Sunday, June 10, 2012
Decorated Walker
Several friends gave Mary the idea to bling out her walker. One family gave us initial supplies and Mary and I went to a craft store yesterday to buy more supplies. (I have to add the cashier was very sweet. She asked what project we were working on. Mary told her and the cashier was very nice and asked for the details which Mary shared.) A friend came over later in the day and they spruced it up a bit:
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Stairs- demos
When Mary arrived home 5 days after her surgery she could scoot up and down the stairs with one of us holding her fixator leg because it was too heavy for her to lift.
Two weeks after surgery she discovered how to go up the stairs by herself by rocking her leg. See 3 videos below:
Three weeks after surgery she learned how to go down the stairs by herself. See videos below:
Four weeks after surgery she taught herself how to lift her leg so she doesn't have to rock it back and forth anymore. See video below:
Two weeks after surgery she discovered how to go up the stairs by herself by rocking her leg. See 3 videos below:
Three weeks after surgery she learned how to go down the stairs by herself. See videos below:
Four weeks after surgery she taught herself how to lift her leg so she doesn't have to rock it back and forth anymore. See video below:
Friday, June 8, 2012
2nd outpatient Physical Therapy Appt.
Mary has not been enjoying her Physical Therapy Sessions at home. We have about 6 exercises that we have been doing in a session. We are doing good to get 4-5 sessions in a day.
Of course she hates the most important one where we try to straighten her leg. It is the most important one because Dr. Scott has warned we will have to pause her lengthening if she can't get it in a range between 0 to negative 10. The first Physical Therapist measured negative 15 about nine days ago.
Today she saw a different therapist who measured negative 9. Neither measurement is precise but as long as we are closer to -10 vs. -20 I think we are doing good.
Mary worked with the therapist while Daddy and Little Sister just waited. The therapist added 2 more exercises into the rotation. One stretches the fixator leg and one works on the hamstring.
Next PT visit is in a week so we will have one more in before we see our doctor for her next follow up.
Of course she hates the most important one where we try to straighten her leg. It is the most important one because Dr. Scott has warned we will have to pause her lengthening if she can't get it in a range between 0 to negative 10. The first Physical Therapist measured negative 15 about nine days ago.
Today she saw a different therapist who measured negative 9. Neither measurement is precise but as long as we are closer to -10 vs. -20 I think we are doing good.
Mary worked with the therapist while Daddy and Little Sister just waited. The therapist added 2 more exercises into the rotation. One stretches the fixator leg and one works on the hamstring.
Next PT visit is in a week so we will have one more in before we see our doctor for her next follow up.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
5 Days of Fun Outings
Today marks 4 weeks from surgery. The past 5 days Mary did a fun outing a day. They all went well but an outing a day is all she can handle at the moment. She still needs to build up her endurance.
Sunday:
We went to Church as a family for the first time since before Mary's surgery. It was a quiet day so we were able to find a good spot for the wheelchair (even though we were pretty late), and we figured out a smooth way to handle Communion by circling around to the back and joining the end of the line.
Monday:
Mary attended her first Girl Scout meeting since her surgery. It was the last meeting of the year. The girls were very thoughtful and sat in chairs in a circle vs. the floor that we normally sit on and they all chipped in to buy Mary a Girl Scout doll.
Tuesday:
She met her class at Fenton's for their end of the year field trip. The teachers were very supportive and it meant a lot to Mary to attend.
Wednesday:
Mary attended her dance class. She was thrilled that her Daddy just dropped her off and didn't stay. The girls were very sweet but the hour wiped her out.
Thursday:
Mary attended the last day of school (because it was only 2 and 1/2 hours long)!!! Once again she was thrilled her Daddy wasn't with her. She couldn't have done it if her teacher wasn't so supportive and willing to maneuver the wheelchair and walker!
Sunday:
We went to Church as a family for the first time since before Mary's surgery. It was a quiet day so we were able to find a good spot for the wheelchair (even though we were pretty late), and we figured out a smooth way to handle Communion by circling around to the back and joining the end of the line.
Monday:
Mary attended her first Girl Scout meeting since her surgery. It was the last meeting of the year. The girls were very thoughtful and sat in chairs in a circle vs. the floor that we normally sit on and they all chipped in to buy Mary a Girl Scout doll.
She met her class at Fenton's for their end of the year field trip. The teachers were very supportive and it meant a lot to Mary to attend.
Wednesday:
Mary attended her dance class. She was thrilled that her Daddy just dropped her off and didn't stay. The girls were very sweet but the hour wiped her out.
Thursday:
Mary attended the last day of school (because it was only 2 and 1/2 hours long)!!! Once again she was thrilled her Daddy wasn't with her. She couldn't have done it if her teacher wasn't so supportive and willing to maneuver the wheelchair and walker!
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| Mary was so proud this morning because she made her bed. She said it might not look great but she did it! I had to smile because I didn't even know she ever made her bed before :-) |
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| The girls heading to the last day of school! |
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| Mary in her class line for the bringing down of the flag to close the school year. |
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Wire (Pin) Frustrations
Yesterday one of Mary's thin blue wires through her foot lost it's white protective cap and it was sticking straight up. When her Daddy tried to bend it back it broke at the extra curved part. It was sticking straight out so he tried to trim it flush, but now it is sticking out about 1mm from the nut.
Our Doctor had warned they do break and the high school boy that had a fixator for a football injury had just told us he used wire cutters all the time to trim them down. Daddy called Dr. Scott's office who confirmed it's OK as long as it is the outside the nut, not close to her leg.
Daddy's fix was to put wax on the end (similar to wax for braces) during the day and to wrap the wax at night while she slept.
There is also a loose "screw" in one of the top pins (that Mary dislikes the most) that Daddy keeps having to tighten with a screwdriver.
Funny to have to "maintain" the equipment on your daughters leg...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Last night when I was doing Mary's daily pin site cleaning Mary asked if we have to clean them everyday and I said yes that is one thing we must do the whole time she has it on (probably into December). She asked what if forget? I explained it is important to do it to help prevent an infection. Tears were shed because it is not comfortable during the cleanings. She has been GREAT about the cleanings. It was the first time she balked. It was hard since we are only 3 weeks into to the cleanings and we most likely have 6 more months to go!
Overall, she is handling this whole process wonderfully but there are moments of frustration which is hard but better than her trying to keep it all in. It is a very tedious, long process. It wouldn't be healthy to be so "positive" about the process 100% of the time.
Our Doctor had warned they do break and the high school boy that had a fixator for a football injury had just told us he used wire cutters all the time to trim them down. Daddy called Dr. Scott's office who confirmed it's OK as long as it is the outside the nut, not close to her leg.
Daddy's fix was to put wax on the end (similar to wax for braces) during the day and to wrap the wax at night while she slept.
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| Normal Wire |
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| Broken wire with Daddy's wax repair |
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| Close up of broken wire |
There is also a loose "screw" in one of the top pins (that Mary dislikes the most) that Daddy keeps having to tighten with a screwdriver.
Funny to have to "maintain" the equipment on your daughters leg...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Last night when I was doing Mary's daily pin site cleaning Mary asked if we have to clean them everyday and I said yes that is one thing we must do the whole time she has it on (probably into December). She asked what if forget? I explained it is important to do it to help prevent an infection. Tears were shed because it is not comfortable during the cleanings. She has been GREAT about the cleanings. It was the first time she balked. It was hard since we are only 3 weeks into to the cleanings and we most likely have 6 more months to go!
Overall, she is handling this whole process wonderfully but there are moments of frustration which is hard but better than her trying to keep it all in. It is a very tedious, long process. It wouldn't be healthy to be so "positive" about the process 100% of the time.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
3 week milestones
Thursday was 3 weeks from Mary's surgery date. It was the beginning of many milestones:
Here's some words from Mary:
- She began to go to the bathroom by herself,
- She began to sit down in a chair by herself,
- She began to go upstairs with out help other than someone carrying the walker to the top so it is there for her when she is at the 2nd floor,
- And yesterday she went swimming by herself. Real swimming with the help of "noodles": two underneath her arms, one tied around her waist, and three pieces cut from a noodle on her fixator.
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| Floating on the raft |
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| Swimming at LAST!!! |
- Today she went up a play structure with assistance on the stairs because the walker wouldn't fit but didn't seem sad bout not being able to really play like she used to.
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| I made it! |
Here's some words from Mary:
I can definitely get around a lot better which is helpful because
- if me and my Little Sister, or me and my friend want to go upstairs we can go upstairs and not have to ask for help,
- I do not have to wait to go to the bathroom if someone is busy,
- and I do not have to wait to sit down.
- It's also a lot faster or seems to be...
I also like it because I do not miss out on as much as I used to.
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