Just a quick update

Nothing new to really report. Connor has been down on the floor a lot lately playing with cars, trains and whatever else he can find. He army crawls all over the place so it's just a bit of independence for him.

He had a great visit from family on Monday and received another care package as well. He is keeping busy but even after all he has received he still gets bored. I think cabin fever is setting in again. We are going to try and get out of the house one day next week. It is a bit of a challenge leaving the house with him and the other kiddos. On Sunday I did take Brenden and Connor to the movies, we saw Wreck It Ralph. The boys loved it, and so did I.

Andy did come down with a stomach virus this week. I made him stay away from us because we don't need that virus on top of this cast business.

Our follow up is Feb 8th, 2 weeks from today. We don't have any idea what will happen, just praying to hear some good news. Connor still remains pain free and in good spirits.

Thank you for all the continued prayers and support!

The New Normal

We are all adjusting to the new normal fairly well. Connor is pain free and has been off the pain meds for a few days now. He is moving around as much as he can. Flipping onto his belly and back to his back. I am afraid he may flip off his bed at night.

He has been keeping busy with Nintendo 64 and movies. Uncle Patrick has been over a few times to play Zelda on Nintendo and Connor LOVES watching him. I can tell that Connor is getting a bit stir crazy, as am I, but Friday we are going to try and walk around the mall with GiGi. Connor is behaving for the most part. We do have a few times when he gets to be really demanding and he doesn't understand that mommy is only one person and I cannot do everything he wants the minute he wants it causing him to yell at me. We each calm down and he apologizes and feels bad but I reassure him that he won't be in this cast forever and that mommy understands that he is frustrated.

Our day is pretty crazy. Even though we are not going anywhere total care for Connor takes up much of the morning. After we get Brenden off on the school bus it's breakfast for Macie and Connor. Getting Connor into his chair and eating and feeding lil missy takes about 20 mins just to get them situated. Then after breakfast it's play time for about an hour while I clean up breakfast help do pottys and change Macie. Then it's time for Macie's nap. After I get her down its bath for Connor. His bath from start to finish takes about 45 minutes to an hour depending on how smell he is. That is all the set up and bath clean up. I then change his bed sheets brush his teeth and get him either watching a movie playing Nintendo or playing his leapster. I then try and get a load of laundry going then attempt to shower myself all while Macie naps and if she's up well then she stays in bed until I get my shower. After all that Macie is up by now and it's about 11 and its time to start the lunch process. Much of the same as breakfast time. It is around 12:30 that I am done with just about all feeding and I tell Connor its moms turn to sit for a bit and we usually watch a movie or Connor and I play Mario.

All in all our routine is becoming quicker as we all get use to it. Brenden's schedule is about the same. School helps with that and he does so well in school. Brenden is trying to help us as much as he can but bless his heart he helps at the wrong time and causes more of a mess. Nevertheless, we praise him for his help and just ask him to help when we ask. He has been a GREAT big brother. I am so proud of the little man he is becoming. Macie is not use to all the attention on Connor and not herself. She is beginning the throwing a fit if you don't pay attention to her. But as the days go on I have seen her go off by herself and play cars or dolls or balls. Sheis getting so big and she climbs on EVERYTHING! She likes to give me a challenge during the day I guess.

Since Andy returned to work things may be hectic but we are settling in quite nicely. Connor has his follow up appointment on February 8th. We are not sure exactly what this will entail. Until then its just going to be hanging out at home with a few trips out to break up the Cabin Fever we develop. I know he wants to see his Pre-School friends so I think that will be our outing next week.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to visit, who sent a gift, cards, food and most of all thanks for your prayers and support. As stressful as this is, we know we are doing the right thing and that getting both feet on the ground is more of a reality now. Continued prayers and support is much appreciated.

We Are Home!

Connor has done wonderfully! We have had a couple little bumps in the road but otherwise he's a tough little man.

January 8th, the doctor came in around 0700 and checked on him. Said he looks amazing. He then said "How about going home today!" I was shocked, it wasn't even 24 hours since the first incision and talk about going home? The doctor said he had a couple of long cases and he would be back in the evening and if everything looked good then he could go home. Connor heard the doctor talk about going home so the seed was planted and he kept saying how he was going to go home and how he missed his brother and sister.

The day though started out rough. Having worked on a pediatric floor for 5 years I was very familiar with some practices. But at Shriner's they are still a little behind. They woke Connor up at 5AM and said they needed to get some blood. Ok that's fine. He had great looking IVs surly we will get some good blood return and get our labs quickly. That was not the case. The RN said "we do not draw labs from the IV up here on the floor, it is policy." Fine, it was our first stay. There I didn't know any different. Well she stuck Connor twice and was "fishing" for his vein. I finally said he needs a rest he will get sick. Try later. She was ok with that. Took Connor a while to calm back down. He slept for a little while then the day shift had their turn to play stick-the-kid till he pukes game. I told the day shift nurse, he will not tolerate these sticks well and she said "oh no we will draw from his IV." Wait the other RN said that's against policy right. Nope apparently that nurse just didn't want to. Well, the IV draw wasn't working sothey stuck him, and then again I finally said "Stop! He's done you want blood take the IV down to the hub and draw from there if you can't get it I am going to speak with the physicians!" They did what I said, took it down and guess what BLOOD FLOW, EVERYWHERE!! Why didn't I speak up earlier? The rest of the day the nurses tip toed around me, yes I became one of those moms, but I was only trying to keep Connor safe and not so scared. Connor cried the whole time begging them to "please just stop. Please I am sorry, just stop!" My heart was broken! He got himself so worked up that he threw up. 

After all that mess which was almost an hour, I gave him a bath and he got into a wheelchair and he played Mario kart in the playroom. We played for about an hour, he played till he fell asleep, with the controller in his hands. He was so sweet. He took naps off and on all day. Even had a few visitors. 

The doctor came up around 5:00 and said he was letting him go home. I was nervous but Connor heard him say it that morning and all he wanted all day was to go home. We got discharged at 6:15 and since Brenden finally got to see Connor, Connor wanted to show him the HUGE playroom. Connor showed him the room, Brenden walked around and checked things out while Andy got Connors special car seat in the car. Connor asked me to play Mario Kart with him. Of Course I played with him!!

Connor said goodbye to all his friends. He had an awesome roommate named Tanner who was one of the Halo patients. Connor likes him a lot. Tanner will be there at Shriners until the end of February, we will go visit him when Connor has to go back for his follow up appointment on February 8th.

We got home around 7:45pm Tuesday night. We had a rough arrival. Connor was not use to all the movement. He ended up getting sick in the car as we pulled into the garage. I got him inside and settled and he started to run a fever of 101. Andy was not home, his instructions were to get his pain meds. That itself was an ordeal as no pharmacy in Wentzville had the Valium and Oxycodone. He had to drive to Troy, MO to get his meds. While Andy was doing that and chaos was underway here at home our dear friends Chad and Jennifer who live here in Wentzville were able to get here the quickest to help me get order back in the house. I gave Connor his Tylenol for the fever and after an hour it was down and by this time Andy was home. We gave him his other meds and after getting sick again tried one last med and he kept it down and fell asleep and rested comfortably almost all night waking up 2 times complaining that he hates his cast and wants it off and to get more meds and go pee. Andy took the night shift as I was running on about 5 hours of sleep for over 40+ hours. Andy said he did great that night.

So a little more about his surgery. They performed a Pemberton Osteotomy. The femoral head was not in the hip socket very well and the risk of dislocation was a concern and if not corrected he would develop arthritis at a young age. They had to cut his pelvic bone and shift it to cover the femoral head and give Connor the hip socket he needed. Since they shifted part of his pelvic bone they needed some bone tissue to cover the gap that it created. Since Connor is a tiny little man they were able to use part of his own hip bone and then he also received donor tissue. I am not sure of the percentage of his own and the donor but I will be finding out. They placed a pin to keep all the new and moved bone tissue in place. That pin will be removed in about 6 months. We were told it is a very small procedure that will not require a hospital stay. With any major surgery there are risks. One of them was blood loss. We received a call from the doctor as they were casting him that there was very little blood loss and there was no need for a transfusion. They needed to do a couple more CBCs to make sure everything was still good. The results came back normal. This was our ticket home.

Connor is continuing to do well. Still hates his cast but I am sure over the next few days he will come to terms with it and we will find our new normal in the house. It is pretty crazy when Brenden is home from school and Macie is running around trying to climb on him. But it will take a couple days to get settled into a routine.

Thank you for all the prayers! They are working. Connor has NOT ONCE complained about being in pain, just hating his cast and being itchy. I will try and update as I can. Imagine how chaotic this house is now, lol but I am so proud of Connor and Brenden and Macie they all have been so kind and sweet to each other.

Just before surgery. He was very excited. Got to play in the playroom. Right after this picture he got his "Happy Juice" the medicine Versed to get him nice and relaxed. He became a silly goofy sweet little man after it kicked in!

This is just after surgery in the recovery room. He did awesome!! After the nurses turned him he asked "Did I do a good job?" The nurse said "You did AWESOME!" Connor then said "Ok, Thank You. I had a good nap." As he put both hands behind his head and went back to sleep.

All settled into our room! Had a very nice boy and family as roommates! Connor just wanted to go to the playroom from here on out.

Playing on the Ipad after an hour on the Nintendo game Cube playing mario kart.

All the gifts Connor recieved while at Shriner's. The Dr. Bear PaPa got from Build-A-Bear came with a doctors bag with a thermometer, shot, bandaid, stephescope. It sings Alvin and the chimpmunks. It is one of Connor's favorites. The cupcake is a Jilly's Cupcake from our friend Holly. Can you say YUMMY!

Here he is, home and showing off his new cast!! He is so proud of himself and is so strong!! He has not once complained about pain!! I LOVE THIS KID!!

"Can I play mario Kart? Please? PLease? Please?" So of course he is playing Mario!!

                                                 Enjoying a much needed nap!!

                                           Connor's new room for the next few weeks!

                                                               His new entertainment!


Thank You to EVERYONE for all the prayers, gifts, cards and support. We are going to need them for the next few months as it will be long and hard for not just Connor but all of us. Will Try and update as I can!!

 

It's here....Surgery Day!

First I need to say how unbelievably PROUD I am of Connor! He is AMAZING!! He is showing mommy and daddy and everyone he knows how strong he is!!

We got to Shriners at 5:50 this morning and Connor was the most excited little man I have ever seen. He wanted to play video games and in the HUGE playroom! We got registered and went to the same day surgery area. There it was just the history and waiting. He did get to go run around the playroom for about 30 minutes. He had a blast. At 7:30 he was called back and he got "Happy Juice"(versed) after about 5 minutes he became the goofy little man!! He never once got scared or cried. I was so proud of him. 

It came time to say final goodbyes and boy did momma lose it once he was out of sight. My heart never hurt so bad. I wanted and wished that I could shield him from all the pain but I knew he would be in great hands. 

We got the call from the OR at 0930 that the first incision was made and they were under way. They said he did great getting into the room even laughing and giggling. They all fell in love with this little man. The sweetest little boy you may ever met. They said they would call with an update at 1130. At 1130 the update was "surgery is done! We are just casting him now! He did beautifully!"  I was relieved, I knew he was still sedated but knowing they are no longer "working on him" made me feel so much better. After about an hour of him sleeping and deciding he needed a really long nap they finally let us back to see him. As we got back there they needed to turn him off his tummy and after they turned him he woke up and asked "Did I do ok?" Melt my heart!! Gosh I love this kid so much!! He won the hearts of every nurse here, how could he not?! 

Slowly as the day went on our talkative Connor was back! He has a roommate here. An 11year old named Tanner who Connor has become to like A LOT!! Every time Tanner leaves the room for a while its "Where's Tanner" and when Tanner gets back its Tanner this and Tanner that! 

We have him on the right doses of meds right now. Staying on top of the pain. I pray that Connor has a peaceful and restful night tonight. 

Thank you to everyone for the prayers and support. I will update tomorrow night, hopefully, with how he is doing.