Ryan's Surgery Experience

Ryan broke his foot at church camp.  He doesn't regret going because it was an incredible experience.  How was he to know sliding down a mud slide could cause a break?  It's just one of those freak things.  His foot was so swollen so I knew that could be a bad sign.  Sure enough he broke 3 bones.  The break is pretty bad actually and so it still can't be put in a cast and has to be monitored weekly.

Getting ready for surgery

We originally thought only one bone needed a pin but when the doctor took an xray from a different view, two bones were completely away from each other and had to be pinned together to start healing.

Ryan still waiting but we were enjoying our "oceanside view."

We were told to be at the hospital a day after we got back from our family camping trip (different blog story) and so Ryan and I went alone.  I knew all the walking on crutches was really hard and he was starting to get a rash under his arms.  We had to walk really far to get to his surgery area.  The whole process from surgery prep to leaving was 5 hours. He has two metal pins sticking out of the bottom of his foot and they won't be removed for 4 weeks

Waking up after surgery

 Ryan had a really good attitude the whole time but when they took him away to the surgery room he started shaking.  The nurse told me it would take an hour for the surgery but maybe longer because this doctor was a perfectionist.  A perfectionist?  Awesome. That's a very good thing.  It's a good thing I'm not a surgeon and there is a reason why I'm not. Ha.  "Here's some duck tape.  It should hold good 'nuff!" Haha.  Anyway, Ryan said it was weird to be talking to the doctors, not even know he passed out, then wake up in recovery.  It felt like it was 2 seconds.

 

But ohhhhhhh, the pain hit later and we had to start his meds because it was BAD.  I keep track on my phone because it's just too much to remember with rotating medicines.  Even these medicines don't take away the pain but it makes it tolerable. 

But guess what?  Both my parents and my in-laws gifted Ryan a knee scooter so he can still be a kid and get around easy.  He has been kinda down just laying around.  Not he's been getting around easy when needed when the pain isn't too bad.  I'm soooo happy for him!  This scooter is the cadillac of scooters.  It's smooth and rides fast.  he loves it.

Ryan on his medical knee scooter

Nursemaid's Elbow- Juliet's Pulled Arm Injury

The other day Ashley, my 6 year old, went to pick up Juliet by only one arm.  Big no, no but I had looked down right at that moment and didn't catch her in time doing it.  Juliet screamed so hard her lips turned blue.  Ashley was scared and ran away crying.  I know she was just trying to be a mommy to her but that's just why I've never let my little kids hold my babies. They just aren't mature enough. 

People wonder why I'm so strict about young kids holding my babies but it's just kids sometimes are too immature and don't understand.  My daughters' friend picked up Juliet a couple of weeks ago and while adjusting her on her hip, made Juliet's head snap back. Juliet was fine but I instantly took her back and gently told her to please not pick her up.  I'm just as strict with my own kids.  So I don't blame Ashley because she just didn't understand. 

 I had watched for swelling on Juliet's arm and didn't see any so I knew it wasn't an immediate emergency. I still was worried.  Juliet didn't use her right arm all day and would only pick up things with her left.  She cried on and off all day. I was getting to where I was just thinking about taking her in because it should have gotten better by the next day.  Well, it hadn't.  Kyle, my 10 year old, heard Juliet crying from pain in her arm and started praying for her. Instantly she stopped crying and was happy.  Literally, she had been miserable all day till that point.  She ran around the house happy, clapping her hands, and using her arm again. Whew!  However, a day later my 12 year old went to pick her up by both her arms and she screamed out in pain. Once again she wouldn't use that arm and was hurting.  My son felt sooooo bad but I saw how he picked up her and it wasn't bad.  I went ahead and took her in and doctor said it was a displaced tendon.  From now on she'll easily get that displaced.  I can't walk her by her right arm in case she pulls away.  We can't ever lift her by her arms, only by trunk of her body.  The nurse also showed me how to put it back in place now that it'll happen again. The bummer part is it's an injury that lasts several years called Nursemaid's elbow.

Nursemaid's Elbow-  when the ligaments that connect the elbow bones are weak, and a bone slips out of place.  Children's ligaments are weak until they reach 5 or 6 years old.

 I went home and had a talk with the kids about how to pick her up, the older ones, and told the younger ones not to pick her up at all.  I'm hoping they remember!  When I said the pulled arm injury is permanent, Kyle corrected me and said, "Don't forget about Jesus!  He's the healer!"  I smiled and wanted to kiss him.  Of course!  He prayed for her the first time and the pain went away instantly.  I gotta keep him around with his faith.  Tee hee.....

How to do a Nuremaid's Elbow reduction on Youtube.  Click HERE.

Ivy's Burn Update and Restrictions

Yesterday I took Ivy back to the hospital to have her burn checked.  Chaz really wanted to come and Ivy's friend also.  I waited till evening so she could see the same doctors.  They unwrapped the outer parts so they can see the dressings.  Some of it had slipped off of her burn so they had to add more.  It was painful for Ivy to have it all messed with and she was crying.

Ivy has some restrictions now that she has the burn on her leg.  She can't go swimming till it's healed and the bandage falls off on it's own.  The inner bandage is like an artificial scab that falls off when the burn is better.  It'll take about a month to heal.  However, she can't get a sunburn on it or it'll be a permanent scar.  For the next year and a half she'll have to wear pants or long shorts.  When she swims it has to be covered.  We don't want to take any chances so we are going to buy her a surfers type suit for kids and we'll let her pick it out so she likes it. It just goes to her knees.  

They gave me extra bandages for changing. She absolutely cannot touch her burn or she could get an infection.  The staff kept talking about Ivy's eyes and how beautiful they were.  Then telling her how much they loved her hair.  They were the sweetest people.  I'm so lucky she was at this burn ward because it's the second best in the United States.  Wow!  It's so sad to see my little girl in such pain and have all these restrictions.  On a good note, I asked if ballet was still okay and they said it was actually perfect.  She needs to keep flexible so the wound heals well. If she doesn't stretch it, it can heal like hard leather.  I'm so happy she can still do ballet because she's been waiting so long to start.  We are gonna buy an extended baby gate for my kitchen area because we don't want to take anymore chances of something like this happening.  It was really, really scary.

Ivy's Night at the Burn Ward

Last night I was excited to take my oldest son and go workout at the gym.  While we were there he ran into his friend who also has Aspergers syndrome.  They went swimming together while I was upstairs in the gym working out.  The picture you see of my view while I'm on the elliptical.  The mom and I started talking after my workout and we were sharing ideas about school and helping our sons.  Chaz had turned my phone off to save the battery but I told him to turn it back on.  Well, we forgot to turn it on for about 15 minutes and that's exactly when Charles was trying to call me and let me know Ivy got hurt.

Ivy's left thigh

On my way home with Chaz I get a call on my cell and Charles was calling from inside an ambulance. My heart just dropped as I anxiously waited to hear who was hurt and if they are okay.  I could hear Ivy screaming in the background and I could hear she was in terrible pain.  Because he couldn't get a hold of me he had to get a neighbor to watch our kids so he can ride in the ambulance with her.  I felt so bad!  I only had my cell phone off for 15 minutes.  

Before the gym I had put food in a crockpot.  Since it was gonna take awhile I just pushed it back towards the wall in a corner and told the kids to stay away from it.  Ivy wasn't in the room and didn't hear me.    I never boiler water on the front burners and I always push anything that's hot toward the back wall on the counter. Well, she made herself a bowl while I was gone and before Charles could see her. She sat down to eat and baby Caleb crawled up on her lap and made it spill.  That's how the burn happened.  Charles pulled her pants off and saw the skin boiling and peeling away so he called 911. 

She was screaming for so long they finally had to put anti-anxiety meds in her I.V. and gave her lots of pain meds.  She relaxed but still felt pain, just not as bad.  She started getting a little goofy saying funny things.  In this picture she is showing her daddy her bracelets and telling him how expensive they were. She started being so cute once she was relaxed.  She doesn't remember any of it though.  

She was released last night but is to come back tonight to have it all looked at again.  Thankfully it only turned out to be a second degree burn but they still won't completely know the damage until it heals.  Burns keep damaging for awhile. They gave her a type of bandage over her leg that falls off once the wound heals and it'll take about 3 weeks.  Poor Ivy.  I'm going out to buy a baby gate so if anything is cooking I can keep any kids out of the kitchen.  It's just too scary with little ones.

Ivy happy once she got medicine through her I.V.