Super Fast - Walking After Surgery For Hip Dysplasia

Dear Little Angel,

A little more than a week a passed since the removal of  your spica cast following a set of surgeries for each side of your hips, completing a total of 6 months of spica casts.  Over the last few days, you have filled your time with a slow and steady improvement in your walking, countless hours of dancing and most recently running.  Arriving home from work after completing a long day starting at 4:00 am, I was greeted at the door by our excited toddler daughter as she announced, "Daddy, watch me!  I can run! I am as fast a cheetah."  No sooner had the statement left your lips, I watched as you spun yourself around and dashed away, returning as you questioned, "Did you see me?  I super fast!"

In addition, to the repeated celebration of your returned speed, we also find you practicing your skills to once again climb the stairs.  Before you were diagnosed with hip dysplasia, one of the symptoms that appeared in your daily habits was the observation of your unwillingness to climb the stairs.  At first, you loved to climb up and down the steps from the basement, but over time you began to set at the bottom of the stairs, begging to be carried up them.  With both hips in correct position, we now once again find a toddler excited by the lure of climbing up and down the carpet covered steps to our family room.

Walking Spica Free

Dear Little Angel,

 

We now find ourselves approaching the conclusion of being cast free for an entire week. In the course of this last week you have pushed to regain  much of the freedom that was stripped from your list of things to do the day you were placed into your first cast a little over six months ago.  In the first twenty four hours after your legs were freed, we found you walking across the kitchen floor with slow labored cautious steps.  Your leg from your first surgery is moving freely with no signs of limited motion post surgery; however the hip from this last round of surgery is stiff an unable to bend at the knee.  Any attempt to bend your knee and tears fill your eyes as you explain, "Daddy, don't touch! My leg hurts!"

 

Your first attempts to walk concluded much like the first time you tried to walk after your second casting, within seconds your leg gave way as to the floor you dropped crying in pain.  Picking you up to rub your legs I paused to offer words of comfort, "Sweetie, it's okay.  You need to move slowly so your legs can gain strength again."  Immediately you counter, "Put me down! I walk now!" 

 

There is little I can say or do to slow your determination to walk again.  If I tell you not to stand or to try walking, big tears fill your eyes and run down your cheeks as you exclaim, "Daddy, you break my heart." 

 

With almost a week passed, your strength has seen you through a number a falls.  Each time you stand and begin again, until at last you find yourself walking.  To this, as always you declare, "Watch me, I did it!"  Your walking is improving each day.  Your stiff knee now bends a little with each step and your walking takes no concentration as you easily cross the floor.  Able to now walk with no help, it is common for you to walk over and over again around the chair in the living room.  At last count, in one routine you completed nearly fifty laps, only to find your knee slightly swollen the next day from all the excursion, but even this only slowed you slightly in your efforts to parade around the house.  I imagine within only a few weeks there will be little evidence of the stiff joints and weakened hip.

Let's Go Swimming

Dear Little Angel,

Each and everyday for the last three months while you dragged your spica cast around, you found hope and vision by staying focused on one thing; when your last cast was to be removed you had planned to go swimming.  Waiting for a few days to allow your skin to heal a little from the sores and red patchy skin now covering your knees from the cast, we found the time perfect Saturday to take you swimming.

In the heat of the afternoon, you at long last started your day by playing with the yard garden hose, your plastic squirt gun, and a white bucket in the front yard with your brother and sister.  After months of watching from the side lines as they screamed and giggled playing with friends in the yard unable to go out a play as the results of the bad combination of the summer heat and the sweat inside your cast creates when your body gets to hot in the fiberglass cast.  Now with cast removed, requests to go outside to play with your brother and sister could finally be granted.

Later that afternoon we travel to Uncle Brent's house to at last go swimming in their private pool.  As requested grandma, grandpa, mommy, daddy, sisters, and brother all came with you.  The cool waters of the pool proved to be a very helpful method to get a two year old to move her legs.  Kicking, squealing combined with laughter filled our time in the outdoor pool as the sun began to set.  The day had been a full day filled with activities once denied to our little daughter for the last 4 months.

Now Can I Dance?

Dear Little Angel,

Exhausted From The Day From Dancing

Concluding six months of casts, we find ourselves enjoying the day after your removal of your blue-jean spica cast.  In the days leading to your cast removal, you continued to find hope by informing anyone and everyone your detailed plans for the day your cast would come off.  With an excited smile the story describing the events of this day started with the cast coming off in "three weeks" in spite of how many days you actually had remaining, then in conclusion an explanation of how you would go swimming with your mommy, your daddy, your grandma, your grandpa, your sister, your brother, and baby "X-ah".  Throughout this last cast this has continue to be your vision until the day of your cast removal came and went.  With the cast removed, the dry skin bandaged, and your new brace in place as the radio filled the car with music, your request was short and simple, "Now can I dance?" 

The day after your cast removal we now find our little angel with a stiff and sore leg standing at the piano with your favorite song playing through the speakers, "Dancing Queen" as you cautiously raise and lower your legs, combined with twisting your upper body.  Free to dance again you beckon to all that will watch, "Watch me....watch me...I dancing again!"

Removal Of The Fourth Spica Cast

Dear Little Angel,

The day has finally come for the removal of what we hope is the last spica cast required to mend your hips from your developmental dysplasia.  Traveling to the doctors we were accompanied by everyone in the family requiring us to take the large gas guzzling suv with your favorite dvd players installed.  Once at the doctors we were scheduled to wait for xrays to confirm your hips had remained in place for the duration of the casting.  While waiting for our turn in the xray room, you found amusement pacing the floor in your spica cast from one side of the room to the other.  As more people watched, offering words of encouragement, announcing how cute you were in your cast, we found you walking faster encouraged by the audience you had created.  Today the new manager, of all the Shriner's hospitals happened to be in Salt Lake filming a video to show to people to help explain why these hospitals are so important. Walking around the waiting room he caught sight of our little angel as she walk across the floor.  Captured by your love of life he walked over to us with his camera crew to request permission to film you.  With the permission slips signed and the camera focused on you, our little daughter smiled as she walked and danced for the camera in her blue jean spica.

Shortly after completing the filming we were called back after reviewing your xrays to have your cast removed. 

This time everyone in the family joined us as you laid on the table as the vibrating saw made it's first cut.  With previous history from your last cast removal you waited quietly watching movies on my phone as the saw cut the cast in half up each of your legs.  With cuts in place, the nurse retrieved a set of special pliers to break the cast open.  Once the cast was opened, and the removal of the top half began the scent of the dead skin as fresh air rushed to your skin filled the air.  With the top half of the cast removed, a pair of scissors began to cut the cotton liner as the layers where peeled back from your skin.  With the cast fully removed mother and I began to wash your legs in an attempt to cleanse your legs of the patches of dead dry skin.

Previous cast removals taught us to cover your legs with medicated lotion and bandages before we traveled home to prevent you from scratching.  Our last trip from the doctor's office greeted us at the end with red bloody legs that little fingers had scratched until layers of skin had been removed.  With bandages in place, a pair of pants put on with socks placed over the legs and a quick stop to the orthodics lab for the fitting of your new brace, we found ourselves on a trip to the local Zoo, but this is another story......

No Knee Pads Required

Dear Little Angel,

Often when reading about other children with hip dysplasia, it becomes apparent these children can be treated like a fragile piece of glass.  The fear of a mishap that dislocates a hip restricts these childrens' activity, preventing them from doing anything slightly dangerous.  This past week we took our family to the local skating rink to try our skills at rollerblading, razor scooters and laser tag.  Our little outing was a success in the eyes of our two year old. 

The rear of the building was filled with large play toys, and blow-up slides for children to climb and fill their time.  Our little angel was no different.  Carefully carrying you up the slides in my arms, placing you on my lap, we slid down the slides over and over again to the tune of, "Again dad, again!"

Later that night we found ourselves lucky to find your little feet just fit on the deck of our scooter.  Lowering the bar to it's lowest position, centering you carefully on the deck, we pushed you around the skate floor as the modern rock echoed in the large spacious building.

At the conclusion of the day as we arrived home a quick inspection of your little feet presented blacken skin, dirty from walking the floors barefooted as shoes are not allowed on the toys.  A quick sponge bath followed by a bedtime story and our little daughter was fast asleep, exhausted from the evenings activities.  Sweet Dreams, our precious child, Sweet dreams......

Walking In Full Spica Cast - Hip Dysplasia

Dear Tattered Angel,

After ten weeks after your second surgery, you have persevered and conquered what we hope is your final spica cast.  For several weeks you have been capable of walking along furniture or when assisted by someone holding your hand, but tonight with a huge smile smile on your face you where able to loudly proclaim once again, "I did it! Watch me Daddy! I walking all by myself!" With the taste of success the remainder of the night over and over again you rocked your cast from leg to leg, pushing forward as you crossed the room.  Sometimes your excitement resulted in your top moving faster than your bottom bringing about a crashing toddler's body with a loud thud as your cast struck the ground.  Immediately you would demand, "Get me up....Get me up....I want to walk."  At first you would cautiously walk until you believed you were within reach of the couch, only to dive with arms outreached above head, catching the edge of the cushion, pulling yourself back to standing.  A few times you miss judged the distance remaining as your journey ended with a loud thud as you quietly giggle, "Whoops, I missed the couch!" Your new success is proudly advertised as you beckon to all within sight, "Watch this.....Watch this."  With a number of trips under your belt, you declared your next goal, "Now I run....watch me!"  Mother and I quickly stopped you from your attempt as you curled on the floor and cried, "I want to run!"

I still find such enjoyment watching as you celebrate such huge success over and over again.  Four times we changed your cast to different styles, shapes, and colors.  Four times you have struggled through these obstacles until you tasted the thrill of reaching your goals.  As mother asks you to lay down so she can change your diaper you respond, "change me standing....I still walking."

Legend Of The Cast Monster

Dear Little Angel,

The warmth of the summer months have only added to our anticipation for your cast removal day which is approaching rapidly, scheduled to take place in the mid-August month.  With summer rains contributing to high humidity, our evaporative cooler does little to remove the heat from your casted body.  Added heat with no cooling has created a cast that constantly itches. Each night you still continue to plea to for us to stick our fingers in your cast to rub the itchy patches covered by your fiberglass cast.  With the constant itch of your skin, our little angel has developed quite the story to explain why her cast constantly itches.  When our toddler daughter begins to complain and begins to beg for relief from the itch of the cast the questions of concerned parents as to whether your cast itches are answered with the following story.

"Daddy stick your fingers in my cast.  There is a monster in there that makes my legs hurt.  Stick your fingers in there and get him out.  Be careful though he bites."

As I picture what images you have created in your mind of a tiny monster hiding deep in your cast biting and scratching your legs causing them to itch so bad, I begin to question what other things you have sought answers for in your life as part of your hip journey, only finding answers in an explanation created by yourself to help you understand what is taking place in your healing body.  An amazing imagination must resolve their problems with extraordinary solutions.