Big Day

Eliza accomplished many things today and she is holding up really well tonight.

First was the removal of her casts.  They were huge, and heavy, and Eliza reports that they were also very hot.  That isn't surprising with the amount of cotton wrapped around her legs before the plaster and bandages.

The cast removal was pretty painful, as you can imagine, because they had to move her legs around quite a bit and they are very sore.  It was such a relief to have them off and exciting to see her legs.  They really are noticibly straighter than before.

Next she went for x-rays.

This is one of her legs, but both of them look similar in the x-rays.  It's really amazing to think about all that she went through on Tuesday and that this type of correction is even possible.

She now has knee imobilizers to stabilize her legs to help reduce pain.

This afternoon we also took a walk around the hospital, had a visit from physical therapy, and she even took a shower.  After a full day, Eliza's relaxing with a cup of tea and movie.  My guess is that she'll be asleep before too long.  Her legs are really swollen and her pain is on the higher side of what she's reported today, but I guess that is to be expected.  She really is doing remarkably well.

Second Day After Surgery

Generally speaking, there isn't much to update today.  Most of the day was spent resting again.  Eliza has a lot of healing to do and the big casts and epidural are best suited for staying put. This evening Eliza did get into the wheelchair and took a ride to the family room down the hall.  It was good to see her up, though the process wore her out.  Not only was it physically taxing, it's scary to have someone move your legs for you after such a big surgery.  The nurses were very gentle and Eliza's upper body strength really helped everything go smoothly.

The anesthesiologist that was with Eliza in surgery stopped by to check on her too.  Tomorrrow he'll take out the epidural after she has the soft casts removed.  At that point she will transition to all oral pain medications and 'ki's, which we learned is what the staff call her knee immobilizers.

We did have a delicious dinner from our favorite Thai restaurant, Sawatdee.  It's become a tradition that we eat there at least once every time we are visiting Gillette.

Seeing the other patients and meeting their families in the Ronald McDonald room is helpful and also humbling.  The stories about their kids, many of whom are significantly disabled, are stories of strength and perserverance.  If your family has to go through something like this, Gillette is the place to be.  They do these types of surgeries all the time, and everyone on staff seems to know how to care for the patients and their families during the specifics of recovery from orthopedic surgery.  Tomorrow will be a big day for Eliza.  We know it will be hard, but it helps get one step closer to leaving the hospital and ultimately, recovery.

A Quiet Day

This morning started off very early with a visit from Dr. Novacheck and the anesthesiologist.  They are pleased with how Eliza is doing and told her that the next couple of days will be fairly low key to focus on resting and healing.  Thankfully the epidural is doing a good job of pain control.  Generally speaking, she seems to feel pretty good.  There was a time this afternoon when her pain increased, but additional medications and some ice helped take care of it.

Eliza's had a few guests that helped brighten her days in the hospital so far.  A therapy dog, a hospital volunteer that brought crafts and spent time visiting with Eliza, and these two baseball players.  I'm sorry to say that I don't know anything about professional baseball and don't know who they are, but they were very nice guys and seemed to really care about the kids in the hospital.

Tomorrow should be another quiet day, followed by a big day on Friday.  Her soft casts are scheduled to come off Friday and she'll switch from the epidural to oral pain medications.  

The surgery is behind us

 

Here is Eliza getting warmed up before the surgery this morning.  4.5 hours after we left her in the operating room, we had the report that surgery was nearly done and everything went well.  Pictures were taken of her legs before and after surgery, and the difference is amazing.  It will be awhile until we see them in person, or in action, but it seems like it has to make a significant difference in Eliza's mobility and will reduce ongoing pain.

The surgeries today included the removal of the hardware in her left ankle from surgery 2 years ago, and a 'femoral de-rotation osteotomy' above both knees.  For the next first 2-3 days she will have an epidural in place for pain control.  Compared to the last surgery, this seems like a big improvement as she is mostly numb and won't be relying on such heavy doses of pain medication.  Hopefully she will be discharged in 5 or 6 days, but until mid-February she will not be able to bear weight on her legs.  We don't yet know exactly how that will all work once we have her in our temporary 'home' in Minnesota, but the staff here at Gillette will help us figure out all of the details before she leaves the hospital.

This is what held her tibia together after her tibial de-rotation in 2014.  

These bandages protect all the incisions, they go from her toes to her hips.

Right now Eliza is doing really well.  She just woke up from a nap and is now able to drink some water.  We know to expect ups and downs over the next days, but things are good this evening.  Thanks for all the concern and well wishes.  It does make a huge difference for all of us.   

 Tomorrow is surgery day

We arrived in St. Paul last night and used today to get settled in our home for the next 4 weeks.  There was a lot of work to get organized and packed for being away for so long, but we did it.  

Our trip from Traverse City was made more enjoyable with a stop to visit my brother and his family near Chicago.  

 

Tomorrow we have an early arrival at the hospital.  After planning for this for so long, it's hard to believe the time is actually here.  Eliza is strong and brave and I think she's ready.  

Preparations

  

 

Surgery is scheduled for one week from today.  There are many things to do in order to be ready, especially since we are traveling a big distance to the hospital and will be staying an extended length of time.  Thankfully we're crossing things off the list every day.  We appreciate all of the concern, well wishes, and offers to help.  It makes this whole process so much easier to have such a great support system.

The Next Phase

 

 

It's been more than a year since I've posted an official update.  Eliza is now a sophomore in high school.  She's busy with school, choir, piano, church, musical, and her friends.  As you can see from the shoes in this picture, Eliza has come so far.  These aren't great shoes for her to wear, but the fact that she can put them on and walk is amazing.  Even last year this couldn't happen.  Though she has some challenges with her left leg and foot still, they are relatively minor and it doesn't stop her from participating in most activities.

Chronic pain is still part of her life, but thankfully it isn't as debilitating as it was before her surgery.  Now the pain seems to be focused mainly in her knees.  As I mentioned in the last blog post a year ago, Dr. Novacheck recommends additional surgery to re-align her femurs.  This surgery (bi-lateral femoral de-rotation osteotomy) will straighten her legs and relieve some of the pressure and pain in her joints, especially her knees.

In a couple of weeks we will travel back to Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare in St. Paul, MN for surgery.  For Eliza, and the rest of us, it is hard to face.  We know better what we are heading into this time.  The good part is that we trust Eliza will be stronger and have a greater quality of life because of the surgery.  Benefits will be life long as having her legs in better alignment will hopefully prevent joint deterioration that she is at risk of currently. 

After spending most of a week in hospital, we will move Eliza to an extended stay hotel for the first few weeks of recovery.  Since she won't be able to bear weight on either leg, she will need full handicap accessibility and, after our experience with her previous surgery, we know waiting to travel will be easier on her (and us!).  We are so grateful to my parents for making the trip with us, and staying with us in St. Paul.  That will allow Dan to return to Traverse City for work once Eliza is settled.

The next couple of weeks will be full of preparation.  Watch for more updates as we travel.