Rain rain, go away
Ok, so I’m not loving this four days of rain thing. We had hoped to go away for the long weekend, enjoying the luxury of 4 uninterrupted days together but the weather forecast soon by the kibosh on that idea. And the last couple of days have been hard. Normally we would put the kids in their raincoats and get out and about regardless, at least some of the time but we can’t risk getting Hazel’s cast wet, so we’ve only headed out during the brief patches of sun or very light drizzle.
The cabin fever? It is here.
I resorted to a trip to Southland shopping centre yesterday (and bought some much needed new gear for our gal) and today we are going to brave the hordes at Scienceworks.
Come on sunshine!!
A little video as well
As a bonus, here is a little video clip I forgot that I had recorded. You can see that she is quite comfortable in her cast now.
The Spica Table
I decided to get all crafty and see if I could build a spica table. I’m not so bad at creating crafty things when I actually get on and do it, it is procrastination that is my enemy but I wanted to give it a go. I borrowed a drill and jigsaw from my Dad and set off to Bunnings. The chair was actually my main concern as a table can be built pretty simply. In the end I found a simple stool at Bunnings that I added a back to and it works very well. I painted the top of the table with blackboard paint but thus far the chalk doesn’t seem to want to dust off (I haven’t tried a damp cloth though) so I don’t know how successful that part of the experiment was. Total cost of materials was around $90 (we did have some nails and screws already that we used though).
The happy girl is back
Sorry I haven’t got the photos of the spica table up yet. It has been a hit, although I’m not sure the blackboard paint works terribly well as we can’t seem to wipe the chalk off. It is pretty crappy cheap chalk that has probably been living under the couch for the past year though so stay tuned.
Hazel is finally back to her happy go lucky self. She has been fine for some time now but hadn’t quite recovered the insanely joyous Pollyanna type outlook that is her natural personality. She is sleeping very well now with only the need for an occasional dummy replacement and she is even beginning to spend time on her tummy, learning to get around. Tomorrow will be 2 weeks down and only 4 to go. I feel very worried about what will happen at the end of the 6 weeks though as we’ve been told that she will need no further treatment and it just seems too good to be true when I speak with all these other Hip Mums and Dads who have faced months and years of treatment. Could we really get away with only 6 weeks? I truly hope our surgeon is right but I will feel incredibly lucky if that is our outcome.
Photos to come tomorrow, I promise!
Sleep, sweet sleep
Hazel slept through the night last night! There was a dummy replacement in the wee hours but that isn’t uncommon and then she went back to sleep until 7am. It was wonderful to get a full night’s rest although I awoke to discover my son had snuck in to our bed at some stage in the evening!
Today we began the spica table project. I had no plans to work from and so am just making it up as I go along but I’ll post photos tomorrow of my wonderful creation. Now we just have to hope she will sit at it.
One down….
We’ve made it to one week. Only five to go.
We’re actually tremendously lucky when I compare myself with every other Hip family I’ve encountered. They all seem to have experienced months, if not years of treatment with surgeries, traction, casts and braces so if we get away with surgery and 6 weeks in a cast, I will be thanking my lucky stars.
I have the night off tonight, as Hazel stays with my parents on Thursday nights and so am home with Linus enjoying the rest and relaxation. Mum is a bit worse for wear after a sleepless night last night but hopefully they can hold it together until pick up tomorrow afternoon. It is a real bonus for us to have family helping us out.
Small progress.
Hazel seems to be physically better, I don’t think she has any pain from the surgery, although I suspect there is discomfort from being stuck in the one position 24/7. She is finding it hard to adjust to being largely immobile though and sleeping is obviously much harder for her, which leaves her tired and cranky. I imagine it is much like trying to sleep when on a bus or plane; you get sleep but it is never as restful as one gets in bed.
I’m hoping she’ll find a way to become mobile and feel a bit more independent soon. We are taking her for walks daily which she enjoys and it is a nice way to break up the day for us. I’m back at work now so Hazel is with Ash, our babysitter and my parents through the week which also give her some variety.
We have been lucky to find lots of people with experience with DDH and they are very generous with their time and information. I’ve been in contact with another Hip Mum who hires out spica tables and yesterday, in the supermarket, a local Hip Mum introduced herself to Ashley after seeing Hazel in the cast. She has an 18month old who it seems to have had a very long period of treatment. Ash gave her our phone number and she kindly sent a photo of her little one and details to get in contact. It is so nice to feel a sense of community and support when you are dealing with such a big change in your life.
On the mend
Hazel has had a great day. Sleeping overnight is naturally a difficulty and it was a bit like having a newborn again as we got up every few hours to an unsettled little girl. For the most part, she was easy to settle back to sleep although I got up with her at about 5am and sat with her in our lounge until she settled. She went back to sleep until around 8am and has been a bright little sunshine for most of the day.
We haven’t done much with her other than watch ABC kids and play a bit of peek-a-boo and catch but I’m hoping the weather will improve soon and we’ll be able to get her out and about enjoying the fresh air.
Linus will be back with us tomorrow. My parents have very generously taken care of him since Thursday which has made everything so much easier for us, and of course has been great fun for Linus who loves nothing more than going to grandma and papa’s house. It has been a long time away from the little man though and Ash and I are both looking forward to having him home.
A few photos from hospital
Sleeping peacefully the next morning after her big operation.
I had wondered if they had hospital beds that were like cots and they do!
A little less perky on the afternoon of the second day
Another little snooze on her last day (2 days after surgery)
Coming home
It has been 2 days now since Hazel’s surgery and of course it is amazing how well she is doing. We have continued to fight somewhat with the nurses about her care. They are nice enough but their priorities and ours are at odds. We wish her to get plenty of pain medication, before pain sets in and they want to give only what is needed, in response to pain. I’m pleased to say that in the end, the acceded to our wishes and gave her additional pain medication, despite clearly feeling it was unwarranted.
I can understand their point of view, that Hazel’s distress is caused more because of her situation than because of actual pain, but as a parent I’m not willing to take the risk that it is actually pain (and who wouldn’t be in pain after such surgery?) and would prefer we err on the side of medication, where those medications can be given safely. I’m sure every parent feel the same, but I also like to think I know my 18 month old well enough to tell if she is frustrated or if she is in pain.
In any event, when Mr Natrass turned up, he told me she was having too much pain medication and that she wouldn’t be in any pain because the only reason we have pain after surgery is because of movement, which she can’t do in the cast. I told him as a veteran of 3 surgeries (2 c-sections and a gall bladder removal) in the past 4 years, I strongly disagree with the statement that there was no pain if I didn’t move. He told me that 20 years of experience disagreed!
None of which really matters because we are now home and her pain medication is solely my concern and I am able to err on the side of a little more relief. We have panadol and nurofen and also a children’s version of panadeine and I’m confident we can keep her pain free with these 3 medications.
We brought her home in the car seat with the extension clip and a few jumpers stuffed in behind her to fill the gap between the seat and her cast. She was very happy in the car as this was her first time forward facing! She has a lovely long nap in her cot when we got home (and mum and dad caught a few zzz as well!) and has since been up watching ABC kids happily.
She is clearly beginning to be frustrated by the cast. She asks to be put down and wants to move around independently but I’m sure that in another week she will have it all worked out.
The hospital stay has been incredibly draining emotionally as a parent, far more so than I had expected. The hardest has been having to rely on other people to provide care for your child, having to wait 10 or 15 minutes for the nurses to come, having to make your case for this care or that care, so I think having her home will be so much better.
There is no doubt that the worst is behind us. Mr Natrass said that the scan showed her hip was still in place in the cast and he was very pleased with the results of the osteotomy. We will shop tomorrow for a bean bag and I have details of someone who makes tables for kids in a spica. I think by this time next week she will be completely her old self and in six short weeks she will be cast free and learning to walk for the second time.
Thanks to everyone we know who has sent their well wishes and thoughts. They mean a great deal to me.
Present Imperfect 
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