Cast change day

Whew.

That's all I can say!

This day is the day I have been dreading/stressing/losing sleep over for the last 7 weeks.  Today was Lucy's cast change.  I called it 'D-Day' since this is the day that her old, ugly, stinky purple cast was removed, and the surgeon checked her hip for stability.  BIG day.  There was absolutely a chance of the cast coming off, and the hip going WHOOOOP and slipping right back up.  Yep, it was possible.  With hip dislocations, anything is possible, so just because there is a cast on, doesn't mean a thing.  It's not like a broken bone... A dislocation is much more complicated since the head of the femur and the hip socket have to 'meet' for the first time and then 'marry!'  They have to grow together, the tendons, cartilage, everything. It's a process.  So, if all of it isn't coming together, WHOOOOOOP... there goes the hip again.

Thank you LORD that this wasn't the case today.

So, we show up at 8:30 for check in at Phoenix Children's Hospital.  How crazy that check in is 8:30, when our procedure wasn't scheduled until 10:30.  

We get there, and the dang panic sets in.  No xanax on hand (dang it, I forgot it at home!) so I just sat there... quietly, waiting for us to be called to the pre-op area.  (You know I am stressed when I am quiet...haha)

We get to pre-op, and the nurse informs us that Dr. Segal is running behind, since he was teaching this morning.  Great.  Lucy hasn't eaten since 9 last night, or had a single thing to drink.  She was so tired, so hungry... Aaron and I kept her busy by reading books, playing with the iPad, and taking trips to the little play area at the hospital.  

Finally... 11 am rolls around, and there is Dr. Segal in the hall reviewing our chart before coming in.  I joked with Aaron and said he is probably like, 'dang, the Farrish family again.' haha!

He comes in and explains what he is going to do, and then asks if I have questions.  DUH!!! Of course I do! :-)  I whip out my iPhone where I have stored all of my notes/questions.  He just takes a seat.  He said 'how did I know you would have a ton of questions?!?!'  He knows me by now.  As he leaves he said 'so, the last 6 weeks haven't been that bad, right?!'  and I said, 'well, if you are comparing it to getting stabbed repeatedly, no... I guess not that bad...'  Ummm, hello, it's hotter than hell here with a non-toddling toddler. YES, it sucks.  And it's been SEVEN weeks, not 6!

Anyway, he leaves and then the anesthesiologist comes in.  YIKES.  A different guy than the last 2 times.  I asked about his entire job history and he said he has been doing this for 20 years, so I felt better.  

I swear, this DOESN'T get any easier.  Lucy has been under now 3 times since Feb, and each time feels like the first.  The anticipation, and the demons in your head saying 'what if they can't wake her up??!'  It's awful.  So of course, I give my sweet girl the biggest squeeze and about a million kisses on her little soft cheek.  I hand her off to the nurse and it felt like my whole world was being ripped from my arms.  Awful. These strangers have my baby's life in their hands!  Lucy, again, waves bye bye to momma and I hear her crying down the hall.  

Honestly, for those of you with kids... If you haven't ever been through a surgery with your child, THANK GOD every night.  Seriously.  Get on your knees and thank God for that because it's the most horrible thing for any parent to face.  

So, fast forward through the longest hour of our lives, and there comes Dr. Segal.  His first words when he sees my face are 'I am not sure what to do walking up to you, because I don't know if I should smile, dance or give thumbs up.'  haha... I requested all three. :)

All in all, her x-ray was awesome!  Hip is in socket!  He said he manipulated her leg straight, and the hip stayed, which shows great stability.  YAY!  I literally felt like the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders.  Thank you GOD for answering my bazillions of prayers.

One of my concerns are that since the cast is new, should we do a precautionary x-ray?  Dr. Segal said, 'I already told my staff that I know mom, and she will want an x-ray, so it's already scheduled.'  Good Dr. :) 

Dang right, I want to see this with my own 2 blood shot eyes! 

The cast is way different.  I don't like it at all.  It's PINK thank goodness... (the purple was awful) BUT... it has a bar!  WTF!  When the Dr. told me that I looked at him and said 'are you joking me right now?!'  Reason being is that this cast is fiberglass, the last one was plaster.  SO, fiberglass is lighter and cooler for her, but not as stable and bulky as plaster.  Dang it.  He then tells me 'the bar is blue.'  Ummm, WHAT in the world possessed him to put a blue bar on a pink cast?!  Why not just match em?!  Whatever.  The hip is stable and we will deal, but men just don't think like us ladies do. :)  I think I am going to wrap it in zebra print duct tape.

I told the Dr. 'you have to have seen/dealt with crazier moms than me, right?!'  and he said, 'well... no but I do appreciate that you care.'  HA!  In 25 plus years, I take the cake for the most over protective, crazy mother.  Awesome.  He then told us that 'so many parents LEAVE their children in the hospital and think of it as a little vacation for themselves.'  Are you kidding me?!  They should be SHOT!  What A-holes.

Anyways...We go back to recovery and again my heart stops.  There she is.  Like a sleeping beauty.  My EVERYTHING!  Perfect little angel baby, with a mask on her face breathing in strawberry scented oxygen.  Her mouth was open so I could see all of her new teeth.  Pure perfection in every way.  The bar, the cast, nothing else mattered right then.  She was safe.  :)  The rest of the world could have blown up at that point and I would have still been sitting there by her side, staring at this perfect little girl I created. 

We were able to go home right away after she woke up, so bye bye!  Last time she needed a CT scan, but the Dr. didn't want to this time due to the radiation exposure, so we grabbed the babe and left. 

She was perfect all the way home.  She is fascinated by the bar on her cast, and keeps hitting it like it's some sort of musical instrument...She had some juice and crackers while mommy put the waterproof tape around her diaper area, and is currently in dream land... 

So next Wed we will go in for what I am hoping is one of the final x-rays for awhile, and we will then set up her REMOVAL date! :-)  YAY!  I think just having that day to look forward to will help.  

I am such a happy momma right now.  I feel so proud of my little girl and my whole family.  We have been through SO much in 2012 already, and I am ready to get back to life.

Of course, her recovery is going to be a long one.  The cast will come off, and she will most likely have a foam brace around her thighs for awhile to wean her off the cast.  She won't walk right away.  She won't even be able to sit up or crawl for awhile... BUT... it will come in time.  It all will come in time.

What is upsetting to know is that this is probably not the end of our hip journey.  The Dr. said when children approach 3 years old, they have a growth spurt, so there is another surgery that he will most likely do then... 

I can't focus on that now.  I am only focusing on getting through these next 5 weeks with my sanity still in tact... well, somewhat at least.

One thing I have promised myself is that when Lucy is running around like a wild woman, when she is climbing on things she shouldn't, when she is making a mess all over, I will remember the pain and stress of this cast, and just ENJOY her.  Screw it.  She can run and run and run and make a mess all over.  I will treasure every moment.  The things I hear parents complain about just drives me nuts.  It's like 'get over it princess, you have no idea what it's like to have a child that can't move!'  My tolerance for these nosey, know it all parents is gone.  I can't take em.  They have no experience with anything in their lives and don't appreciate the little things that they should.

The biggest thing I can't wait for is to walk with her holding my hand.  I could cry thinking about it.  I haven't gotten that yet.  Don't EVER take that for granted with your babies!  I would give the world right now to walk with her holding her sticky little hand... :)

Anyway... today is over.  And it went wall.  All I can ask for at this point. 

Thank you to everyone who e-mailed, texted and wished us luck and sent prayers.  We really truly appreciate it!  

Love from sunny Arizona...

Trying to keep her occupied while waiting... and waiting....

I hate this bar already... this was L in recovery after the change

I love kissing her!

There it is.  Beautiful hip!

Haha, the Dr. did that with a happy face and his initials so they remember to cast the LEFT leg and not the right!  How pissed would I be?!?!?!?

On the way home with my princess

Can't wait to start filling this up with 'days til removal!'

Thank you Lord for her iPad!

Still waiting... playing in the children's play area

Pretty much the most beautiful thing I have ever seen!