'Pits to Toes

Finally, Avery will get to actually see the cast that's been in the back of her mind for the last 6 weeks or so. In preparation for Jordan's hip surgery I showed her some online pictures of other kids in spica casts, and Avery has been fascinated ever since. Every-so-often she states, to whoever is listening, "Wait 'til you see Jordan in a full-body cast, armpits to toes!"

Jordan was a super trooper! We arrived last evening, took a couple of baths in special red disinfectant soap, and went to surgery bright & early this morning. The transporter dude this morning cracked me up. We got to the surgery holding room, and he told me he had a couple of matters I needed to deal with before the doctors would come see us. Prepared for some serious paperwork, I had to giggle inside when I found that the matters were 1. What color cast should Jordan have and 2. Which Beanie Baby did Jordan need to guide her spirits through the surgery. I tried to decline, but he insisted! The aardvark was the strangest one I could find, but I thought the crab was pretty cute, too. But, I couldn't resist the aardvark. After those "formalities" I was allowed to talk with the doctors one last time. Gotta get the important stuff done first!

They estimated the surgery would take 5-7 hours, so when I saw the surgeon after 3 I was a little concerned. Good news, though -- they didn't need to do the femoral osteotomy, just the open reduction & the pelvic osteotomy, and that saved a couple of hours. She didn't bleed very much and didn't need a transfusion, she was immediately extubated & breathed fine on her own, and she's hardly needed suctioning all day. Even so, she still ended up in the PICU at next door Doernbechers Childrens Hospital -- just as a precaution. So, here we are for the night, with our own nurse, one-on-one. It seems a bit overkill, considering all the other times she's been in the hospital & much "sicker" than this, but it's probably best for all of us. I'm planning on getting a good night of sleep, knowing there's a set of (open) eyes just for Jordan all night. And a nice, big bench-bed here for me!

If all goes well & according to schedule, we'll go back to Shriners tomorrow, home on Monday morning, and be out of the cast in 6 weeks.

The view from our room "up on the hill" (the OHSU campus, where Shriners is located). If only the clouds would clear the sunrise would be amazing!

A fancy bath in the silly chair -- yes, they wheeled her down the hall in this thing. I asked to just carry her, but the nurse was all about using the chair. It goes down & the tub rises up, so there's no lifting involved, when used with an appropriate person. Of course with Jordan we ended up abandoning the set-up all together. . . . Our first sight of the cast. They cut it open in the front for her g-tube, and around her privates for diapering, but they haven't finished the edges yet -- they're razor sharp!

SidelyingThere you can see it, armpits to toes!