6 weeks ago we were told that Caroline would need to have a closed reduction and be put in a Spica cast. 6 weeks ago I cried during her appointment, on the way home, and for days following that appointment. It took me a few weeks before I could talk about it without getting emotional. It was a blessing in disguise that it took 6 weeks to get her Spica cast. It gave us time to grieve and time to prepare.
6 weeks ago, I never imagined myself standing in a hospital room at Scottish Rite smiling with my baby girl. However, here I am with the knowledge to care for her and the understanding that this is the best option. I know that no matter how long this journey in the Spica last, she will be better off because of it.
We woke at 4:00am, woke Caroline at 4:30am, and made it to Scottish Rite by 5:00am. Surprisingly, Caroline never slept on the way to the hospital. She was just so happy and content.
Are you this happy at 5:00am? Thank God I had a cute little girl to make me smile.
She was not allowed anything after 2:00. She got her final bottle and baby food at 6:30pm and then didn't have anything until after her surgery at 12:30. I tried giving her apple juice in her bottle at 6:00am, but that was rejected.
Smiling in her crib.
We put a blanket on the ground so she could roll around and entertain herself.
My littlest lady in her hospital gown. So stinking cute!
I have a wonderful blogging friend that wrote me a few emails on what to expect while staying at Scottish Rite. One thing discussed was the use of verset before the surgery. Basically it is a drug that makes them loopy. It can cause them to be more sick and confused upon waking. I wasn't going to get it, but I was afraid of how Caroline would react when the surgery team took her from me. So, I opted for it and here she is getting her "loopy" meds. When we got down to the pre-op room, she kept touch my nose and face. The nurse said that some older kids report seeing multiple noses, eyes and ears. Maybe she was checking to see which nose was real. Ha!
The moment we walked into the pre-op room, it all became so real. I saw the doctor and the fellow and then immediately stopped in my tracks and started balling. I couldn't live in denial anymore because I was coming home with a baby in a Spica cast.
Here is little pumpkin after she was moved from recovery to her hospital room. She was a little cold, so they wrapped her in warm blankets. She seemed so warm and toasty.
I will never forget looking down on her the moment we saw her after surgery. So sweet and innocent. When she woke, all she did was stare at her glowing finger. Ha!
After she realized she was hungry and her mouth was dry, she started demanding food. I can't blame her. She cried through her bottle, but settled down once the food hit her belly. I am sure she was SO hungry.
Here she is feeling and scratching her cast. Her foot still has the iodine on it. I will make sure she doesn't come out of surgery with iodine on after her cast change in October.
Since her legs are really wide and thick, she isn't able to ride in her Britax Boulevard. The hospital has a loaner program and we were able to get a Britax Hippo for her. It is specially made for kids in Spica cast. She seems to like it and this was only 45 minutes after waking from anesthesia.
Her little hand with an IV. :o(
Time to go home!
Overall her surgery went great. They did the arthrogram (dye contrast) of her hip and determined that her ligaments attaching the socket to the ball are very loose. The doctor is predicting that she will be in the cast for 18 weeks and would be surprised if she was out at 12 weeks. On October 3rd, she will have a cast change and at that time they will know more about the length of time. There is a possibility that she might be in the shorter cast after the cast change and for the remainder 12 weeks. So it would be 6 weeks in the long Spica and the 12 weeks in the short Spica. I guess we will find out on October 3rd which cast she has when she comes out of surgery.
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