Fixator Removal Over!!

Annie did GREAT today!!  This is surgery number 7 for her, but the first time she didn't have to stay inpatient.  What a difference.  And best of all?  She does not seem to be in any pain (knock on wood).  She was super, super grumpy for a few hours post-op, but has been pretty delightful all afternoon.  PRAISE!!!

Hoping for a restful night for her and more of the same tomorrow.

For those that have asked....here is a picture blitz......even though I cannot get her to smile for the camera, much less look at it these days!  We decided to stay ocean front for her final (for awhile) surgery.  Great idea!

Annie's first trip to the beach....she seemed to love it!

Mommy and Annie

All this beach going has tuckered me out!

6 am this morning waiting for surgery...."I want a snack" she said and furrowed her brow

WOW.....straight arm (In the process of having her splint made)

Left arm pin sites....they look pretty good

First words she managed to say upon waking up?  Where's Gee Gee?  Ask and she shall receive!

It's been a long day....let's go back to the hotel and put pj's on!

Buh bye fixators!

Annie gets her fixators removed tomorrow!  So excited for her!  Prayers for a quick, complication free surgery in the morning.  Oh, and let's add minimal pain!  We are back in West Palm but can hopefully go home Thursday as planned!

We took Annie to the beach this afternoon and she had a blast!  Future beach bum.

X-Rays

I am not a radiologist, but her left radius does not look good.  Is seems to be very crooked and not completely healed.  Her right looks really straight (I'm guessing that is a good thing?).  I will FedEx to Dr P today, so hopefully we will know something in a few days.

Healing In Progress!

The good news is that Annie’s bones have almost healed.  The bad news is that we cannot schedule a fixator removal date until her bones are completely healed.  That means we have had to wait another month, repeat the x-rays, then schedule a surgery date (assuming she is completely healed).  It makes sense, it’s just  that this whole process is far more drawn out than we were originally thinking.  What we thought was going to be a 2-month fixator hell is turning into more of a 4-month fixator hell.  In the grand scheme of life it is no time at all, but in the here and now, it is dragging by painstakingly slow.  I am just so thankful that she is too young to remember any of it!! 

When I was preggers we used to refer to her as BGT…as in baby girl trouble.  She definitely continues to live up to her name.  Would you believe that stinker actually choked, aspirated on her vomit, and ended up with aspiration pneumonia?  I didn’t even know such a thing existed, but leave it up to BGT to school us about it!  The choking incident happened while we were in the car and she panicked, tilted her head back, and pretty much gargled on her throw up.  Some obviously made its way to her lungs, thus causing the pneumonia.  Crazy I tell you!  She had to be put on clindamycin (an antibiotic used to treat “serious” infections) and have breathing treatments 4 times a day for days (have I mentioned how much I hate Xopenex?  MAKES. KIDS. WILD!!!!!!).  

Here’s the silver lining……Annie is the happiest she has been since before her surgery.  I mean downright happy!!  It makes me wonder if her little body was working overtime trying to fight off infection from her fixators and previous 2 infections and she just didn’t feel good.  10 days of antibiotic later, blissfully happy!!  It warms my heart to see her little personality back in full force! So, we go for x-rays on Monday and PRAY that she is all healed up and we can schedule an off date.  Dr P is out of the country the last 2 weeks in June, and his schedule is of course full the first 2 weeks, so I am not sure what the plan will be.  All I know is that if they are ready to come out, come hell or high water, those things are coming out! 

Alexander has somewhat turned a corner with his behavior lately, thank goodness.  I was starting to think we were going to have to ship him off to Military preschool or something (just kidding of course….I can’t stand being away from him for more than one night).  He is still jealous as all get out, but he is keeping it better under control (knock on wood).

The lights of my life......

Future helicopter pilot perhaps?

Annie and her wagon date Grady :-)

X-Rays

For you, Mom:

I'm no radiologist, but bone looks to be growing where it should....can't wait to get the official word from Dr. P and hopefully schedule a surgery date to get those damn fixators removed!!!

Update

Overall Annie’s appointment with Dr. P this week went very well (even though we had to wait close to 4 hours for a less than 5 min appointment).  We are so excited that she has completed the distraction (lengthening) phase and has moved on to the consolidation (hardening) phase!!  I am hopeful that her pain will lessen drastically now that her bones are no longer being pulled apart.  I was thinking that she would be able to have the fixators removed a month after the lengthening was complete, but it turns out it will be 2 months.  Damn!    

Her latest infection has cleared and she is no longer required to wear the thumb immobilization splints, or splints of any kind right now.  She is actually quite fond of her splints (I think it is a sense of comfort for her) and she cries when we take them off (we put them on for sleeping as a sense of security for her).  She has literally worn some form of splint since she was 2 days old, so I could see why she might feel a bit naked without them!

It was very disheartening to hear that she would have the fixators at least 8 more weeks.  That means 8 more weeks of pin site cleaning (aka daily torture).  Boo, hiss, I don’t wanna……

She has gained about 15 mm in length on each radius.  Pretty amazing if you ask me!  Her arms and hands are very stiff but that is expected from being immobilized for 6 weeks.    As she gets more and more comfortable with being splint free she is using her hands more.  Unfortunately she has lost all of her thumb function, but now that her hands are free I am hopeful that she will regain all that she had a more (the muscle transfer is supposed to increase opposition).  I still have that twinge of, oh hell, why did I let him mess with her thumbs again.  She was doing so great….why rock the boat for more when you could end up drowning, you know?  Of course, on the other hand (pardon the pun), let’s rock that boat and see how far she swims.  I think she will amaze us all!  Yep, that’s what I’m going with for now!

Until today, Alexander had a terrific week, despite Annie, Mommy, and Gee being in FL for part of it.  He got sent to the “principals” office today for hitting…….really?.......I think I need a drink!

Annie and Gee on the veranda waiting to see Dr P:

Left arm x-ray 4/1:

 Right arm x-ray 4/1:

So tired she can't even sit up straight (I know the feeling)....

Alexander........

Silly boy:

Growing!

In a 3  week period Annie's arms grew 10 mm (also known as 1 cm)!!!  Truly amazing!  We made a quick trip to FL on 3/18  to see Dr. P.  He was very pleased with her progress and told us to come back in 2 weeks.  I am really hopeful that when we see him this coming Monday he tells us that she is done lengthening, can start OT to regain her thumb movement, and schedules a surgery date to remove the fixators.  Think that is asking too much?  Nah!  Oh wait, I forgot one, hopefully she will also be infection free by then!

We are starting to see more and more glimpses of our happy little girl again, but we still have a lot of rough moments each day.  The worst of which comes when we have to clean her pin sites and change the bandages.  She literally screams blood curdling screams throughout the whole process.  Even though I know a lot of it comes from sheer anxiety over the process (can you blame her?) a lot of it also comes from pain.  A big thank you to my wonderful friends that came over and relieved me of the duty one night!  It is a necessary evil, but I hate, hate, HATE doing it.  Not for me, but for her.  Makes me question our decision on a daily basis. 

She is fighting infection #2, which I am sure adds to her discomfort.  The main source of the infection this time is due to her skin tearing against one of the pin sites (OUCH), as well as a stitch not dissolving as it should have.  Yes folks, I learned how to remove sutures this past week.  Good thing I swiped that suture removal kit from the exam room....somehow I knew we would be needing it!

Alex struggles with jealousy, which equates to really poor behavior at times, but he is still a really happy little guy!  He keeps us laughing!

Picture Time:

Here is the x-ray of her right arm where you can see the fixator screwed into the radius and can see the rod that was put through the ulna.  No wonder she has been in pain:

X-ray of both arms:

Look how straight her right arm is looking:

Underside of her right arm....looks amazing!

You can see where her poor skin is tearing:

Caught her smiling in the bath: