Evan Works It

Yesterday was our first day of physical therapy, and I'm so shocked to report that Evan did extremely well!

I guess I'm not giving my own son enough credit.  Let me explain.  The reason why I'm so shocked is because he did not throw a fit or a tantrum during the therapy session at all!  I was convinced he was going to have major stranger anxiety and freak out when the physical therapist touched him.  I'm so happy to say I was very wrong.

His physical therapists' names are Shannon and Lindsay.  Evan immediately liked them.  It probably helped that they were both very pretty ladies who were giving them their undivided attention.  He is such a flirt!

The therapy lasted about an hour, where we worked with Evan mainly on a matted floor with lots of toys.  The therapists were working on assessing Evan's left leg (i.e. bending it to see how far it would flex, watching how he moves, observing his sitting position).  I'm relieved there are no hip or left ankle issues for Evan to work out.  The main problem areas are Evan's left quad and left hamstrings.  They are both tight, weak, and not flexible.

During the session, they put these special (purple!) shorts on Evan to help him keep his legs together.  Since he's been out of his cast, Evan has been holding his left leg out and straight while crawling and moving around.  He's basically holding it in the same position the cast was holding it in.  These shorts force his legs a little bit closer together to get different muscle groups working again.

We were sent home with the shorts and a few homework assignments on how to help Evan bend and straighten his left leg.  I've decided to take Evan to physical therapy the maximum amount of times I can per week which is 3.  Yep... 3 times a week.  I must be crazy.  But I am so focused on helping Evan learn to use his left leg again before the nice Spring weather really hits.  I want him to be able to run around and play with other kids again.  So, we will be going on Tuesday's, Thursday's, and Friday's for a while now.  Once he starts making major improvements the number of times we go per week will taper off.

I do have to say since physical therapy yesterday Evan has been making some major strides of his own... like walking again.

Yes, this boy is already on the move and it officially started happening today.  He only napped for 30 minutes, which I chalked up to the fact he is so excited to practice his "new" skill.  I've said it before and I'm gonna say it again: it is so nice to have my boy back! :-)

~Nikki

Cast Off!

Oh yes, the day has finally come!  It has been the longest 8 weeks of our lives, but we can finally put it behind us.  Evan's cast has been REMOVED!

Hard to believe this was 8 weeks ago. 

Right after it was removed.  So happy!

Evan's cast removal appointment was originally for this Monday.  When I woke up on Friday morning (the countdown was 3 more days until the cast was off!), the news was declaring a major snow storm was going to hit Western PA on Sunday thru Monday.  Evan's appointments to his orthopedic doctor have been about 45 minutes away from our home, in the South Hills.  I, of course, immediately freaked out.

How am I gonna get Evan to his appointment in a foot of snow!?  I can't drive in those conditions!  That would just be stupid!  But I do NOT want to push this date back!  I want this cast OFF!

So I did what any mother would do.  I tracked down his doctor and begged for an appointment that day.  It was only 3 days earlier than his original cast-off date.  And you know what?  They got us in.  Never, ever underestimate a mother who is trying to get something done for her child.  And the best part?  The doctor was in his office that is very close to our home!  I only had to drive Evan 10 minutes to get his cast taken off. :)

Once the appointment was set, I thanked GOD profusely for working whatever powers he worked, and called my mom and asked her to leave work to come and help me with Evan.  And, of course, she dropped everything and ran to us. :)  How lucky were we that things were finally working in our favor!?

I managed to get Evan down for a nap before his 1:30 appointment.  He maybe got 45 minutes of rest in, but it was better than nothing.  We woke him up, got him in the car, and sped off to his appointment.  I was extremely nervous.  Evan was enviably aloof.  Once we arrived and checked in, the nurses took us right back.  No waiting at all!  It was a night and day difference compared to the facility we had been going to for the past 8 weeks.

As soon as we got to the room, the nurse (her name was Barbara... she was so sweet!) told us that she would be removing his cast first and then Evan would be x-rayed.  I was a little thrown because he was always x-rayed first.  I was slightly nervous because I thought What if it isn't healed all the way and they have to re-cast him and oh my God that would be awful!!!  But I quickly shook my doubts off and decided to listen to the nurse.

She immediately got to work, and I got to hold Evan the entire time.  He screamed, but it was not nearly as bad as the first time when he got his cast cut down.  Nurse Barbara started with the cast that was around his waist.  That took her the longest.  After some sawing and scissoring action, she managed to peel the thing off like an onion.  A very, very, very stinky onion.  Oh yes, the smell of urine and gamey-ness hit everyone in the room like a ton of bricks.  My mom got the brunt of it.  She was standing down-wind from the smell.  Haha!  After the waist was complete, Nurse Barbara moved on to his leg, which went surprisingly very fast.  Evan's left leg was very dry and scaly and hairy!  Not overly hairy, but his little hairs were very long.

Next was the x-ray, and Evan hates x-rays.  Poor kid.  He knows when it's x-ray time and he immediately starts screaming.  Once that was finished, it was back to the room to wait for the doctor.  And once again, we didn't have to wait at all.  He immediately popped in our room!  He looked at Evan's x-rays and declared him HEALED!  We just need to stop back in 6 weeks and then again after a year.  In the meantime, the doctor explained physical therapy is Evan's next hurtle to overcome.  He prescribed Evan to attend therapy 2-3 times a week for 6 weeks.  Ouchie.

We left there happy and exhausted and emotionally drained.  I was just so thankful I could finally hold my little boy again... normally. :)

My happy boy is back

We got home and fed Evan and then gave him a bath.  He was up and moving around (still acting as though he had the cast on) within 2 hours.  I love my determined little guy!

He has just been the happiest little man since his cast has been taken off.  He is still sore, but he isn't letting that slow him down.  He's been using his toy walker to get around the house, climbing our stairs, and playing/eating constantly.

And I am grateful for every moment of it!

~Nikki

It's so nice to be wearing pants again...

Seriously, I never thought I would say that about my child.  But, since he has had the bar removed between his legs from his cast, he has been able to wear pants again, and it is SO NICE!

We were able to go for a walk this morning with the dogs, and Evan was able to stay warm, all due to the magic of pants!  We've gone to grocery stores and doctor's offices and he no longer gets the "what happened to him" stares.  It's just so nice to have a piece of normalcy back.  I swear I will never take it for granted again.

On another light, happy note, we rescheduled our trip to Vermont for March!  I'm so excited!  Steve is just relieved to be getting away.  He has been working non-stop (pretty much since Evan was born!) and he really needs the break.  I'm just so thrilled to finally get Evan into an airport and see the sights and sounds of anywhere but Pittsburgh. :)

The anticipation of getting the rest of the cast off is definitely weighing heavily on my mind.  I woke up at 2:30 this morning thinking of the best way to cut his cast to get it off of him as quickly as possible.  I'm worried about the noise and vibration of the saw freaking him out again.  I know he will be upset, and I want to avoid a super-long freak-out if possible.  It's just amazing how much worry and concern goes into your child in situations like this.  It's exhausting.  I'm just so thankful it's almost over.

10 days left!  Can't wait :)

~Nikki

2 Weeks Left!!!

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel... Evan only has TWO WEEKS left in this cast!

We visited his orthopedic doctor yesterday, and while it was a very stressful and traumatic visit, it was also one that granted Evan some freedom from part of his cast.  He ended up having the bar that was attached to both legs and the right side leg of the cast removed!

The removal process was far from enjoyable.  The device they use is pretty much like a mini-saw, and it vibrates really fast.  It's also very loud.  For 25 minutes, Evan screamed, cried, and thrashed.  I've never seen my baby so upset in my life.  Thank God I had my mother there to help me.  After it was all over, Evan was exhausted, I was drained, but we were both happy.  I ran a cool cloth over his leg before I dressed him to leave and he looked at me like, "Whoa!  I can FEEL that!"

After part of his cast was removed and he calmed down.

Once we got home and Evan got a nap in him, he was up and moving around and acting more like himself than I have seen in weeks.  It was truly amazing!

For the first time in a long while, I am truly feeling happy.  I'm not gonna lie, this entire experience has been stressful, worrisome, and just plain hard.  We aren't completely out of the woods yet, but it's reassuring to know that we almost are.  I never would have thought having a child in a cast would rearrange your daily life the way it has here.  I am so limited to what I can do with my little man.  Even grocery shopping is a huge challenge.  He can't fit into carts, so I use his stroller (so thankful he fits in that!) and a big bag to collect our groceries in, or I end up pushing a cart and him at the same time!  I'm afraid to take him around other kids because of cold/flu season (something you DEFINITELY don't want to add to a baby in a Spica cast!), so we were quarantined from his cousins for the better part of January/February.  No indoor swimming lessons, no hiking in the woods with our dogs, no indoor baby gym.  And with the weather as cold and snowy and gray as it's been around here... let's just say I've been wishing a speedy Spring to arrive already.

But now this ordeal is finally coming to an end, and Steve and I feel confident enough to start making plans.  We want to go to Vermont in March, so we are currently planning that trip.  So excited!

I will always hold a soft place in my heart for all parents.  This entire experience was really eye opening for me.  I now know that parenting is the hardest job you will ever do in your life.  But, it is so worth it.

~Nikki

The Spica Cast Diaper Change

Hi all!  I'm WAAAY overdue for a blog post here!  Things have been a little hectic around here but are returning to normal.  I ended up with the terrible stomach virus I was trying so hard to avoid about a week and a half ago.  One trip to the ER later (I had been unable to keep ANYTHING in for 17 hours... I gave it a good run but threw in the towel), I'm finally back to myself.

I've been wanting to post something on diapering a Spica cast baby for quite some time now.  It's been a tough area for Steve and I to succeed in.  Even after having Evan in this cast for 5 weeks, we still experience leaks!  So, without further ado, here is how we diaper our Spica baby. :)

You will first need a decent amount of diapering supplies.  We started out using two size 2 diapers (one to stuff in the front and one to stuff in the back) and one size 6 diaper (to diaper the whole thing together, cast and all) in the very beginning.  This proved to be WRONG.  Leaks were happening at a near constant rate. Something had to change.

So, after some "loosening" of the cast, we now use two size 5 diapers, one Poise pad, one size 2 diaper, and one cloth diaper on Evan.  Evan is pretty average in size and weight (I believe he is in the 50-75th percentile for his age). Check out our heavy arsenal below:

You've got your diaper wipes on the right, and then you've got your baby powder to absorb wetness/odor, lotion for dry skin, foot spray for the nasty ass odor that won't quit, Febreeze to spray the outside of diaper to try and kill pee smell, hand sanitizer, LOTS of duck tape, mole skin, and a wooden spoon (for the parent with massive hands that needs help threading the diaper through the cast).

 

All the diapers I list above...5 total.

Now that you've loaded up on your supplies, you are ready for the very simple task (HAAA!) of changing your Spica baby's diaper.  Be sure to have some toys on stand by to distract the Spica baby.

Once you have removed the dirty diapers and cleaned the baby up, apply some baby powder in the front area (this is entirely optional but I deem it necessary for our child), and place the Poise pad in the front section with the paper strip still on.  You will want to shove the Poise pad up there a little ways.

Next, take your size 5 diaper, rip of the sticky tabs on the sides used for "normal" diapering, and thread the top part of the diaper through the front area of the cast.  This will help catch all that pee that likes to drift upward.  Pull part of the diaper through the top and fold down.

Apply duck tape to secure at the top.

Flip-a-baby over and take a size 5 diaper and thread it through the backend of the cast.  Make sure you fan it out so it catches everything.  Apply duck tape to secure at the top, just like in the front.

Start tucking in diapers.  I turn Evan onto his side and tuck in the Poise pad in the rear, and then the front diaper in the rear.  Then I roll him back onto his back and tuck the rear diaper into his front.  It should look like the picture above once everything is all tucked.

THEN!  I take a size 2 diaper and I just tuck one in to tie the whole mess together.  It helps keeps all of the diapers securely tucked.  It should look like the picture above once you're done.  And honestly, in this picture, I can't believe he is still smiling.  He is usually SO over getting diapered at this point.  Who wouldn't be?

LAST DIAPER!  I top the entire thing off with a cloth diaper that goes around his diapers and cast.  I really recommend buying a couple of those for the duration of the cast.  I got mine at www.flipdiapers.com.  It saves money because it's one less disposable you have to use.

Button his body suit and you are ready to go!  Look at how happy he looks there!  He knows he's finally free, that's why. :)

And that's it!  See, a dozen and a half easy steps and you're done.  It took Steve and I a good 2-3 weeks to master the diapering, and by then it was "too late."  The smell of urine was already trapped inside of his cast.  The only thing we could do at that point was just keep his skin clean and dry to try and avoid sores.  We have at least done well with that.

Hope you enjoyed the tutorial!  Hang in there!
~Nikki

3 Weeks!

It's official!  It's been 3 weeks with this Spica cast on Evan!

While it's not the halfway mark, it is at least a good dent into the cast adventure.  We had our 3 week check-up with Dr. Mendelson yesterday.  The appointment itself was very stressful.  Evan was tired and cranky, and he is SO over being around doctors.  He got some x-rays of his leg, and thankfully it showed the bone is on the mend!!!!!!!  Dr. Mendelson said it looks like we are on track for 8 weeks (I was so relieved because some kids have to wear this thing for 10 weeks!).

So, we set up another appointment with Dr. Mendelson in 3 weeks, which takes us to February 10, and hopefully Evan will have his bar and the right side of the cast removed!  He will still have his left leg in a cast, but I don't even care at this point.  He will be able to get around so much better AND he will be able to sit again on his own!  (Right now we just "prop" him in a sitting position).  Dr. Mendelson said it isn't a guarantee, but a good chance that he will be able to remove the bar and the right side next time.  So, I'm trying to not get my hopes up too high, but it's hard. :-/

Gettin' around... hopefully even better in a few weeks!

On a disappointing-but-oh-well note, we had to cancel our trip to Vermont we had scheduled this February.  We had planned on going for just 5 days, had our flights booked and our house reserved, but Steve and I figured traveling with a Spica cast baby was less than desirable.  Canceling the rental house reservation was a breeze.  It's trying to get your money back from the airline insurance company thats rough!  I'm in the process of filling out forms and I've heard it's more than likely going to be a fight.  Wish me luck on that one.

I can't believe Evan is letting me type out this quick blog.  He's watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (thank you, Disney!) and being really good today.  I'll take it!

Stay warm!
~Nikki

How to Entertain a Spica Baby

Yes, I keep referring to Evan as a Spica baby.  I can't help it.  It amuses me and it's pretty much a fitting nickname for him right now.

Steve and I are still figuring out ways to keep Evan entertained while he wears this stink cast (GOD, the odor this thing absorbs!).  It's not an easy task.  The past few days have really tested our patience.  Evan has definitely been given a crash course on how to keep himself amused.

Thankfully, Evan has mastered the army crawl to get himself around the house.  He obviously can't do steps, but he can navigate the floors quite well.  The first couple of days we were home after Evan had his cast put on, our family rallied and brought over lots of useful toys and tools for us to help keep Evan entertained and keep us sane.  My sister-in-laws, Erin and Amanda, have lent us so many fantastic things.  I was so grateful. :)

So, what ends up happening is after the dust settles, you and your child try all the different new methods and fun toys and see what sticks.  Amanda lent us an angled pillow, which worked for a while, along with activity trays, which are still working for us.  You and your child weed through all the items and finally develop a routine.  This took us about 2 weeks.  But if I'm being completely honest, I will tell you that each and every day brings a new activity or learning curve for us to work through.

This one didn't work out so well for us.  He got cold and bored quickly. :(

This is an everyday norm for us.  Tummy play.  A lot of the times Steve or I have to be on the floor with him playing too.

He loves being on our kitchen island for some reason.  While this keeps him happy, I'm extremely nervous and I pretty much hover over him the entire time.

Evan has always done very well with routine, but right now it is crucial to keep him on a routine in our household while he wears this cast. I throw in a few things everyday to change it up for him.  Today, for instance, I worked out to Billy Blanks while Evan played on the living room.  My counting out loud and clapping kept him amused.

It's all about experimentation and doing what works for you.  It's like everyone says, just keep trying different things and something is bound to stick.

I'm thinking my next post will be on diapering with the Spica (cue the dramatic music).  Believe me when I say, that process has not been a pleasant experience in the least bit.

~Nikki

P.S. Can I just say how much I love the Disney channel??!!  Evan NEVER had an interest in television before (unless there were music videos on), but now that he is shipwrecked, he has no choice but to watch the TV.  Mickey Mouse Clubhouse has been a lifesaver at times!  And so has the movie "Black Swan."  Evan LOVES it!  LOL