She is Recovering pretty fast!

            Avri is doing so good. She has her moments but her over all recovery has been amazing. I think she is just so dang tough that she makes it seem easier than it really is. Our biggest problem at this point is, she is so social that she is losing her mind just being here with me. Remember the infection and being off school for two weeks...Ya this is way worse.  I think she would rather go all day long with no pain medication just to be hanging out with some one other than me.  She did get the chance to go to her school today and say hi! She was so happy to see everyone. She also hung out with a couple of her "best friends" . I am sure they both got to see her shiny happy side. I got stuck with dark and snappy.   I am so happy that I can see her recovering and getting around more and more. She looks so good!

Home life & Before surgery & After surgery PIctures of Avris back x-rays

We came home Tuesday afternoon. It is great to be home for both of us.  I have to say what a great daughter Hattie is. She is just a great big sister to Avri. She cried and held Avri's hand while she was visiting her in the ICU.  She told her all about her days at school and stories to keep her entertained. 

She made sure all the other kids made it to the houses they were to go to after school. She too care of the puppies. She helped all the other kids get ready for school. She also helped keep things up around the house.  We had to switch Avri's room upstairs. Hattie had Avris stuff all moved into her new room and had organized everything for her.

Since the day we got home Hattie has been attached to Avri's hip. She is so eager to get her anything she needs. She is right there to steady her and to just sit next to her. She told me that she had a really hard time sleeping while we were gone and that she almost fell asleep in class a few times. 

So the first night Hattie asked me if she could sleep on Avri's floor. I said yes just because it was Avris first night home. I was worried about how much sleep she would get on a hard floor.  I went in to check on them about 10 minutes later and they were both out like lights. I had to keep up Avri's medications so I went in 4 hours later and then 2 hours after that, and 2 hours after that. Hattie never even budged.  I guess all she needed to know was that her sister was going to be OK.  Everyone always says how strong Avri is, but just as much so for Hattie. She really has had to grow up. She steps up when ever she is asked. She never complains. She just stays in the back drop of all the craziness and does what ever she can to make Matt's, Avris and My life better. 

I also have to say how grateful I am for opening your homes to my kids and for all the great meals. It may seem like a small thing but it has meant so much to me.  I always think I will be fine, I am capable of doing everything on my own and I certainly don't want to put any one out. I never realized how exhausting it would be to go in and out of Avri's room all day. Sitting her up, laying her down, sitting her up again, bathing her, dressing her, fixing a pillow that is just not right for the thousandth time.  I am happy to cater to her every need in order for her to be comfortable and to heal. It has been so nice not to have to worry about cooking dinner as well.  I feel so blessed to have all these neighbors whiling to jump in and help where ever they can. 

Now for the pictures! 

This is her Spine before the surgery. Notice how far inward her spine in curved at the bottom.  The curve in her lower back was at 85%

This is after her fusion. I am not sure how those screws are not poking things in there.  She gained almost 2 inches in height. She is very straight.  She keeps saying she feels strong!  The rods and screws are all titanium. 

Lessons Learned!

8-29-2001
Avri is doing so much better today. She has been going above and beyond what physical therapy has asked her to do. She has eaten real food today and held it down. Things are finally looking up. We are hoping to go home tomorrow.


Here is one thing I learned while I was up here or reminded of anyways. If you pray for patience you will be put in a situation that will require you to be patient. If you pray for courage you will be put in a situation that causes you to be courageous. If you pray for your family to be closer you will not be overcome with warm fuzz’s for each other but will be put in a situation that will bring you closer together. Pray for it all at once and you get…Well I have learned not to pray for it all at once!

Hit me with your best shot! Fire Away......

8-27-2011
I am not going to go into details, because it just gets to personal for Avri. All I am going to say is “she is hanging in there”. This poor girl is being put through the ringer. I have been trying to be positive and say tomorrow will be better, it can’t get worse right! I am learning it can always get worse. She threw up a few times last night. We had to give her a bath and the poor girl was so cold so the nurse thought she would go get a blanket all nice and toasty for her, so she could wrap up in it after the bath. This would only happen to us… “The blanket caught on fire”. I was not in the bathing room when it happened but it stunk so bad when we went in. The burnt blanket was in the sink where the nurse threw it to put water on it. All the other nurses came running because they thought the building was on fire. So in the end she did not get the warm blanket because the warmer no longer worked. Later on they decided that they needed to get another IV started but her veins are so deep and She is so swollen that the nurses could not find a spot to even put one in. So they called the anesthesiologist. She said she would come in and start one but her kids could not be left home alone, so one of the nurses went to her house to watch her kids so she could come up and start an IV. Very long night for everyone.


So by 9am today I thought we are going to start coasting now. Things can only get better (this is what all the staff keeps saying also) She did get up and walk. She did well, she was happy to see her cousins and their parents. She got a small nape in. Then the Belly ache came back and we were right back to last night’s issues again. Just when you think “I thought things were not going to get worse”…The power goes off. Avris stuff is all running off the emergency generator so for the first couple hours it’s not a big deal. It’s time to get Avri up, she is standing there and next thing I know I am covered in vomit. She shot from a good 5 feet all down the front of me. Thank goodness she has not eaten so it was mostly just water, (or I would have shot back) It was literally dripping off me. My shoes were filled. The nurse says “go down the hall take a shower and throw your laundry in the washer”. So I walk down the hall all wet and drippy just to turn around and walk back…ummm the power is off. I ended up spraying myself off in Avri’s bathroom. Maybe I am delirious from my sleepless night but all I can do is laugh about it. Matt was kind enough to bring me café Rio. (Everyone knows the dressing makes the salad) …well they put the wrong dressing with it. It was all I could do not to cry! Last night I ended up with a broken rubber band cooked into my cafeteria food dinner. GAG! So I was looking forward to something not from the cafeteria. It’s funny the stupid things that push you over the edge. I laugh when I get a vomit shower and when the nurse catches a blanket on fire but I have to contain the tears when I don’t get my ranch dressing. I need some sleep or a therapist!

8:3opm Friday, She is hanging in there, but would rather not be at this point. She is just miserable.

Friday day 4 update

8-26-2011


I think Avri is getting better. I think she had a better night last night than the night before. If you were to ask her “things are not getting better” So far we have been on a roller coaster today. One minute she is great the next she is crying. They call this the “Princess in the pea day” She can’t get comfortable no matter how she lays, she feels like she has something under her back. Her lungs are sounding better today and her fever is down. Physical therapy came in around 9:30am and got her up. She was able to walk about 20 feet out and back. She was cruising. “I think she thought she was going to be able to get back in bed when she got back" but to her disappointment they made her sit in the chair for 20 minutes. The nurses gave me permission to let her send a few people a text just to keep her mind busy. She tried to get up and get back into bed a couple times but she made her 20 minute goal. She crashed as soon as her head hit the bed.

As far as the rest of her care, she came out of surgery with an arterial line and three IV’s. Her arterial line was taken out yesterday. 2 out of the 3 IV’s failed today, so we are hanging on to that last line (keeping our fingers crossed it won’t blow) it’s not looking good. She is drinking ok, but her stomach won’t wake up so she has only had 2 small Jell-O’s to eat since Monday night. Her body is hanging onto a lot of fluid and she says she is feeling very bloated. She really is looking good despite all she is going through. She will be rolling down the hall in about 45 minutes to a regular patient room. She will be happy to have her phone back in her hands.

We were expecting her to be in the ICU possibly the entire visit. (I guess a lot of it has to do with staffing) she can have visitors in her regular room. (Any age) if you would like to come see her just keep in mind that she is still in a ton of pain and pretty drugged up. She is very slurred and sleepy. She will not want you touching her except to hold her hand. She still needs a calm quit room. She will not want anyone trying to sit on her bed or bumping it. She is at Shiners in room 15. Use your best discretion considering the things I mentioned. We are still on track to be home Tuesday. She may need a couple days to crash in the comfort of her own home. I will keep you all posted.

Day 3 back surgery 2nd update.

2nd update for Thursday


Avri is doing much better tonight than she was when I first saw her today. She had asked for her sisters a few times so Matt brought them up as soon as they got out of school. As funny as I have tried to be… I have not been able to produce the smile that seeing her sisters did. Avri held out her hands and just wanted to hold their hands and hear all about their first days of school. Of course the big question they all want to know is if Avri is taller than me now. Avri says “yes…I am so much taller than her that I look down and see the tops of her shoulders” (she was on a step) although I think she may have been looking down on me just a little bit when she stepped off onto the floor. I am sure as soon as she can walk the first thing will be to go measure. Hattie asked her if she felt like this surgery was worth it to be straight. Avri said “ummm NO …because now I can’t even move!”

As for me…I am doing good. I have been told “I am a strong woman” a few times. I have to say…I am not stronger than anyone else out there. We all at different times in our lives are faced with different challenges and they are all equally as hard. I look around this hospital. I see kids missing body limbs, some are bound to wheel chairs and some are in full body casts. I think how temporary some of my elements with Avri are and I am so grateful for the good times in between the trying times. I look around up here and think to myself “I don’t know how that mom does it.” I truly have it breezy compared to others.

I walked the girls out to the car tonight. I told them all goodbye, gave them hugs and kisses and put them in the car. By the time I had hugged and kissed Matt I looked back in the car at them and they were all silently sobbing. Giant tears running down their faces. My heart sank and the tears welled up. Then I switched it off told them to be brave and that I would make grandma sleep up here tomorrow, they all laughed and found comfort in that thought. As I was walking back in the hospital I thought to myself how many times today I have shut down the tears and pulled myself back together. “I think I am part robot” and I guess today I am grateful for that. I also know I draw strength from my father in heaven. Honestly in this situation there is no other explanation. I think of the poem of the foot prints in the sand. I like to think of 2 sets of prints I would rather walk side by side and just draw comfort in knowing I am not alone. I am sure those times when I want to fall to the floor because my breath has been taken away, my heart hurts and my legs are about to give out some one catches me and carries me until I recover. It is an unexplainable feeling. I can say I have tried to walk alone in the past. I have wanted to walk alone and I certainly thought I would never be carried. I personally believe life was not meant to be lived that way.