Day 2

After the pain block wore off at 6 am (16 hours later), she was given Atavan which made her pretty loopy. After Dr. Scott's visit, per Mary's request Michael and I began getting used to moving Mary's leg with the External Fixator. Then she finally slept for most of the morning.

At 1:00 a very sweet Physical Therapist came for her first session. Mary was able to sit up!!! The PT was impressed with her feelings towards the fixator and willingness to try even though she was clearly in pain. It is important to get her to move now verses letting her muscles and tendons tightening up and making it even harder to get them loose later. It isn't pain free but Mary did GREAT!!!

However, the session did wipe her out. She slept well and woke up to her first visitors: Grandparents and Little Sister. Unfortunately, while they were there Mary experienced her worst pain yet. She rated pain in recovery a 4-6. In her normal room she rated pain from 0-2 until 6:00 am when the nerve block wore off. In the afternoon after she had PT and had been moving it a lot she rated her pain an 8-10. Thus another dose of Ataran was administered. Based on conversations and how loopy she was in the morning we were probably too conservative on the pain meds in the afternoon. The first 48 hours is the worst so we learned not to have her hold back.

Mary and I are on the same page- we loved the nerve block. Her father however, didn't relax until the nerve block wore off and he had proof she had no complications from the anesthesia. Good to have balance in our relationship...

She was mellow but not wiped out for the rest of the visit. I am home tonight and Mary is with her Daddy. He emailed at 9:00 that she was doing fine and going to bed and so was he.

Each day it should get easier. I really am expecting today to have been the worst. As one doctor today said this procedure is a Marathon, not a sprint but with very successful outcomes.