I love Lucy: Cast OFF!

DUN DUN DUN DUN!!!!

Cast is off.

Hallelujah!

Today was so stressful... Not to mention, I couldn't sleep a wink last night... I kept thinking, 'what if the hip is out of the socket again?!' It was possible. I have learned with hip issues, anything is possible, so it was hard to relax and rest...

We headed for Phoenix Children's today around 10:30 for our 11 am appointment. Dr. Segal, of course, double booked, running late, etc... always fun with a baby who hasn't napped yet...

FINALLY Karla, his nurse called our name... THE BIG MOMENT! We went into the cast room and she started cutting it off. It took about 10 mins. Lucy was uneasy because of the noise, and whining, but not crying at all. I expected her to be screaming! She was very busy listening to me singing 'our song.' "In the jungle the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight....."

The amount of cotton that was under that cast, holy cow. Plaster, cotton, fiberglass, you name it. All in one spica cast package... She got the top part off first, and BAM! There was that tummy that I have waited 3 months to see! Then BAM! Legs! WHOA!!! I have missed those sweet little chubby legs SO much! I was SO happy and Lucy looked at me like, 'where is the rest of me!?'

The nurse told us we needed to go to the x-ray room, and I looked at her like, 'ok, how are we getting there.' I was scared to death to hold Lucy. She told me just to pick her up and put her on my hip without letting her legs go together. OMGOSH. I have never been so scared in my life!

We made it over to the x-ray room, and being pregnant, I couldn't take her in, so daddy did. I could hear her screaming bloody murder down the hall.

We are then directed to Dr. Segal's room, and wait... and wait. I love him to death, but man. He is a popular guy. He doesn't rush, which is great, but the waiting with a baby is hard!

He comes in and has Lucy lay on the table and he rotates her hip in circular motions and my heart is racing! I am thinking, 'please don't do that!! You are gonna mess up her hip!' DUH. He is the Doctor right?! The x-ray pops up on the screen and there it is. Hip is IN! They took the x-ray with her legs straight too, not in an abducted position. Poor Goose. That must have hurt!

He explains that it is 'unlikely' for her hip to re-dislocate at this point. It is very stable. Now what we are doing is watching her AI (Acetabular Index) aka the socket growth. The numbers have to keep going down. Right now her good hip (right) is at a 19, and her bad hip (left) is at a 33. He said we just wait and hope the number goes down. If not, around 3 she will need a pelvic osteotomy. :-( I sure hope not, but all we can do is pray!

So we knew L was going to have to wear a foam brace for awhile. We thought it would be there in the room waiting for us. WRONG. We were told by Dr. Segal that there are several of these 'locations' and he wants us to go there today and get fitted for a brace. WTF?! Phoenix Childrens is one of the biggest hospitals in the country. REALLY? They couldn't have had a brace there? I wasn't thrilled, but we went on our way. We called the Gilbert one (on our way home) and of course, they didn't have any braces in stock. WTF?! We call the Chandler one, (about 20 mins away.) He 'thinks' they do. OMG. At this point, I am ready to go ape shit on someone. L is starving, tired, but honestly being SO perfect! She was happy just drinking her bottle and watching tv in the van. (I told you she was perfect, right?!)

We show up to the Chandler one. Waiting again. Finally the guy comes in and has this cheap little piece of foam and starts putting it on Lucy. I swear, I could make this thing in about 10 minutes. Foam with velcro straps. He gets it on her and says, 'well, it's too small, so I am going to send you to the other clinic in Mesa.' (another 1/2 hour away.) Now the pyscho Karen that you have all grown to know and love comes out. HELL NO am I going anywhere else. We went round and round for about 10 mins and finally he told us just to keep her in the small one til tomorrow. He told me I can pick up TWO braces that he will have ordered tomorrow afternoon in the right size. So yah, the brace is too small, but she is wearing it. How much sense does this make?!

Anyway, I can't talk about the lack of organization of Phoenix Childrens or this Hanger brace place anymore. Drives me INSANE. Love our doctor, can't stand the fact that we went sent out to get this done.

We get home around 2:30 and YEP... you guessed it. BATH TIME! YAY! I put some shorts and a tank top on and crawled in with her. It's hard for her to sit up for very long, since her back strength isn't great yet. She was SO happy! I bought her the Yo Gabba Gabba character bath set, and she was out of her head!

Her skin has black fuzz on it! SO cute. I like her little hairy legs. :) Her skin is also flaky and scaly. Bruised in a few spots, but not as bad as I was expecting. The nurse said her cast was so well cared for and super clean. DUH!!! My hour plus bath time routine EVERY NIGHT (yes, you heard it, every night) payed off.

We get out, lotion her up, and dammit. I forgot how to do this brace. It looks close enough, I guess. Gotta get through til tomorrow where I am not all steamed up, I can pay better attention. :-P

All in all, it was a good day. I am still nervous of holding her up, how to do the brace, etc. The brace is hilarious to me since it was $200 for the extra one (I got 2). It cost probably about 5 cents to make. Total rip off!

All I do know is that things actually may return to semi-normal soon.

I am exhausted. Thrilled but exhausted.

PROUD. I am SO proud of my baby. I have heard nightmares of how sore kids are and how they scream for days. Lucy acts totally normal and even grabbed her foot and tried to eat it! haha.

Off to nap. I am (as Lucy says) "all done.'