Functional and GOING HOME!

Monday was Day 5 at the Hospital.

As I was laying in bed the night before I thought of all the daily activities Mary couldn't do, and the fact that  the ones she could do took 2 people to assist her. It made me wonder how we were going to make it at home.

But Mary slept GREAT! She slept from 10:45-3:30 then again from 4:30 to 8:30!!!

Mary had a dose of Tylenol with Codeine and then we met "Mean Mary" our Physical Therapist for the day and she changed our lives. I have to say I didn't like her at first but I learned to fall in love.

We had a session at 9:00 where:

1. We learned to hold up her toes otherwise the tendons won't and her toes will be curved.
2. Then Mary used the Wheelchair for the 2nd time but it was the 1st time I saw it. (Always important that we watch the ring on the thigh to make sure it is up and over the seat and that it doesnt get caught when she backs on to the wheelchair, etc.)
3. Then she learned how to use a walker!!! Amazing to see your child walk so quickly with an External Fixator.

Then she got back into the wheelchair and her Daddy and I took her down to the 2nd floor to pick up emails family members had sent her at the hospital, and showed her the cafeteria where she saw her 1st daylight since Thursday. (We shared a room with another patient and the other patient had the window view.)

Later Mary needed to go to the bathroom and so we were all 3 ready to use the new bedside commode we were all so proud of from the day before and the Nurse delivered the message that "Mean Mary" the Physical Therapist said we were supposed to use the real restroom now. So we did it. She used the walker to walk to the bathroom.

We gave her Valium after the 1st Physical Therapy session just to give it to her once when we were at the hospital to make sure there were no problems. (Ativan is the version she had previously because it goes into an IV. Valium is the version they send you home with for spasms.) Luckily there were no problems.

Then 2:30 rolled around and "Mean Mary" was back. She helped us:

1. get Mary into her street clothes and we took Mary outside to learn how to
2. walk down a slope in a walker,
3. up and down a curb,
4. and up and down stairs!!!

There was no stopping her now, she literally insisted on using her walker to walk back to the elevator to go back to her room. Our day had changed and we were ready to go home.

Mary doesn't want to jump to try anything, but she will do it and so far it has been followed with excitement that she could do it, and it actually felt better than not doing it. (Not sure she will say the say the same thing about turning the pins to lengthen her leg. However, someone said she had a high pain tolerance and I believe it from everything I have seen so far. I do get nervous when she actually says she does have pain because then I know it must really hurt.)

Mean Mary taught daily excercises to do hor Mary's toes, and to strngthen her left leg so she can lift the External Fixator.

1. We just push her toes to "normal position" and hold for a minute,
2. She lays flat and lifts her leg straight up for 10 repitions, 2 times a day. Once it gets easier she is to prop up on elbows for this excercise.
3. At a sink or counter, move leg straight back for 5-10 repitions 3 times a day.
4. At a sink or counter, kick leg back at angle away from her body for 5-10 repitions 3 times a day.
5. Eventually, at a sink or counter, kick leg out to side for 5-10 repitions 3 times a day.
6. Eventually, we will learn excercises for her knee.

Mary's favorite nurse (even though she said all of them were so nice.) was back on duty. We picked up the prescriptions, loaded up and her favorite Nurse escorted us out. It was hard to say goodbye because once you are there it feels like you will never leave and everyone was so nice and supportive. But I did have confidence we were ready.

Earlier in the day we were trying to get a medical bed and commode delivered to our house even though the Ortho Dept. and Mean Mary didn't think it was necessary but right before we left we learned they couldn't deliver it until tomorrow. So we had to try the first night without and we could call and have them on Tuesday.

We drove home and there were no complaints by Mary about the bumps in the road and there are A LOT of them where we live. ( I heard the kids feel every bump in the car- I am sure it will but it was nice it didn't on our first ride in the car.)

We arrived home to a sign and balloons from her good friend, and a sign from her sister. The ramps our friend made us for outside the house worked well. We tested if Mary could fit at our kitchen table in her wheelchair and it can work, then we made it up the stairs! Currently we have to hold her leg but in time she will be able to do it herself. We verified she can use our bathrooms and then she got in bed.

Her Little Sister was thrilled to have her home and although I was nervous it is nice to see Mean Mary was right we could function!

Mary received stacks of cards from her classmates and her Little Sisters classmates, a few phone calls, and went to bed around 11:00. We need to get her back to a regular bedtime.

So far at home we have gotten by with regular Tylenol vs Tylenol with Codeine. We don't want to use it if we don't have to because of the constipation it causes.