Merry Christmas!

Off Day!

Monday, December 16 was a big day - Off Day for B and his cast! He was VERY excited about it, and also a bit nervous.  

Of course we had to document the big event with some photos:

Getting ready!

Let the cutting begin!  B did great, but just didn't like the loud noise (so Daddy covered his ears).

And . . . it's off!

Surprisingly, his leg/trunk didn't look any different -- I think he was active enough that there was no muscle atrophy.  The incision healed great - there was just a little red/irritation where a bandage was over the incision.

Ready to head home - the cast is in the bag!

Braden didn't stay in the wheelchair for long - he was anxious to walk around.  He kept trying different things that he couldn't do in the cast (like squatting) and saying - Look! I can do this! :)

It was hard to get a good photo of him without the cast - he was on the MOVE.

We celebrated with a meal at McDonald's (per B's request) on our way home. :)

we made it!

Tomorrow is a BIG day in our world - OFF DAY!  Braden was thrlled to take the last links off his countdown chain.  

One last pose in the cast by the tree - it's going to be a December to remember!

I quickly shot a short video of B walking (running) around in his cast so that we can remember his funny crooked walk.  :)

Gingerbread House 2013

Tonight we decorated the annual gingerbread house!  Though we "cheat" and buy a kit (trust me, it's well worth every penny), the kids love it. 

Braden has also been cutting a link off his chain each night - it's getting shorter!  One week from today the cast should be off by now!

The kids have also had fun with window clings - decorating a Christmas tree and playing with the nativity scene (these were both activities from our advent stockings).

A big surprise!

Last we left off, Braden was headed to surgery on Tuesday. . .   

(This entry is more for our family to document this experience, but read on if you wish) :)

Monday night I let Braden stay up later than usual, and allowed some late night snacking (he was not to eat or drink after midnight prior to surgery.  Tuesday morning he slept in, and once he was up we took Elise to daycare and then Braden and I tried to keep busy (and his mind off food!  He's not a big breakfast eater, so it wasn't tooooo hard).  We stopped at Walmart and I tried to distract him and just kill time (we had a couple of hours).  B picked out a new toy (a little hot wheels semi/trailer) for filling up his incentive chart at home, and we browsed the holiday decor, looked at gloves and mittens, and just wandered around until he eventually became very restless and started to tell me he was hungry. :(  Soooo we got in the car and drove a (very!) scenic route to pick up Billy and then headed to the hospital.  

I could tell B was becoming increasingly nervous and anxious. Thankfully we were able to check in quickly and didn't have to wait very long before they took us to peds pre-op.  However, at that point Braden started to melt down.  He did NOT want to take off his clothes and put on the purple gown he was given, and the tears started to flow.  He did perk up when his nurse said he could visit the toy chest to pick out a toy (he chose a car - shocking!). :)   Unfortunately we had to wait for quite a while in the pre-op area, and B just became more anxious and upset.  He did NOT want to wear the bracelet, did NOT want to wear the hospital socks, etc. etc.  

Eventually Dr. Morcuende came in and reviewed the procedure with us.  He also explained that IF when they cleaned out the cysts they found anything other than the expected liquid, and IF anything biopsied came back suspect, he may have to scrape off more bone around the cyst.  If that were to happen, he was concerned that he may need to either put in a plate and screw to stabilize the bone, or he could cast it.  Of course, if he put in the plate/screw, B would eventually need another surgery to remove them.  

The nurse anesthetist came back to explain how things would work.  She said that it was best for us to say our good-byes in the pre-op room, and she would take Braden to the OR.  He'd probably get upset, but it would be best that way so that they could give him a rapid dose of whatever they give him to put him to sleep (it is often too traumatic for parents to see that happen).  She then asked if that was OK.  I said that we had been told that I could go back with B and be with him until he fell asleep, and that we had told him we would not leave him.  She got a bit snippy with me and said that her plan was just the best and could we just do that so that I would not get upset as B was put under.  I told her I was not worried about myself, but that BRADEN would be very anxious if I did not go with him - but that I would do whatever they thought best.  She left the room, and I began to pray that Braden would not freak out - which I was certain he would.  Then the nurse anesthetist bustled back in at about 12:15 and gave me a gown and told me to get ready and that I could come!  I was so relieved.  

Braden was a trooper - he didn't get upset at all, but walked with me holding my hand into the OR area. I am sure my eyes were huge as we walked down the hall to his room.  When we got into the OR there were already several other people in the room, and B hopped up on the bed without complaint.  They asked him to lay down and then told him he was going to smell a sweet skunk smell in a mask (it did smell kind of like a skunk).  He almost immediately became drowsy, then suddenly started to thrash a bit (which they warned me he would do), then went limp.  It wasn't traumatic to watch, because I knew he was really "out" and that he had not been upset or anxious at all in the OR.  They then whisked me out of the room.  

Billy and I (and my parents who had come up to sit with us) then went to the waiting area.  Billy and Dad went to get us all some lunch, and Mom and I settled in to wait.  We had our "devices" so we could check email and send updates to our families -- it was comforting to get many emails and texts from friends and family praying for Braden and us.  About an hour into surgery I got a phone call at the desk.  It was a nurse reporting that all was going well - the biopsy came back fine, and that they were ready to begin inserting the bone fragments.  Originally we thought it was going to be about an hour long surgery, but it ended up being more like 2.5 hours.  We were able to check an electronic update board to see how things were progressing - surgery was wrapping up, surgery complete, patient moved to recovery, etc.  When the doctor finally came out, he said that all went very well. . . . but he was covered with what appeared to be white paint.  I was trying to figure out what that could be (bone fragment?) when it hit me - they casted him!  Dr. Morcuende said that all went just as planned, but because they knew B is so active, they decided to cast him to protect the bone as it heals.

BUT . . . not just any cast - from chest to thigh!  Surprise!  

Immediately my mind started to race . . . how would we even get him home?  He could not sit down/ride in a car seat . . . what about preschool and day care?  How much work would we have to miss?  Suddenly the surgery and "minor" recovery had become a much bigger deal.  Plus - I knew B would freak out to wake up in a cast, since we had not explained anything about a cast to him (because we didn't know).

Finally we were called to recovery.  His recovery nurse wanted us to be there when he first opened his eyes.  He was really groggy and had kind of a hard time waking up (it didn't help that the nurse was calling him Brandon - when I corrected her and she called him Braden he did open his eyes). :) Mom and Dad needed to leave, so the nurse allowed them a quick peek in the recovery area.  By this time we were pretty sure that Braden would be spending the night, so I called school and said to let my sub know that I needed her Wednesday as well.  Eventually B woke up and was able to tell us where he was.  We explained that he had a Ninja Turtle shell to help his leg heal, but at first he didn't care about anything - he was just sooooo sleepy.

After about an hour, B was moved to a peds floor.  It was deja vu when we walked into the peds unit and headed right to the exact same room we spent a few nights in when B was just a few days old!  When he was born he and I both had an infection that required a little longer stay/antibiotics, but the Mother-Baby unit was full so on day 3 or so we were moved to the peds floor. It was kind of cool to be in that SAME room. The nurses were AWESOME and were very helpful.  By this time B was more alert, and was asking for food, so I called down and ordered supper and a CNA brought him some applesauce right away.  B kind of had to explore his new surroundings, and was not very happy to have an iv line in his hand and a monitor on his finger . . . and kept asking to take his "shell" off. :(   He was on morphine, and handled the pain very well.

The ipad was a great distraction - we watched a lot of netflix in the hospital.

B liked being able to push the button for more medicine. :)  We also brought his little quilt from home and he liked to cover up with it because he didn't want to look at his cast.

The first evening they put some waterproof tape around the edges (especially at the bottom).  The cast stops above the knee on the left side, but is much shorter on the right - it ends a little above where his undies would end, and most of the "front" (middle) is open, as is most of the back (his left cheek is covered).  So for the first while, he used a urinal to do his business, but it was more manageable than I had imagined.

A hospital social worker also explained that they would provide us with a special car seat and wheel chair, and that they would be sure Braden was managing pain well before they'd send us home - but she thought we'd be able to go home Wednesday afternoon.

After a lonnnnng night (Billy and I both stayed at the hospital and tried to sleep on the recliner/pull out chair . . . but B really perked up at about 9pm and had a hard time settling down/getting comfy for the night - finally he crashed around midnight) Billy went to work in the morning, and the a doctor checked in. It was very early, so he didn't wake B, but said things seemed to be going well and he'd be back later in the day.  We ordered some breakfast, and I was able to take a quick shower.  Poor Braden began to realize that he was in a not so fun predicament, and became really agitated and whiney - nothing was right.  He couldn't get comfortable, couldn't find a show to watch, couldn't find a toy to play with, didn't want to eat breakfast, etc.  At one point I had to step out because I was so frustrated with him.  I completely understood how he was feeling, but after several nights with little sleep, was ready to be whiney myself.

Wednesday morning they also made his cast RED by adding a fiberglass layer over the plaster.  Of course B chose red so that it would be a Spider-Man cast! :)

B seemed to be handling his pain really well, so they took him off the IV meds and started him on orals.  I wanted to be SURE he'd do ok on orals before we headed home.  Once he was off the IV, he could move around a little more.  We tried to make him comfy in the chair . . .

  . . . and even took a couple of wagon rides around the unit.  Billy came back to the room at noon, and Auntie Allie stopped by with some yummy Scratch cupcakes.  The nurse who helped us figure out a carseat (which for B is actually a sort of harness that he wears while laying down in the car . . . we then buckle the harness with the seatbelt) sent us a harness to take home, so all we had to wait on was the delivery of a special wheelchair that can be set an an incline. Billy and Allison transfered both B and E's carseats from our car to hers so that Braden could stretch out across our backseat for the trip home.   The fellow doctor that had been a part of B's surgical team stopped by and said we were good to go, and the wheelchair finally came, and around 2:30 we headed home.  Poor Braden had been wishing for his IV needle and hospital bracelet to come off, and we had told him we'd take everything off when we left.  As we were putting on his coat he said, "WAIT - they forgot to take off this cast!" Poor little guy really thought we'd take everything off. :(  He became very upset when he realized he'd be wearing the cast home.

A CNA helped us get him buckled into the car, and we were off.  As we drove, I realized Braden was crying.  I asked him if his leg hurt, and he said, "No, Mom.  Remember what we talked about?"  I was clueless and asked him what we had talked about.  He replied, "If I am not in my car seat you can get into trouble from the policeman." (I have told him that in the past when he's been silly and not wanting to ride in his seat.)  I explained that his new harness was ok instead of a car seat and that the policeman would not stop us, and he fell asleep.

When we got home, he immediately wanted to walk around and did remarkably well.  We've tried to do our best and keeping him seated/resting, but WOW is that a challenge.  We picked up Elise (was SO good to see her after more than 24 hours!) and she was glad to be home - and has been pretty clingy ever since.  Some dear friends of mine brought over supper for us that night, which was wonderful.  Braden settled into bed easily, and we all got the best night's sleep we'd had in a long time.

Thursday morning Braden woke up in a much better mood - being at home with his own "stuff" has helped a lot. We borrowed a beanbag chair and a papasan chair, which he enjoys, be actually he seems to prefer the couch.  He and E had fun watching the Macy's parade together.

It's hard to tell here in this blurry cell phone pic, but he was running/hobbling back to the couch.  I can not believe how FAST he is and how quickly he's figured out how to get around.

In fact, he did so well, that I decided he could go to Thanksgiving dinner.  He asked me that morning what we were doing, and I had said it would be a stay home day for him and Daddy and E and I would go to Dennis and Sally's for Thanksgiving.  He replied that HE wanted to go too.  So we tried it.  He doesn't like riding laying down, but tolerates it much better with the dvd player and a movie.

He did pretty well at dinner - was still kind of moody/irritable though, so Billy took B and E home soon after dinner so that I could participate in the Miller family annual Thanksgiving craft.  ;)

It's crazy to see how independent Braden already is -- he can get up on our barstools (he kneels since he can't bend to sit), he can use the bathroom with just a little help pulling up his pants (they're kind of tight on the cast, and it is rough which makes them hard to pull up), and definitely gets around very easily (even steps).  I about croaked on Thursday morning when I went downstairs to change the laundry, looked up, and saw him beside me.  I asked him how he got down the stairs, and he looked at me funny and said, "I just walked downstairs, Mom." (as if DUH!)

Sooooo - though we thought he'd need to miss several days of PK and perhaps would not be able to go to day care, it looks like he's going to try it.  We had a no school (comp) day today, so we did a trial run at day care.  I didn't get a call asking me to come get him, so I am assuming he's doing just fine.  I am going to call his teacher tonight because he realllly wants to try preschool tomorrow.  My only real concern is if he is able to ride the bus home.  I am fortunate that the bus picks him up during my lunch, so I am going to go see how it goes. If he can't do the steps to get on, I can run him home/to daycare.  But if he can ride the bus, we will be able to resume our regular schedule!

We are still very much looking forward to December 16 - the day the cast will come off.  To help B understand, we made a paper chain to count down the days. He looks forward to cutting one chain off each day and knows when there are no more chains he gets the cast off.  (In fact, I found an extra link torn off the other day - I had to explain to him that he can only take off ONE each day.) :)

We're trying to focus on the fun of the season and make time go quickly . . . we started our advent stockings . . .

and Braden was so excited that Rugby, our elf has reappeared!  

I am a little worried - between the fun advent activities/presents and the little gifts he gets to open each day from his PK classmates (who sent him a get well care package full of lots of little gifts that we decided he could open one a day), he's getting a little spoiled.  But I am sure that Braden will be happy to forgo the gifts in exchange for getting that cast off, though.

So very thankful

How on earth is it already the end of November?  I feel like we've been on a roller coaster ride this month. School has been crazy busy, and life at home with two little ones is never dull. ;)

As we near Thanksgiving this year, we are feeling very, very blessed.

I haven't blogged in a while, but I do want to record this chapter of our family's story (as though we could forget) . . . and just a warning, it really is almost a chapter long. ;)

Rewind a week and a half.  On Thursday, November 14 I got up to get ready for work as usual.  I think Elise woke up early, and had joined me in the bathroom.  Braden, our sleepyhead, typically stays in bed until I draaaag him out. That morning he called for me, and when I went to get him he was limping down the hall, and complained that his leg hurt (he pointed to his groin area).  I looked him over, and couldn't see any bruises or wounds of any kind and neither of us could recall him hurting it, but he winced as he tried to get dressed, and definitely had a limp. {It reminded me of one other time that he woke up with a limp - several months ago. That time he had had a bad cold, and woke up and at first was not even able to walk.  As the morning wore on, he was able to walk with a limp.  We did take him to the pediatrician that time, and he was given the diagnosis of toxic - something-big-word, which is basically when you are sick and an infection settles in your muscle (which is apparently kind of common in young boys).}

I wasn't sure what to do that Thursday morning, but decided to take B to school with me (he goes to PK in my building).  I had him come with me instead of walking with his daycare buddies, because I wasn't sure he could actually walk that far - he was still hobbling along.  I checked in with the school nurse first thing, and she said that if he wasn't complaining to have him try going to class, and we'd see how he did.  Later in the morning she wanted me to check on him, and if he was still limping she'd check him for a hernia.  At my 10:30 prep time I checked in with Braden/his teacher, and she said that while he wasn't complaining, it he was still limping and it was clearly bothering him.  So the nurse checked B's legs/groin area . . . but she couldn't figure out what was paining him either.  She suggested making a call to his pediatrician to see what they thought.  So I did.  At first the nurse said just to keep an eye on it, but then said maybe I should bring him in. Our doctor had no openings, but another doctor could see him at 3:00.  Sooo I arranged for someone to cover my class and Braden and I went to the doctor's office.

The doctor we saw, Dr. Boyson, was very kind.  He had me tell about our day, and was interested in the past leg pain. He said he felt that the diagnosis from the previous time was probably accurate, and that this could be the same thing - except that B had not been sick recently.  He then talked about the possibility of a hip issue (something about the ball and socket)/getting x-rays to rule that out, then I think was ready to just tell us to go home and monitor it.  By this point B was not really limping any more, but certain actions caused him pain. Then Dr. Boyson sort of did a 180 and said that the thought an x-ray maybe was a good idea and asked if I'd mind taking him in for one at the hospital across the street.  He said we could do the scans and then head home, and he'd call us if there was a reason for concern - but otherwise just to have B take it easy and to call if the pain returned.  After getting pictures of his bones taken (which Braden sort of enjoyed, I think!), we headed home.

Billy and my dad were heading out to a basketball game, and my mom had come over to stay with Elise in case Braden and I weren't home before the guys left.  So she and I took the kids to see my Grandma at the nursing home, then she stayed for supper at our house.  As we were eating, the phone rang.  It was Dr. Boysen.  He said that something had shown up on the x-ray, and that he didn't know what it was.  He said it could be "completely benign" . . . and honestly, much of what he said after that was a blur. . . . because I was thinking, if it COULD be benign, then there's a chance it COULD be malignant.  Tears came, and I listened as he explained that he would refer us to an Orthopedic surgeon at the University of Iowa - he would set up any needed appointments, and would call me first thing in the morning.   I have never ever been so scared as in that moment.   Thankfully my mom was at our house.  I filled her in and she finished up supper with the kids while I had a good cry and tried to collect myself.  That night is a blur . . . we got the kids in jammies, I called Billy to tell him and called his family and my sister . . . Allison came over for a while . . . and finally Billy got home.  At some point that night I called Dr. Boyson back with questions but he was in a meeting.  He called me on his way home for the night at 10:15 - for which I was so grateful.  He really had no more answers for me, but said he hoped we could get in at the U asap, but that the situation was not critical at this time.  He said to plan to go to work/school as usual until we could be seen by the Ortho doc. .  and to try not to worry, because it could be many things.

We didn't sleep much that night . . . I called my principal to fill her in, and also emailed my staff, many of whom already knew about the pain/limping from seeing B at school and had texted asking how Braden was doing as well as my extended family to update them and to ask for their prayers.  By Friday morning both Billy and I felt much more calm, and I was able to make it through most of the day without crying.  Prayers were definitely surrounding us. Dr. Boyson called late that morning - we had an appointment on Monday afternoon with the Ortho doc.  He wanted us to stop by the hospital on Friday and pick up a disc of B's x-rays to take with us to the Monday appt.  We did, and of course came home and popped it in the computer to check out the scans.   You can definitely see that there is something abnormal in the left femur.  The weekend was lonnnnnnnng . . .  We spent a lot of time snuggling, and praying, and googling (we tried to avoid this - but did it anyway as we were desperate for answers) in the middle of the nigh when sleep wouldn't come, and I was very emotional.

Monday finally rolled around, and that morning was the. longest. morning. ever.  We finally got to the appointment, and after lots of form filling, waiting, and waiting some more, got to see the Orthopedic fellow (fellow as in person who is training to be a specialized Doctor not "guy").  He asked more questions, felt around on Braden's legs, then went to get the actual Doctor.  By this time Braden had been cooped up in waiting rooms/a tiny exam room for about 2 hours and was ready to explode.  Dr. Morcuende was sooooo good with him when he finally came in to see us. Billy and I were just on pins and needles waiting to hear what he would tell us.  We had been warned by several people that it was likely that the Ortho doc would order more x-rays and maybe and MRI and that we may not get an actual diagnosis at that appointment.  I am not sure we could have handled that.  We were sooooooo relieved and thrilled when Dr. Morcuende told us that Braden has what is called a bone cyst.  Basically his bone had several places (cysts) where it had deteriorated, causing a hole inside of the bone.  Apparently this is not terribly uncommon (he likened it to a freckle - some people get them, some don't) and often people don't know that they have a bone cyst until the bone breaks.  Bone cysts weaken the bone (obviously), so it can break much more easily. In many cases bone cysts heal themselves, but Dr. Morcuende was concerned with Braden's for several reasons:  the size, the appearance that there were several in a cluster, and the location.  B's cysts are at the top of his femur, which bears a lot of weight - making it susceptible for a break.  Also, there is a main artery running near that spot; if the bone were to break and injure the artery it could be very dangerous.   SO - the way to "fix" it is to drill a hole in the bone, clean out the cyst (and biopsy and material in there just to rule out 100% that there is nothing else wrong), and then to pack the cyst with bone chips that his real bone will grow around/fuse together like a normal, healthy bone. Though we were not hoping for a surgery, we were beyond relieved that it was not a more serious diagnosis and that it was a relatively manageable fix. Billy even asked specifically about it not being a tumor, and the Doctor emphatically assured us that it was NOT a tumor, it was a cyst - big difference, he said. He said we are very lucky to have "caught" this, as bone cysts usually aren't painful - and, like he'd said before, often are not found until a break happens - which for B would not have been a good thing at all.

We of course agreed to surgery, and requested the soonest available date.  At first they thought it would be after the holidays, but then found an opening in 7 days!  That brings us to tomorrow - surgery.

Although it's scary to think of Braden having surgery tomorrow, we are very hopeful that all will go well.  God has certainly been working through all of this . . . and we trust that He will continue to guide us. So far Braden has remained pain free . . . His regular pediatrician called me to check in last week, and I asked her what caused Braden's pain.  She replied, "Don't you think maybe that was God's way of getting you that x-ray and finding this before a break?"  Gave me chills!  We were also very fortunate that surgery could be scheduled so quickly, and at a time that will allow us to be home with Braden as he recovers due to the holiday weekend.  They tell us he will have pain, but should be ambulatory almost right away.


So, as we head into Thanksgiving weekend, we sure our counting our blessings.  I breathe a little prayer every time I hug our little guy these days . . . so very thankful.

Love this face.


PS - Love this one too!


Here's the right femur/left femur x-rays - you can definitely see the cysts in the left.

(PPS - when Braden was looking at the x-rays and we showed him his leg bone/cysts, he pointed to other bones and asked what they were.  Then he pointed to his "appendage" and said, hey, that's my penis! :)

PPPS  - As I was packing a bag in case we have to spend the night at the hospital tomorrow night, Braden came in and asked what I was doing. I explained, and he got very excited and asked, "Are we getting another baby at the hospital tomorrow?"  Apparently he currently associates hospital stays with bringing home a baby. :)

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween from Spiderman and our Lil Pumpkin! :)

The rain let up just in time for some trick or treating tonight.  The kids were excited to go - Elise was not happy that I wanted her to stand still for a photo - girlfriend wanted to get going!

We went to our "regular" stops - mostly family and friends, and it wasn't long before Elise was ready to be done.  So Billy and Elise headed home to turn on our porch light and hand out candy and Braden and I went out for a bit more - but soon he was ready to head home and hand out candy too.  (In fact, I think he liked handing out candy just about as much as he enjoyed actually trick or treating - although he DID love GETTING the candy at each house.) :)

Pumpkin Carving 2013

Tonight we carved our traditional jack-o-lantern . . . we had good intentions of doing one for each child this year, but it's already been a busy week and both Billy and I had sort of run out of steam by the time we got the supper dishes cleaned up.  So we just carved one as a family (luckily Elise is too little to know that she didn't get her own and Braden was willing to share).  :)

When we started the carving process, Braden declared excitedly, "Oh I am SO good at this already.  We did this a preschool."  :)

Elise was pretty intrigued by the whole process, and was fond of "scooping."

Our pumpkins and the jack-o-lantern :)

Despite the fact that E is wearing essentially the same outfit in the following photos, these are actually from last week. . . Elise has become very fond of hijacking any stray shoes and clomping around the house in them. It's pretty funny!

Leaf Looking 2013

Though it was brisk, we trekked to Lake MacBride yesterday for our annual leaf looking outing. It seemed like there was still quite a bit of green, but we didn't want to risk waiting another week for more color for fear the temps would be even cooler.  So we bundled up and set out . . .

Braden found a walking stick along the way

Beautiful!

B was very excited to hike up the "mountain" at the dam with Daddy . . .

A favorite spot - the swing!

Braden informed us several times that his legs were tired, and Elise was happy to get out of the stroller and walk so that B could take a ride :)

Yesterday also happened to be Billy's birthday!  We celebrated with some of the Hartsocks with pizza and lemon dream cake (per the birthday boy's request).