So…  the title pretty much says it all.  This Summer has not been one I will remember fondly…  From surgery to the huge honker cast… from broken dishwasher, cars, phones, modems etc.  to new needs for remodels that I’m not ready for to sending Amanda back to Norman and trying to figure out all the necessities and logistics not to mention the crying and screaming post cast when I move Iz.  Good times.

I can’t complain, don’t want to grumble… refuse to wallow… but so ready to move on!!!

Getting ready for Isabelle’s eighth birthday next Tuesday, the 26th and Amanda’s TWENTIETH birthday the 28th.  Yikes.  I won’t mention my upcoming age marker.  Blah .  Trying to decide how exactly to celebrate.  Isabelle is so aware of life around her so I do want to have  a celebration for her, as her life is so very special and she is such a special little girl… and then of course sweet Amanda makes us so proud with her character, goals and the way she lives life.

It’s been HOT.  Like humid hot!  Our garden has been hanging on and I feel like my daily waterings are like life support.

The gym is hot and my fitness plan is a flop.  Ha.  I am doing a weight tracker/food tracker app on my phone and saw today I am 1.4 pounds up.  Oh well, it could be worse.  Muscles are heavy right?  I think I’ve used that excuse already.

I saw an old Zig Zigler video someone posted on FB and was reminded that there are always more positives than negatives if you start making a list…  Some positives I can list are:

We are finished with the cast.

We passed the two week point yesterday so Izzy should start feeling better.

The kids are ALL healthy & happy!

God loves me

Okay…. I’m off to the gym to gain some more weight. Ha!

This after cast thing has been a challenge.  And that is a huge understatement.  I was concerned initially about seeing all of the actual incision sites on Isabelle after removing the cast, but that has taken a back seat to dealing with her pain issues.  I can’t say I wasn’t warned. And warned again… but you just can’t imagine until it actually happens.  She screams and cries with any movement.  Changing is a huge issue.  Eating has been a lying down event since Wednesday which is hard and getting old for us both.  My first objective post cast was a bath.  She had the cast two days shy of 7 weeks.  The girl was due for a soak!  But after getting her home Wednesday we realized she was on her pallet to stay.  I did move her to bed and then back to the pallet and back to bed etc.  But that’s been the majority of the moving because of the crying.  I have to interject here that Iz is a trooper like no other.  She just doesn’t cry for any reason.  It takes some major discomfort to bring out the crocodile tears which lets me know that she is in major pain when moved.  But today I bit the bullet and put her in the bath.  I lowered her bath chair and filled the big tub up to the top adding the mr. bubbles brought by Melanie.  She cried while being transported (in my arms) to the tub, but once the warm water covered her legs and hips she relaxed.  I was so relieved to get her clean!  It’s the little things…  She cried again when I took her to bed, but has been okay since so I think it was a success. Yay.

My dishwasher stopped working today.  (pause for moment of silence.)

I’m leaving you with a pic of the bath girls…

Seems like yesterday we were preparing to go to Children’s Hospital to have Izzy’s surgery and now, almost 7 weeks later we are seeing what has been beneath those casts for so long.  Whew… what a day!   We should have expected the craziness of the appointments this morning.  We were supposed to get the cast off in the orthotics dept. but they sent us to the surgeon’s office along with an email to someone’s manager about the whole thing. Ha.  Not sure what the confusion was but it took forever to get the cast off and x-rays taken.  They left her in the bottom half of the cast for about two hours while we did x-rays and then visited with Dr. Herndon and finally the orthotist. 

So happy that her splints we had made several months ago were good, so no more casts!   The orthotist said the cast was the cleanest he had ever seen and that she handled the removal better than anyone ever.  Sadly the day went down from there…

The drive home was not fun.  Izzy had to bend places that had not bent in so long that she cried and cried.  When we got home and in she cried and cried for hours and hours!  I am dying to get her in the bathtub but I haven’t been able to move her at all without screaming.  I have decided to wait to see what tomorrow brings.  I even fed her lying down because when I tried to sit her up to eat her lunch she cried so hard we had to give up.  She is such a trooper I know that for her to react the way she is it hurts really bad.

Melanie was so sweet to drop off a party in a bag for her while we were at the dr. office.  She included balloons and streamers that nini and amanda decorated the den with.  She had party poppers and mr. bubble for that bath we are waiting for. . . the cutest rings and a sweet little bag perfect for storing all her bracelets.  So much cuteness.

I know izzy is ready to have that cast off!  We are all ready to say goodbye to the huge orange cast.  We go to have it taken off in one week.  Hopefully the splints that the orthotist made in Dec 09 will be the right fit and we won’t have to have her feet recasted to wait for new splints to be made.  Either way it will be fine.  I am really anxious to get her in the bath and scrub her … I can see the scars/incision areas in her inner thighs now and at first it really kinda freaked me out.  I had a text conversation with Camilla about it and she reminded me that instead of being upset about all the scars/incisions that it is just a reminder of how strong Isabelle is and how great a healer God is.  (paraphrased…I’m sure she said it better, but I would have to go back about a weeks worth of texts to find it which would take forever…).  Anyway, I was thankful for her words of wisdom. 

Mom came this morning and read with Izzy while I went to the gym.  It was a quiet evening with Amanda and Bailey both working and Emelia helping with VBS.  

I picked tomatoes, eggplant and summer squash today from our garden.  I added the eggplant and squash into tonight’s stir fry along with some green peppers and zucchini from dad’s garden.  It was tasty . 

I need a vacation .  Seriously.

We passed the two week point yesterday!  Isabelle will have had her cast for five weeks tomorrow.  What a way to spend the Summer, right?  She has spent the five weeks inside, keeping her as cool as possible.  Thank goodness for disney channel and books. 

Yesterday Melanie came to visit.  I had Izzy propped up to eat when she arrived and after a while of visiting noticed she was getting uncomfortable so let her lie down again.  I was sitting beside her and she was fussy, I pretty much knew she wanted Melanie sitting beside her to talk to her.  Isabelle listened to her closely while she told her about having a cast when she was little and about the turtle in her yard.   ….  Melanie brought Izzy a huge orange flower that is “stunning!”  I think orange is growing on me.

I think we are officially passing the half way mark to cast off day (July 7).  I keep telling Isabelle how big she is being about the cast and now am telling her she has made it half way! 

She is still really liking the books… mom has been reading to her at least an hour a day, and Emelia reads to her too.  Mom fixed her pajama bottoms from the pjs we bought for the hospital with velcro so she can have pants on   … although she isn’t really going “out,” it’s nice to have pants, right?

Tonight I’m going to see Jewel in concert with dad for Father’s Day.  He really likes Jewel, so it should be fun!  Our anniversary (21st) is Thursday.  Busy month!

Yesterday there were flash floods all around.  This pic is in choctaw, the roads were all closed.  We wound around the back way to get to the store.

(facing 23rd street by Mazzios exit.)

Yesterday was our 2 week follow up and x-ray appt. with Dr. Herndon.  Dr. H was very friendly and “jolly” this visit.  It was worth the drive to the hospital just to have him say that the incision area in her inner thighs that is becoming visible with the reduced swelling is looking normal.  He said it looks perfect, while plucking out gauze.  Blech.  I was thinking this morning it’s a good thing all her incisions are under the casts, it would be pretty overwhelming to see it all at once.  Just catching a glimpse while changing her is enough.  Anyway, he said that area looked, “perfect,” and that we would need x-rays to make sure the hips were in the right place.  Matt asked if they weren’t what would happen and he said it would be another surgery, starting over.  I honestly didn’t think this was going to be an issue, but the thirty minutes it took to take the x-rays and then have him come to reveal the results seemed to drag.  He came in and said it looked perfect and then took us to his office to look at the images on his computer.  He showed us the before images and then the after.  He seemed very pleased with the after.  If the orthopedic surgeon is happy, I’m happy. 

She is such a trooper!  The ride to the hospital was without incident unlike our first trip home from the hospital.  Matt had getting in and out of the car mastered.  Feet in first, out last.  She didn’t get stuck once.  Ha!  When she realized we were at the hospital she started fussing and then fussed more when the dr. came into the room.  What seven year old in her position wouldn’t fuss? 

July 7 is THE date.  Cast off!  The dr. said this is another tough time.  He said to expect her to be upset for a while.  I told Matt I’ve learned to expect the best case scenerio with Izzy.  She always handles things better than most.  Like eating, the dr. said eating was a real problem after the surgery but Izzy has been on schedule with all her food since we’ve been home.  She’s been off the Lortab three days now.  Ibuprophen seems to be enough to keep her comfortable and when she is fussy or crying I remember I would be too if in that CAST!  She’s a tough little girl!

Princess sleeping on izzy’s cast…

I keep thinking, “a week ago we were…”  Like now, a week ago we were trying to go to sleep on the pull out couchish thing in izzy’s hospital room.  Her catheter had just been removed and we were wondering how the night would go.  So glad we are home.  When last Saturday went so wrong it made us wonder if our worst fears would come true and we would be held captive at the prison hospital.  So thankful God was with Izzy, with us all really.  Home Monday as scheduled.  It’s hard not to be intimidated by the huge orange cast… or how to handle sweet Iz in the huge orange cast.  There has been swelling in areas that you wouldn’t expect… and days so calm you have to be concerned and then days she is so unsettled it is tense for all.  Yesterday (Saturday) was a tense day.  From beginning to end Izzy was uncomfortable and let us know.  She pretty much cried or moaned all day.  Terrible.  We tried all the meds prescribed as much as we could and it just didn’t seem to help much at all.  I decided today to try to not use the lortab, it makes me feel horrible, so maybe that was the problem?  That’s one of the toughest things with Iz, she has not problem communicating what she feels to me, just hard to know what is causing it!  Today she had the minimum dose of lortab only one time. 

Paula (matt’s mom) sent a box of shower cap hair shampooing thingy’s.  Emelia tried it out on Iz this morning.  It seemed to work and we gave her a nice wash down.  She seemed to enjoy it except the part where Emelia worked on combing her hair. 

Matt has been off work since the surgery day, and will go back tuesday since tomorrow is a holiday.  He did the moving of iz the first day or two but has stepped back so I can get used to doing it while he is away.  It was nice to have a helper… and he’s made breakfast for us everyday!  Yes, Matt has been cooking.  Weird.  The kids all get up when they hear him cooking, and it is really nice to all have breakfast together. 

Wednesday we go back the the doctor’s office.  They are doing xrays to make sure all is well.  That should be an interesting day.  Hopefully we won’t get Iz stuck in or half way out of the car this time.  We have a plan …

I mentioned before that Izzy’s teacher Melanie, past teacher Barbara Shafer, and pt Camilla came by last week.  They are all so sweet and helpful.  Melanie  dropped off some things later this week that Izzy used at school and Camilla called our equipment people to see about a loaner reclining wheelchair after she heard about our rented wheelchair fiasco.  I also have to brag on Melanie… she made a bag of snacks for me to take to the hospital, it was perfect.  From raw almonds to antibacterial wipes and kleenex, just perfect.  Matt and Emelia found it while I was out of the room and even Matt said what a great bag of snacks.

This is day three at home.  First night went pretty well.  Not quite as much sleep last night.  We are learning to handle the cast, hoping it becomes easier when pain isn’t so much a factor in lifting Iz.  I have figured out a way to get her upright enough to feed her… and today she ate what she did before surgery for the first time.  Things are working out.  I worried a little when we first got home because I wasn’t sure where she would be comfortable or how I would get her fed and meds given etc. but decided to take it day by day and it is coming together.  She is quite possibly the toughest little girl I have ever seen!  Amazing. 

Yesterday she had some visitors from school… her teacher Melanie, previous teacher Barbara, and p.t. Camilla came by.  They brought a sweet doll named “princess Isabella.”  Izzy loves these three and although she slept through much of the visit, she enjoyed having them take turns sitting beside her and visiting with her. 

Today was the last day of school… Next year we’ll have a second grader, a 7th grader, and a junior!  Also a sophmore at OU!  So proud of all the kids! 

Happy Summer!!!

The last few days have been full of roller coaster emotions – up and down, up and down…  Just when you think you can’t take it anymore, something changes and it’s okay for a while.  Don’t misunderstand, God was with Isabelle and protecting her. We felt His presence and even though you know that you know that you know it will all be okay there is still something so difficult about watching your own child suffer.  Immediately you wish that you were the one suffering rather than them.  Knowing you cannot, makes it even harder.

Friday morning after only a few hours sleep we loaded Izzy up before daylight to check in for surgery.  A double hip reconstruction which involves incisions said to be lined up end to end about a total of 6 feet, released tendons, and a spica cast.  The dread was heavy on our shoulders that early morning, but had we known what we were in for, I think we may have stayed home. While in the pre-op room the surgical head nurse asked us our color preference for her cast.  We had to say orange!  It’s her favorite color.   Here is sweet little Izzy ready to go back. 

I was allowed to go with Isabelle to the operating room, until she was given gas to put her to sleep.  After dressing in a yellow gown and blue hair cap I held her hand and swallowed tears.  She was being so brave I couldn’t let her see my fear.  I looked around that operating room and thought about what would happen in that room over the next several hours and shuddered.  A soft kiss on her sleeping cheek and a whisper, “I love you,” in her ear and off I was escorted to the family waiting area reserved for us. 

I must admit, the waiting area we were given was spacious and comforable.  It defintely made the next 8 hours more tolerable for our entire family.  Matt and I settled in and then mom, Amanda, Emelia, and my dad showed up.  A little later Matt’s mom and her husband John came.  Miki came by and brought bagels and green tea… Preacher stopped by while we were getting lunch and when he lefts said, “There’s no problem too big for God.”  How many times have I heard these words from his mouth, both in passing and from the pulpit.  There is no problem too big for God.  I agree. 

The nurse called the phone in our waiting room hourly to give updates on surgery.  We watched the clock for the next update.  She mostly said, “She’s doing fine,” and then mentioned what procedure they were working on at the time.  Finally we recieved the call she was being casted and that Dr. Herndon, her surgeon, would be stopping in to visit with us soon.  He came and joked about her orange cast.  Up to this point it was all pretty pleasant for us, not so much for Iz…

(first view of the cast)

Matt and I were allowed in the recovery room.  What a place to hang out for 2-3 hours!  Children and babies one by one being rolled in screaming and scared.  Keeping it together when I first saw iz was really tough.  The cast was overwhelming, and her face was swollen.  She was crying silently and I wasn’t sure what to do. After they had some tiny issues with oxygen postponing our ride to the 9th floor to her room, we finally left surgery. 

The first room we went to was about the size of a small closet. Ha!  Since both matt and I planned to sleep in with her we asked if there was a larger room available.  (thankful for the suggestion by the recovery room nurse!)  A few hours later they took us to a room much bigger and we settled in.  They left an epidural delivering a dose of narcotics into Izzy’s back hourly.  They mentioned there would be “break through” pain and for that they would give her morphine in her iv every two hours.  If there was pain over this they would give her .5 cc morphine every thirty minutes.  In addition, valium and benedryl were on her list of medications.  We were awake pretty much all of Friday night with bells ringing because her heartrate was high.  She was scared, in pain, and not a happy girl.  The nurse was helpful and brought in meds when time to deliver them. 

Saturday morning she had been given pretty much all the meds listed.  She was finally looking restful so Matt and I both relaxed a little and watched her sleep.  The pulse ox on the machine started beeping and was going into the 80’s.  Normally this is because she is pressing on the sensor or yawns, something simple.  I walked over and patted her.  It just kept dropping.  At 62 I ran to the nurses station.  Matt stayed in the room.  Nurses ran into the room and worked with her.  Matt said he saw the pulse ox go down to 14.  She looked green and I cannot describe how terrifying this was.  We almost lost her, again.  She was finally given a shot of an anti narcotic that brought her “out” pretty much immediately.  We crumbled. 

After that scare we sat and watched her pulse ox.  and watching. and watching.  For a moment I seriously thought, “I’m done with this.”  Too much to deal with.  But then life goes on and Izzy aka the little trooper was fine.  Her pulse ox was fine.  We stopped the morphine and suddenly the epidural seemed to be enough. Melody stopped by with a trio from the Wedge (my fave!) and some fun goodies like a book about finding what makes you happy . Later my brother Mike and Bailey stopped by to visit and took me away to eat for a bit. 

When all our visitors left for the night Isabelle began running fever.  I was so happy to get her to take some ibuprophen by mouth and watch the temp go away.  Matt insisted I leave late Saturday night to sleep at home and take back some things to make room for the rental wheelchair that reclined.  After seeing she was doing really well I agreed. Also Emelia was a pretty good little nurse and was insisting she needed to stay. Driving away I felt a mixture of guilt and also freedom, like breaking out of jail! After I got home and had a chat with Amanda, a cold shower (because bailey took a really long hot one right before me!) and then my glorious bed!  It seems silly to complain.  We spent so many weeks in the hospital with iz after her near drowning accident.  This had only been a couple of days, and the biggest reason of all was that she was the one who should be complaining! 

This is Emelia’s late night happy helper face !

I woke up bright and early and headed back for another day of unknowns at the hospital.  Izzy had a good night!  Yay.  (this was one of the ups)  Mom, Dad and the kids came and brought lunch to the hospital.  After they left we noticed izzy looked flushed.  She was running about 103 temp.  (downer!)  I gave her ibuprophen again and then sat beside her bed and prayed that her fever would go away and she would be able to eat a little by mouth, knowing that was necessary for her to come home Monday. Sweet  April and her son Weston from church stopped by to say hello.   

We also figured out that reading to Isabelle calmed her more than pain medicine so whenever her heart rate would increase, Emelia would grab one of the books her sweet teacher Melanie gave her and read until she fell asleep.

We discussed options regarding removal of the epidural and catheter and came up with a plan to turn it off Sunday evening at 8:00 p.m., take catheter out at 10:00 p.m. and then start lortab by mouth as needed.  We honestly thought this would be a hard night for Izzy, losing the medicine in the epidural but seriously, she is the toughest little girl I have ever seen and she slept through times to give her the minimum not maximum dose of pain meds.  We had another few visitors, Pat and KC and Debbie and her 2 year old twins from church dropped by and prayed for Iz.  You know visitors are a nice diversion.  After they left we started settling in for the night.   Another criteria for leaving was she had to tinkle without the catheter which they said could take 8-10 hours after having it so long.  She had a flood of tinkle within an hour of removal! Go Izzy !

Monday morning she had the actual epidural taken out of her back which was under the cast.  She wasn’t too thrilled about this… not sure if it was the position they put her in or the pain of removal but she did cry a little with her quivering chin. We saw it as one more step home!  Discharge papers in place we loaded the car, filled Rx’s and said goodbye to room 9168.  What an experience. 

In the parking garage after two failed attempts to get her and her cast in the car (and get the door closed) Matt said a prayer of thanks.  So thankful to God for bringing us through this weekend, for bringing our sweet girl home, for protecting her from the calamities of the hospital… whew.  We were free. 

Now sitting beside Izzy writing about the experience seems like a bad dream.  The next six weeks will be interesting… figuring out how to handle her with the giant orange cast!  How to feed her in a very reclined position… how to position her to keep her comfortable.  For now we are just breathing and happy to have at least this leg of the spica journey over.