New Year Resolutions

It is a hopeful time at the Hip Chick household as we prepare for a new year.  We have never been happier to say goodbye to a year as we are now- and few would fault us for the sentiment.  Yet, we cannot write off 2013 as entirely bad.  One learns much more about themself while navigating challenges and heartache than when life sails on cruise control.

New Year resolutions are a common tradition- but not often with much seriousness.  Society jokes about how quickly some may be broken.  As we enter 2014, however, Mommy has a list of resolutions we hope not to break.

1.  I resolve to accept that my child's journey is a marathon, not a sprint.

When our daughter was first diagnosed last January, a trusted medical professional advised us, "You will have six months of hell and then everything will be fine."  At Hip Chick's day surgery appointment three weeks ago, however, her surgeon advised, "you have 15 to 18 years ahead of you to treat this."  What a wide swing in expectation for us parents.  We clung to that initial piece of advice and managed Hip Chick's medical plan like a 50 yard dash early this year.  Now, we realize we are tasked with a much greater journey. While we hope and pray our daughter will not need additional surgeries, there are no guarantees.  And so we must embrace any future relays with a different approach.

2.  I resolve to empower and empathize with my child- not pity her.

We are fortunate in that Hip Chick is a highly motivated little girl and does not naturally sit around feeling sorry for herself.  Yet, we need to remain vigilant in that we do not allow her to fall into that trap.  We need to raise her with "can do" instead of "cannot."

3.  I resolve not to define my household by my child's disability.

Our household has been characterized largely by Hip Chick's diagnosis and medical plan this year- and rightfully so.  But 2014 is time for us to define our household by other things- vacation, volunteer work, creative endeavors... hip dysplasia will always be there.

4.  I resolve to be an advocate for my child's disability.

As mentioned in early posts, most of our friends, family, and colleagues had not previously known of a child with hip dysplasia.  Many remarked to us that they thought the condition was only for dogs.  Mommy's OBGYN had not previously delivered a baby with DDH- and we live in a major metropolitan area!  As our child may be the only encounter some people have with hip dysplasia, we have an opportunity to represent it appropriately as it arises in conversation.

5.  I resolve to build the household and marriage my husband and I dream of alongside my child's disability- not let it crumble because of it.

This last one was hard for us in 2013- especially for Mommy.  It is natural to forego the gym membership, social events, or fun opportunities because "my child needs me."  But a year has passed and without any guarantees for the future, we need to build what is possible for our household- to accommodate Hip Chick's needs but not fold because of them.  This will take energy and effort, of course, but we owe it to ourselves to do so.

Five resolutions for our new year.  All achievable.  We cannot control or predict what Hip Chick's medical needs will be in the year ahead, but we have the opportunity to begin anew.  That is the best resolution of all.

Body Odd

In my last post, I remarked on a minor abscess to the side of Hip Chick's pelvic incision and suture thread hanging out of it.  Well, mystery solved!  This fell out of her hip through the abscess last night.  Her body worked to push out this entire line of thread.  I had dabbled it with Neosporin Friday night and yesterday- her body handled the rest!

I don't fully understand why her body would choose to push out a suture line, but it clearly wanted it gone.  Of all the experiences through this hip dysplasia journey, this was quite an unexpected sight.  Our bodies are remarkable organisms, aren't they?

Post Casting: Week 3 Recap

Hip Chick is wrapping up her third week of regained mobility... how has time passed so quickly?  Christmas week has ended, but not without extra cuddles from Mommy and Daddy.  We enjoyed additional days away from work and passed them with home cooking and movies.

Hip Chick enjoyed her first treat of fizzy juice.

Mommy spoiled Daddy with our annual Christmas dinner of oversized Peking duck wontons.

Many families exchange presents this time of year, but we already received our gift: our baby was walking!  We had not expected to see her walk again this year.  Perhaps miracles still occur after all.

Below are this week's thoughts:

1.  Hip Chick seems to be doing well- has she moved past the possibility for complications?

Not necessarily.  Just this week, we noticed something peculiar with her suture thread (stitching).  Her incision looks good and the thread pokes out of her skin, on either side of the incision.  On one side, the thread has grown longer and longer such that nearly two inches of thread are hanging.  It also has grown more irritated, such that it finally developed a pimple and white head around the thread.  We noticed the white head at bathtime last night and called Scottish Rite.  A charge nurse and on call physician discussed the symptoms and advised that Hip Chick likely has a suture abscess.  (If you search on the internet, you may also see the term "spitting suture.")

What does this mean?  This means that we are monitoring her for infection.  She has a follow up visit schedule in early January, but will need medical attention sooner if she develops a fever, if the abscess develops significant drainage, and/or if the abscess becomes hot to the touch. Along with this, we need to need to monitor her incision to ensure it does not develop similar issues.  The nurse specifically asked us last night whether the incision still looked healthy in spite of the suture.

Obviously, there Is something about the end stitch and/or the dissolvable thread which her body dislikes.  We were approved to dab the abscess with Neosporin.  In an earlier recap, we discussed that she clawed off her bandaging two days after the pin removal.  Mommy wonders: was she feeling some form of reaction to the stitching then?

2.  What mobility gains did Hip Chick achieve In week three?

Our little hippie is a busy girl!  She is climbing with greater ease, although she leads mostly with her right leg.  She can lift her right foot over her head, but the range of motion on her left side is still limited.  Her gait is quicker.  The big news came on Friday:  Her daycare teacher was thrilled to relay that she crawled through a long tunnel and she sat on a tricycle!  She wanted to push the tricycle's pedals, but could not manage just quite yet (she could not ride a tricycle prior to surgery).  We are all so excited for her!  At three weeks, her mobility is nearly where she was prior to the second surgery- and she is trying new things!  

3.  Prior posts indicated a continuation of sleep issues- have they resolved?

Unfortunately not.  They do not occur every night and seem to occur despite differing activities/environments during her day- so we have yet to isolate a "trigger."  As mentioned in a prior post, Mommy had previously polled the support group on the matter and lingering sleep disturbances are a common issue.  For the Hip Chick household, we are challenged in that we cannot easily differentiate between a night terror and true call of distress.  Even if Hip Chick is "sleeping" through the shreiks and screams, the rest of the household is not.  If this does not improve by her next appointment, we will ask her surgeon whether it is time to involve Child Life (social work/psychology).

4.  Should other "hip" parents use Hip Chick's milestones as a barometer for their own children?

In short- no.  Each child will move at his or her own pace.  While our daughter wanted to walk mere hours after cast removal, some children may not attempt to move for weeks.  Each end of the spectrum (and all the points between) are all "normal."  While we are ecstatic with our daughter's achievements, our challenge is that she regularly out paces our expectations.  We often feel unprepared when her next "watch this" moment arrives.  As this has been a bit of a theme for the year, we suspect she will be surprising us in similar fashion for quite some time.

5.  Have we altered her diet or considered supplementation to aid the healing process?

I know of some parents who thought adding a vitamin D supplement was a smart choice.  For Hip Chick, we offer a well rounded diet (her school is of huge assistance, with a full-time, on site chef/nutritionist) and give her a daily chewable multivitamin.  She seems to crave a lot of dairy products, so we give her fortified 2% organic milk as well as yogurt and cheeses.  Her daycare has her class play outside daily, weather permitting (the body uses sunshine to build vitamin D).  Otherwise- no.

6.  Weather has grown colder- are we still dressing her In thigh high socks and dresses?

Her legs' and hip's sensitivity has lessened, so we have just begun dressing her in loose fleece pants.  They are still very soft, but provide added warmth.  She will wear the thigh highs again as weather warms.

7.  What will the next week bring for Hip Chick?

A new year.  Hopefully one with much more freedom and much less pain.

Post Casting: Week 2 Recap

Hip Chick has completed her second week post casting and, well- it wouldn't be our little hippie without a few surprises up her sleeve.  She always seems to out pace our expectations and this week was no exception.  More about that later- Big Sis was here this weekend!  

Big Sis had not yet seen Hip Chick since her cast was removed.  With Hip Chick's unanticipated mobility gains, we had opportunity for a little seasonal merriment.  It had been three months since we four enjoyed a wheelchair-free outing and there is a bit of catching up to do!

First up was a trip to the movies.  A fancy new theater recently opened nearby and we took advantage of a matinee.  Who could not enjoy a movie after strolling the hall above?  

We treated Big Sis and Hip Chick to Disney's new animated film, Frozen.  The sisters' wintery fairytale was a hit for our young pair (and it did not hurt that the venue served lunch).  Afterward, our girls walked to the exit hand-in-hand for the first time since September.  I love seeing them walk together so much, I can hardly contain myself!

As it was only Hip Chick's second "big movie," we considered it a success.  I had to remove her for ten minutes near the end, but we managed to view the finale.  Unfortunately, we cannot relay that all of our weekend was as cheery as the experience above.  Hip Chick had a very rough night on Friday night and was volatile through Sunday.  We simply aren't past that part of this year's phases yet.

Today we had a different type of fun in mind.  An area resort featured an array of family-friendly activities and one in particular seemed to be a perfect opportunity for the girls.  First, we strolled the grounds to fill their sights with seasonal cheer.  

One specific fountain gained special attention from the sisters.  We let them stand near the nutcracker's base and gasp at how high the water shot above.

We wound our way through the atrium gardens to the day's event: gingerbread decorating!  Each sister selected a pet, parent, and sibling to dress in icing and colorful candies.  Daddy and Mommy assisted with the icing (although Big Sis managed much of hers).  The girls may have snuck a piping of icing or two as a snack.  Voila!  Beautiful. 

The girls followed their cookie decorating with a unique photo opportunity.  Instead of waiting in line for Santa, as many children do this time of year, our girls waited in line for photos with "Gingy," the life-sized gingerbread man from the movie Shrek!  Both girls were equally excited and staff even coaxed Daddy and Mommy in front of the camera for a family shot.  Fellow parents must agree:  an oversized cookie is infinitely less creepy than a strange man asking for children to sit in his lap and discuss secrets.

Hip Chick was especially taken by him. 

We ended the outing with an additional "meet and greet" experience.  The girls met "Toothless" from How to Train Your Dragon (Hip Chick requested to ride him), "Po" from Kung Fu Panda, and "Shrek."  While our outings were fun, Big Sis showed her maturity in regard to her ability to navigate Hip Chick's volatility otherwise.  We hope to see incremental improvement each day.

Below are additional thoughts:

1. Hip Chick's volatile disposition is heavily referenced in this blog- what is the reason behind it?

We cannot be certain of the source(s) for her angst, but we have a few suspicions.  First, she wants to accomplish more than she physically can at this time, which causes frustration.  Second, the personality qualities which carried her through the casting phases now need to be honed.  Meaning:  characteristics such as willfulness and verbosity need to be softened now that she is on the move!  Lastly, she still has pain, stiffness, and other lingering issues which will carry her until her physical movements are smoother.

2. After the summer's cast removal, she experienced night terrors.  Has she developed any new sleep disturbances after this second cast removal process?

She cries and moans intermittently overnight, but does not always seem to be conscious while doing so.  This replicated itself during an afternoon nap today.  This could be a manifestation of night terrors- but we cannot say for certain.  I had polled my support group about such things earlier this fall and received numerous responses about lingering nightmares.  A representative of the International Hip Dysplasia Institute recently asked support group members to submit essays regarding psychological issues related to their child's plan of care, but there is not much data on this topic at present.  

3. This blog entry opens with a reference to Hip Chick's antics.  What surprises did she provide in her second week of mobility?

Our biggest surprise occurred in the wee hours of our morning.  Around 2am, Daddy and I awoke to discover her walking into our room.  This means that she climbed out of bed, walked through her room in the dark, opened her door, and walked to our room!  I pulled her into bed with us, but subsequently awoke around 5am to discover her climbing back out of our bed.  She informed me that she needed to "walk around" our home.  Needless to say, Mommy had an early morning... and we now need to safety-proof our doorknobs.  

She also seemed to surprise her daycare teachers this week.  Upon her first day back, they could not believe she was walking!  That first morning, the class went outside to play and Hip Chick immediately requested to climb on the jungle gym.  Her teachers advised that her legs needed to grow stronger first... so what did our little hippie do?  She had them help her walk circles around the playground while her classmates climbed and slid.  She repeated her circles each day for the remainder of her week.  I can just hear her little voice retort:  "Challenge accepted!"

4.  What mobility gains has she made within the past week?

She can walk independently for greater periods of time and I noticed today that her knees are starting to bend ever-so-slightly as she walks.  She can climb off of and onto certain furniture pieces, although it is easier to climb down.  I can now pull very loose pajama pants on and off of her legs and hips without much of a painful whimper. 

5.  Her legs were quite sensitive, scaly, and dry after cast removal- how are they now?

They have improved quite a bit!  I attribute this to the Aveeno product line she is using at bathtime and clothing changes.  They are softer and most of the dead skin is gone.  As mentioned after her summer cast off, she did grow hair on her legs.  Her surgeon advised that this is common for children casted for these extended periods of time.  My fellow support group moms have advised that it can take up to a year for all of the hair to fall off.

6.  How is she dressed for now?

For the first few weeks, I wanted as little pull near the hip area as possible.  I opted for thigh high socks with warm dresses and Charlie Banana reusable diapers over her disposable ones.  I loved her first two pairs of Rock-a-Thigh socks so much that I purchased them in additional colors and patterns.  I wanted her to be proud of her legs and thought the fun patterns would help.

7.  While she has realized mobility gains, are there any lingering physical concerns?

We have noticed that there seems to be a considerable difference in her hips' latitutde and her knees don't appear to align as she walks.  But we were informed that her first month would realize a lot of stiffness and that she would walk with a limp for six months.  She returns for imaging in early January, so we will reconfirm her hip's positioning at that time.

That aside, I have noticed that she howls and tears if her femoral scar is accidentally poked.  Her surgeon had advised that many children realize an arthritic response to weather changes at their surgical sites, but we cannot assume these are related.

8.  Has she displayed any other developmental issues outside of DDH?

Her daycare just relayed that she will be promoting into the next class up in January.  I took this as an opportunity to inquire about additional issues the school may have noticed.  Her teacher remarked that she is very bright and has no such issues (outside of her mobility) at this time.  This next class will be the transition between daycare and preschool, so we will have greater opportunity to discover any such concerns over the next six months.  Otherwise... next stop, preschool!

Post Casting: Week 1 Recap

WALKING!!!  Our little hippie has learned to walk again, which is her third time to learn to walk in 16 months.  She accomplished it in record time as well!  Last summer, she learned to walk in six weeks- here, we have six days.  We are so very proud of her- and relieved!

Now that we have the week's big news out of the way, below are a few additional thoughts:

1.  Hip Chick was battling fever/illness as of the prior post- what was the outcome?
Her fever broke after 2am on Saturday morning and has not returned.  Her cough and runny nose linger, so it appears to be an early winter cold.

2.  When did Hip Chick begin walking?
She took her first steps on Friday and began walking through our home in spurts yesterday. She has a very stiff legged gait (she does not bend her knees much)... but she can walk!!  Her surgeon had advised that she would be stiff for the first month, so she still has a bit of time to loosen.

3.  Has she experienced any adverse effects from her quickly regained mobility?
Yes.  Much as last summer, she pushes herself during the day, to incur pain at night.  Last night, she was crying and howling in bed, semi-conscious, as her legs curled up several times.  Daddy and I took turns rubbing her legs for a few hours, until her body settled.  And, yes- she is eating potassium rich foods.  Unlike summertime, we do not currently have the benefit of using an outdoor pool for water therapy, but we hope to enroll her in some sort of water play class early next year.

4.  What else has she attempted to do than walking?
She is attempting to climb and using her left leg for the initial push!  That had not previously occurred.  She attempted to jump last night and Mommy caught her as her knees buckled.  She could not jump before, so we will be ecstatic once she accomplishes this, too!

5.  What's next in her medical plan?
She has an imaging appt early next month to check her femoral head's positioning.  While the odds are tipped in her favor, there is a possibility that it could begin migrating away from the socket's center, which would be unfavorable.  At that appointment, we will also discuss and schedule the (minor) surgery to remove her femoral plate.  If all proceeds as hoped for the January imaging and yet-to-be-scheduled plate removal, she can wait six months until her subsequent appointment.  One can only hope!

Walkin' After Midnight

Hip Chick has had a very busy few days!  Our little hippie had been telling us that she would walk once her spica was removed and she has spent day and night pushing herself toward this goal.  As we are also fighting illness in the household, I have a quick synopsis of her 96 hours below:

Monday

8am- Transfer to OR, cast and pins removed
3pm- Gives Mommy and Daddy a heart attack as she was sitting on the couch, rolled onto her stomach, shoved herself off the couch, and Mommy catches Hip Chick mid-collapse, as her jelly legs give way.   Announces, "I need to stand.  I need to walk."
7pm- Begins a series of meltdowns, during  which she repeatedly attempts to stand.

Tuesday
Upon waking, sits independently, including on a backless toddler piano bench.  Relaxes much of the day.
11pm- Throws herself headfirst out of bed, onto the floor and begins army crawling through the house.  Announces she is going to the supermarket.
12am to 1am- Has meltdowns about "needing" to stand.  Works on standing and makes it clear she will do so with out without Mommy's help, regardless of timing.  Explains that she "needs to rock and roll."

Wednesday
Upon waking, can stand while holding onto furniture with one hand for balance.
10am- Asks for help "tippy-toe to kitchen."  Walks with help (very stiff) halfway through the house.  Practices a few more times during the day.
5pm- Hysterical meltdown over pelvic bandaging (incision from pin removal).  Claws and rips bandaging, which required a clean up.  End result is all bandaging, including steri-strips, are lost.
6pm- Stands without assistance.

Thursday
9:30am- Trip to pediatrician for a new cough and to examine incision, given all clear and subsequent call to surgeon's office.
6:30pm- Walks circles around neighbors' home.  Neighbors gingerly advise that any physical therapy plans may be unneccary.
9pm- Vomiting

Today
4am- Awakens with a 100.5
5:30am- Call Scottish Rite for on call assistance (respiratory infection or surgical site infection?)
8am- Call both the surgeon's office and pediatrician
10am- Takes six independent steps!  Repeats a handful of times.  Walks using either one or two adults hands for balance, depending on confidence level.  Apparently Ebola will not stop her from walking.

And so we wait, accompanied by plenty of juice, warm blankets, and animated films.  We were advised to monitor her for a rising fever and it spiked to 101.5 this afternoon.   What does the weekend hold for our baby girl?

She's Got Legs!

Dare we say it?!

THE CAST IS OFF!!

We received all of the good news we could hope for today and it nearly left Mommy and Daddy in a state of shock.  Is it really true?  Eleven months after the devastation of her diagnosis, did we truly receive tangible good news?

Yes! 

Yes!!

YES!!!

Hip Chick's surgeon confirmed today that her hip is in tact!  Per her imaging results, he decided that the pins needed to come out and so they did open her hip for pin removal today.  She will return in approximately one month for additional imaging, to ensure that her femur remains in socket.  Her femoral plate removal will be scheduled at that appointment.

Why the imaging?  The risk is not that the hip could redislocate in the same manner as in July (that hip socket no longer exists as it did), but that the femur could begin to pull away from the socket.  The odds seem to be tipped in Hip Chick's favor for success- and so we will think positively for her.

What about orthopedic aids?  She was discharged with no brace, no heel lifts, no special shoes.  Just our sweet baby girl as we knew her a year ago- although a bit bigger now.  

In my posts this week, I featured the last photo snapped of her prior to beginning treatment for DDH.  At top is posted what we hope to be her last photo in a spica.  Although- her surgeon reminded us today that our DDH journey with her will last another 15, if not 18, years.  Regardless, that last photo of her in the spica is of her faced away from the camera in hopes that she never has to look back at this phase.

As for Hip Chick?  One of the first things she said to us after surgery was, "I have legs!"  

Her surgeon strongly advised us to set her down gingerly upon returning home and to allow her to move at her own pace, that we should let her set her own boundaries.  Well, we did just that and, to push the boundaries of our own nerves, she rolled onto her stomach and pushed herself off of the couch, onto her feet, to have us catch her mid-collapse.  She has informed us quite frankly that she needs to stand and walk.  We have spent the afternoon with her repeatedly testing the limits of her jelly legs.  Move slowly, at her own pace?  With her determination, she may attept to fly before the month is out!

Or play the violin.  Whatever it is she does, we would not have it any other way.  

Twelve Drummers Drumming

On the twelveth day of spica, my true love gave to me:

Twelve drummers drumming...

We made it to the last day of Hip Chick's countdown.  With an admission time prior to 7am and the news scaring locals with grim tales of icy roads, Mommy and Daddy pulled Hip Chick into an early morning car ride.  We had not driven with her since the ice storm hit (why tempt fate?), but we were determined to meet her appointment if it meant relief for her and our household.

We slid into the parking lot an hour early, which meant that Mommy had the latitude to execute her final, off-center idea for Hip Chick's countdown:  a drumroll!  As we moved through the hospital this morning, we asked permission to photograph personnel's hands to execute a drum roll for our baby girl.

Security was drumming...

Admissions was drumming...

Day Surgery was drumming...

Not quite 12, but I didn't have the heart to ask Radiology after she brought down their wing with screams of terror.

And now, we wait with our trusty friend during an oh-so-familiar breakfast.

What news awaits?

And so...

11 am rock concert...

Ten months remembered...

Nine degree windchill...

A 15:00 phone call

(Changed plans to OR)...

Six (plus) candles flaming...

MOMMY HAD A DRIIIIINK!!!

Four bird calls...

Three French horns...

Two turtle hugs...

And a babysitter, parrnts' night free!

11am Rock Concert

On the eleventh day of spica, my true love gave to me:

An 11am rock concert...

I had vastly different plans to countdown Hip Chick's final few days in her spica, but Icemaggedon 2013 derailed them.  We remained home for the third day in a row today and the local school district has closed schools again for tomorrow.  Parents everywhere are losing their minds, but we will push through ice and slush to make her day surgery appointment.  The next ice age could not deter those plans!

I am mostly disappointed in my day 10 and 11 setbacks, as day 10 was supposed to parody the "lords a-leaping" with Daddy jumping like a ballerina with the girls' fairy wands and tutu.   Day 11 was supposed to feature us throwing pies in Daddy's face for the "pipers piping" tribute.  For those who know us personally, I give you a moment of silence to soak in those mental images and mourn their demise, as they were best achieved outside.

(Pause.)

What to do while still shut in due to extreme winter weather?  A rock concert.

Daddy cleverly pulled a concert dvd of one of our favorite bands this morning and Mommy pulled out the percussion set purchased for Hip Chick's traction phase.  Daddy, Hip Chick, and a beloved aunt rocked out while Mommy accomplished a few to-dos.  Not quite as good as a whipped cream pie in Daddy's face, but still a festive use of time.

And so...

10 months remembered...

Nine degree windchilll...

A 15:00 phone call

(Changing plans to OR)...

Six (plus) candles flaming...

MOMMY HAD A DRIIIIIINK!!!

Four bird calls...

Three French horns...

Two turtle hugs...

And a babysitter, parrnts' night free!

Post Osteotomies: Week 12 Recap

It is here!!!  Our daughter has completed her final week of casting for 2013!!!  In total, she has spent 26 weeks casted this year (five casts), four weeks in traction, and two weeks in braces, for 32 weeks (eight months) of total compromised mobility... and there may be more bracing as soon as this week.  A long road, indeed, but we are relieved at the possibility the casting may be behind her.  Her varied treatments have felt a little like the puzzle above- we keep exchanging orthopedic pieces, one for another.  And now it's time for the next piece.

Below are some closing thoughts about Phase II of her plan:

1.  Hip Chick's disposition seemed to change a bit after the second surgery.  Was this due to the type of surgery performed, the type of casts she wore, or something else?

We think this was due to a combination of factors.  Force ranked, I would place them in order of personality, cast, age, then surgery.

2.  What supplies have we squirreled away for cast-off?

I plan to use the Charlie Banana reusable diapers as bloomers again.  They are incredibly soft and make diaper changes a breeze.

I also invested in two packs of Rock-a-Thigh socks, pictured above.  Another "hip" mom recommended them or leg warmers for winter cast-off.  The product website specifically recommends them for orthopedic needs, as they can easy accommodate various types of harnesses and braces, plus they help simplify diaper changes. A pair will be tucked in her diaper bag for her appointment.

3.  Of her path thus far, what has been the most difficult part?

Emotionally, the onset of traction was most difficult, as we were grieving her diagnosis and uncertain of her path ahead.  Logistically, her hospitalization for her second surgery and care during the fourth cast were most difficult.  The sleep issues, extended tantrums, and most significant restrictions to her mobility aggregated to a highly stressful household... but we pushed through it! 

4.  Is Hip Chick aware of what will happen at her appointment this week?

Yes.  She can verbalize that she will go to the hospital and her cast will come off.  The challenge lies in that she thinks she will immediately be able to walk and climb.  When I introduced the concept to her, she exclaimed, "I play on playground with my friends!"  She also informed me that she will be a ballerina.  While this may result in a rough couple of days at onset, we also think this is a sign that she will push herself to walk as soon as possible.

5.  What will occur at her appointment this week?

She has a day surgery appointment, which will navigate much like a typical cast change.  The pivotal point will be her arthogram.  The imaging results will determine how we proceed.  

6.  If her results are favorable this week, does that mean she will never need another surgery?

In short- no.  A female's skeletal development matures around age 17 and she is two years old.  This means we have a 15 year wait as to what her medical needs will be (to ensure an intact hip for adulthood).  She could never need another surgery, not need one for 10 years, not need one for 5 years... or she could require another one before she is five years old.  We simply don't know and will be visiting Scottish Rite regularly for imaging during the remainder of her childhood.

6.  What advice do we have for families approaching "the big surgery?"

• Have a "go to" coping mechanism.  The stress is inevitable, but manageable if you know how to blow steam.
• Life will change- even if you previously weathered the less invasive treatments.  You will not fully know or grasp what this may mean until it happens, so be prepared to be flexible.
• Make effort to take your child for positive (yet manageable) outings.  
• Break away.  Make time for you and your spouse- together and separately.  This was our biggest challenge.  Your "hip" kid may become a shreiking insomniac.  Work will compete (those medical bills do eventually come).  You have to make time in creative ways to avoid losing yourself- especially for parents who have multiple, extended treatments on under one year.  Even if that means recording House Hunters International so you can daydream of opening a bed & breakfast in Belize while the household sleeps at 1am.
• Pick your battles.  Your child is losing a significant amount of independence and will seek to regain it in other ways.
• Find a support group. Regardless of how well meaning friends and family may be, a fellow "hip" parent can be the best medicine to help you through the tough patches.
• Everyone in the house will have bad days- and that is OK.

10 Months

On the tenth day of spica, my true love gave to me:

Ten months' remembering...

While today is not the exact date of the 10 month mark for her journey, it has been 10 months since the onset of her first treatment for DDH.  Ten months and, after two rounds of surgery, we are about to learn whether she is any nearer to a solution than she was then.  I wish I could say the anxiety has lessened with each passing milestone in her plan- but it just doesn't wane with time.  Regardless of what the memories contain, today is an ode to the steps which have carried her along her journey to date.

For February, she had the onset of traction.  The photo at top was the last one taken of her before we taped her legs; it was snapped in the admissions atrium just minutes prior to her appointment.  The photo above was of her immediately after her taping, during the first minutes of her lost mobility.

For March, she received her Minnie Mouse themed "Hip Chick" wagon linens, which enabled countless outings during traction and her first two casts.  She also had her first surgery.

For April, she received her IvyRose spica chair and returned to childcare.

In May, she had her first cast change.  Goodbye pink... hello purple!  We also took her on a short road trip for a fish fry.

In June, she army crawled through a high school during her big sister's dance recital and had her first overnight stay away from home in a spica, as we spent Father's Day weekend at Bubbie's.

In July, she had her second cast change, which placed her into a petrie cast.  After a week in the new cast, her hip partially dislocated, the cast was removed emergently, and replaced by a Rhino Brace.  After two weeks with night terrors in the Rhino, her hip was fully dislocated and the second surgery scheduled.

In August, she had a well deserved break, to include a weekend lake trip and fairy fantasy photo shoot.

In September, she had her second surgery and received her wheelchair.

In October, she had several weekends of harvest fun and a cast change Into cast #5, her current cast.

In November, she helped cook for Daddy's birthday and enjoyed a large, extended family gathering for Thanksgiving.

And this brings us to December, which has been documented heavily.  What will the next phase bring her?

And so...

Nine degree windchill...

A 15:00 phone call

(Changing plans to OR)...

Six (plus) candles flaming...

MOMMY HAD A DRIIIIIINK!!!

Four bird calls...

Three French horns...

Two turtle hugs...

And a babysitter, parrnts' night free!