Femoral Plate Removal

Today was our daughter's much anticipated femoral plate removal.  It is accompanied by a sense of satisfaction, as it feels like this plate removal completes a course of treatment that began 18 months ago.  That timeframe may not sound long for adults, but this accounts for approximately half of our little hippie's life thus far.  She still has ongoing needs and about 15 more years at Scottish Rite... but we are breathing a svelte sigh of relief today.

As we dressed this morning, Daddy sang the Cheers  theme song.  After her assorted surgeries and day surgery procedures, today was Hip Chick's sixth OR visit.  Our routine has morphed into a "knee-jerk" series of motions.  I always wear a pendant with her birthstone, inscribed with her name, to the hospital.  The Admissions Rep who checked us in this morning was the same woman who humored my Twelve Drummers Drumming request from Hip Chick's final cast-off last December- she has admitted us on several occasions.  We never eat before we leave home or before she is wheeled to surgery, out of respect for her NPO orders.  While she is in surgery, we always order the same omelettes from the same cook in Scottish Rite's Crayon Cafe.  Today's day surgery nurse had cared for Hip Chick on previous visits.

We always carry the above buzzer while we wait.  If I were a more enterprising woman, I would concoct a means to hang it around our necks- like a VIP pass.  A thought, perhaps, if we have six more of these in our future.

I asked Daddy: "At which point does routine transform into ritual?"  (Or perhaps ritual with a hint of superstition?)  After a deep swig of coffee, my thoughts tacked on a footnote regarding the benefits of a highly caffeinated parenthood...

Fast forward to Hip Chick's appointment.  Much to everyone's delight, Hip Chick presented us with her best disposition to date.  She relaxed while in pre-op with a new favored doll (at top).  Now that Hip Chick has a weekly dance class, she keeps her ballerina close and her ballerina kept her company during surgery today.  Hip Chick willingly swallowed her dose of "goofy juice" and smiled as they wheeled her away.  Upon return from the OR, she snoozed peacefully in my lap.

Her surgeon provided us with the option to retain her femoral plate.  This had not previously crossed our minds, but we accepted the offer.  Scottish Rite sterilized it and bagged it for us (above).  It is, after all, due a bit of gratitude... it held our daughter's femur together as it healed for the past 10 months.

As for today's results, we were excited to see that Hip Chick did not return to us in a spica cast.  There was a small chance that she would need one if a complication was discovered during the procedure.  I found myself gritting my teeth oh-so-slightly as they provided her a choice of cast colors before surgery... just in case.  Daddy and I much prefer the bandage currently residing on her leg to a sixth cast!

So what does all of this mean?  It means that she continues to heal and recover as planned, which is exciting!  Her load bearing restrictions are "as tolerated" until her checkup, with no high impact activities for four to six weeks.  These are standard restrictions after femoral plate removal.  After her post-op checkup next week, she will resume her quarterly imaging and physical appointments in the fall... her progress still has to be monitored to determine whether she needs another major intervention before her fifth birthday.  This continues to match the course outlined to us by her surgeon last fall.

I neglected to note one detail of our surgery rituals above:  For each major hip dysplasia treatment, we give Hip Chick a fairy figurine from a favorite collection.  Today's figurine is the Flower Fairy.  It appears that the fairy is climbing her flowers- much like Hip Chick climbing Scottish Rite's playground, as pictured in yesterday's post.  Each night, we wish her "sweet dreams of fairies" as they line her chest of drawers to watch over her.  The expansion of her collection has been bittersweet, but we have tangible hopes that this will be the last one for the near future.  

Discharged home, with no complications, no cast... and we have no surgeries scheduled for the first time in 18 months!  Hip Chick received her best possible outcome today... and we parents could not be more proud.  Sweet dreams, indeed.