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.
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