baby arrive. I'm not due until February 18th and I don't have a history of going into labor early, so I am just praying at this point that the baby stays put until then. As long as the stress of all this doesn't put me into labor, right?
I hope to hear back from CHLA sometime this afternoon, so we'll see what happens.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Update on Sammy's legs
We had an appointment last week with Sammy's surgeon just to follow-up on his progress since the surgery. If you are new to my blog, you can read more about that here.
I can't believe it's been a year since his surgery (worst week of our lives!), but he is doing so well and has had little to no side effects. Before we did the surgery, his tibias were at a 24 degree curve. I am so excited to say that his legs are now at 15 degrees!! His doctor is quite pleased with the improvement and that the surgery is working for him, as apparently a lot of Rickets patients don't grow quickly enough for the procedure to work.
Last year the cold weather really affected him and he would be stiff and sore and unable to walk most mornings, I am hoping that this winter will be easier on him (and on me as it is tough carrying both he and Hannah).
We will continue to follow-up with CHLA every 6 months to do x-rays and see where he is at. It looks like we are right on track with the estimated 2 1/2 year time frame to have the plates removed. We still have to take care of his severe turn in, but we are going to deal with that after his legs are taking care of. I can only deal with one surgery (and the aftermath) at a time.
P.S. Hey! This is my 100th blog post!! YAY!
I can't believe it's been a year since his surgery (worst week of our lives!), but he is doing so well and has had little to no side effects. Before we did the surgery, his tibias were at a 24 degree curve. I am so excited to say that his legs are now at 15 degrees!! His doctor is quite pleased with the improvement and that the surgery is working for him, as apparently a lot of Rickets patients don't grow quickly enough for the procedure to work.
Last year the cold weather really affected him and he would be stiff and sore and unable to walk most mornings, I am hoping that this winter will be easier on him (and on me as it is tough carrying both he and Hannah).
We will continue to follow-up with CHLA every 6 months to do x-rays and see where he is at. It looks like we are right on track with the estimated 2 1/2 year time frame to have the plates removed. We still have to take care of his severe turn in, but we are going to deal with that after his legs are taking care of. I can only deal with one surgery (and the aftermath) at a time.
P.S. Hey! This is my 100th blog post!! YAY!
Friday, July 20, 2007
Another update on Sammy
Sammy is finally trying to walk a little more and can do about 6 or 7 steps before crumpling to the floor. He is has been sleeping through the night (YAY) and has been off the pain meds for a week now.
He is still very temperamental--although I have to say that today was a pretty good day tantrum-wise. He is very sore and stiff in the morning and cannot walk or even stand until he's been up for a few hours--poor guy. I'm just glad that we are off the meds and able to sleep, now we just need to get him walking more and end the tantrums of frustration from not being able to move around.
Thanks again to all for all the love for our family.
He is still very temperamental--although I have to say that today was a pretty good day tantrum-wise. He is very sore and stiff in the morning and cannot walk or even stand until he's been up for a few hours--poor guy. I'm just glad that we are off the meds and able to sleep, now we just need to get him walking more and end the tantrums of frustration from not being able to move around.
Thanks again to all for all the love for our family.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Update on Sammy
Just a quick update on Sammy. I think we are finally at a good place in his recovery. He slept last night from 10:30pm-4:00am and then 7:00am-10:30am and he isn't waking up screaming in pain just quiet moans that he hurts. He has been happily playing on the floor with his cars and doing puzzles and scoots himself along the floor with his legs dragging behind him to get whatever toy he wants (as long as it's a fairly short distance). Although he still prefers to order me to get whatever he wants...
He is still a bit high strung and prone to tantrums which I think is a combination of frustration since he can't walk or really move around, being uncomfortable and the constant pain and stiffness. I'm really hoping this new temperament goes away quickly. He seems to freak out over anything and everything that doesn't go his way.
Anyway, both he and Hannah are asleep for the night (YAY!), so I am off to bed to catch up on some much needed sleep.
He is still a bit high strung and prone to tantrums which I think is a combination of frustration since he can't walk or really move around, being uncomfortable and the constant pain and stiffness. I'm really hoping this new temperament goes away quickly. He seems to freak out over anything and everything that doesn't go his way.
Anyway, both he and Hannah are asleep for the night (YAY!), so I am off to bed to catch up on some much needed sleep.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Sammy's Surgery
As many people know, Sammy had surgery on his legs early Monday morning. I wanted to post an update earlier, but just haven't had a chance.
Sammy was so brave and such a good boy for all the pre-operative exams. I talked with him about what was going to happen the night before, so I don't know if that made the difference, but he was the calmest I've ever seen him at a doctor appointment.
The surgery itself went well. Our doctor at CHLA decided to put the steel plates on his femurs as well as the tibias since the femur had a 17 degree curve while his tibia has a 24 degree curve. The only bad thing about that is the femur will most likely correct itself before the tibia, so that those plates will most likely need to be taken out before the tibias have corrected themselves, so we will need two more surgeries instead of just one.
As we were told, the first 24 hours were the worst, he was in excruciating pain and couldn't even talk--just moan and cry, it was absolutely heartbreaking. Needless to say, neither Sam nor I got much sleep that night--I got about 4 hours or so and I think Sam got 3 (we traded off who slept and who watched Sammy). It's difficult to even move him around because of where the incisions are and you can tell that any movement is unbearable for him.
I'm so thankful for our good friend Annette, who is also a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon, as she has been so great about checking in on Sammy and providing some much appreciated advice to help Sammy be more comfortable. It definitely worked because by yesterday afternoon, Sammy was trying to talk his dad into taking him somewhere because he was bored with sitting on the couch for the past 24 hours. So Sam took him to the car wash, El Pollo Loco for a quesadilla (for which I am glad because Sammy hadn't eaten anything since Sunday night at this point) and they drove around Pasadena and Highland Park following the Metro Gold Line train that Sammy loves. They were gone for about 3 hours and arrived home just in time for the next dose of painkillers--which at this point he definitely needed.
He fell asleep at 6:30pm (along with Hannah--yay) so I put them to bed early and wondered what time the pain would wake him up. He woke at 11:00pm in terrible pain and I stayed up with him until about 1:30am (Sam had to go to work today, so I wanted him to sleep). He then slept until about 4:00 and then he needed the pain meds again. It really seems like they wear off after about 3 hours, but it says to give it to him every 4 hours and I don't want to overdose him, since I am also giving him Ibuprofen every four hours as well.
He also still hasn't really eaten anything besides a few sips of a smoothie and a few handfuls of cereal, so he obviously isn't feeling too much better, but I'm just thankful that he isn't writhing in pain on the couch and crying hysterically about "owwies".
He still can't move his legs, so I'm hoping he will make some progress in that area in the next few days. I'll keep everyone posted.
Thanks to all for the phone calls and emails checking to see how we are all doing--and especially to Shelley for watching Hannah for me for 9 hours (and making us a yummy dinner) on Monday and to Valerie for helping me out with both kids that evening. I couldn't have managed without them.
I'll post another update soon. Happy 4th of July to all!
Sammy was so brave and such a good boy for all the pre-operative exams. I talked with him about what was going to happen the night before, so I don't know if that made the difference, but he was the calmest I've ever seen him at a doctor appointment.
The surgery itself went well. Our doctor at CHLA decided to put the steel plates on his femurs as well as the tibias since the femur had a 17 degree curve while his tibia has a 24 degree curve. The only bad thing about that is the femur will most likely correct itself before the tibia, so that those plates will most likely need to be taken out before the tibias have corrected themselves, so we will need two more surgeries instead of just one.
As we were told, the first 24 hours were the worst, he was in excruciating pain and couldn't even talk--just moan and cry, it was absolutely heartbreaking. Needless to say, neither Sam nor I got much sleep that night--I got about 4 hours or so and I think Sam got 3 (we traded off who slept and who watched Sammy). It's difficult to even move him around because of where the incisions are and you can tell that any movement is unbearable for him.
I'm so thankful for our good friend Annette, who is also a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon, as she has been so great about checking in on Sammy and providing some much appreciated advice to help Sammy be more comfortable. It definitely worked because by yesterday afternoon, Sammy was trying to talk his dad into taking him somewhere because he was bored with sitting on the couch for the past 24 hours. So Sam took him to the car wash, El Pollo Loco for a quesadilla (for which I am glad because Sammy hadn't eaten anything since Sunday night at this point) and they drove around Pasadena and Highland Park following the Metro Gold Line train that Sammy loves. They were gone for about 3 hours and arrived home just in time for the next dose of painkillers--which at this point he definitely needed.
He fell asleep at 6:30pm (along with Hannah--yay) so I put them to bed early and wondered what time the pain would wake him up. He woke at 11:00pm in terrible pain and I stayed up with him until about 1:30am (Sam had to go to work today, so I wanted him to sleep). He then slept until about 4:00 and then he needed the pain meds again. It really seems like they wear off after about 3 hours, but it says to give it to him every 4 hours and I don't want to overdose him, since I am also giving him Ibuprofen every four hours as well.
He also still hasn't really eaten anything besides a few sips of a smoothie and a few handfuls of cereal, so he obviously isn't feeling too much better, but I'm just thankful that he isn't writhing in pain on the couch and crying hysterically about "owwies".
He still can't move his legs, so I'm hoping he will make some progress in that area in the next few days. I'll keep everyone posted.
Thanks to all for the phone calls and emails checking to see how we are all doing--and especially to Shelley for watching Hannah for me for 9 hours (and making us a yummy dinner) on Monday and to Valerie for helping me out with both kids that evening. I couldn't have managed without them.
I'll post another update soon. Happy 4th of July to all!
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