So glad I found you guys!

[Elisa]

I'm so glad everything went well. He looks really great! Well, for just having surgery. Don't forget to take care of yourself, too!

I feel fantastic! Like I said, the moment I stepped into this hospital it was like stepping onto another planet: tranquil, beautiful and professional. I even slept for a good five or six hours last night and that was with the nurses coming in every hour.

[rohrer01]

Your baby might be a pretty tall young man when they are all done with him! Wow, an inch in one month? Did they measure his curve again before surgery? Just wondering how much he progressed from the 110*. He looks so straight in the photo. It looks like you are in good hands. Hang in there. (HUGS)

[Elisa]

Your baby might be a pretty tall young man when they are all done with him! Wow, an inch in one month? Did they measure his curve again before surgery? Just wondering how much he progressed from the 110*. He looks so straight in the photo. It looks like you are in good hands. Hang in there. (HUGS)

They took x-rays when in the operating room but he was lying down not standing up so it wouldn't be the same measurement anyway. I think they do the x-rays that way for the halo placement if I remember right.

Herb the physiotherapist and mechanical genius rigged both a wheelchair and walker for Elias. It wasn't easy b/c Elias is a 'tall Canadian with extra long legs'. He had a go with the wheelchair and will try the walker tomorrow. He really liked sitting up in the chair with the weights attached to his halo and his back felt good but his head is still quite sore from where the pins are attached to his skull. This should get better in the next little while apparently.

[rohrer01]

The photo updates are really great! He is such a nice-looking young man (I know I mentioned that already), not that looks matter. He seems so up-beat and happy. I'm sure he's glad to finally be getting the help he so desperately needs. Hugs to him, too!

[Elisa]

Your baby might be a pretty tall young man when they are all done with him! Wow, an inch in one month? Did they measure his curve again before surgery? Just wondering how much he progressed from the 110*. He looks so straight in the photo. It looks like you are in good hands. Hang in there. (HUGS)

He measured an inch less after exactly two months to the day, not one. Still, seems like a lot to me. If he gets stretched out too much though he won't fit into this circle bed. As it is he 'just' fits.

I was told today that there will be another boy (16) that will be coming in for halo-traction in a couple of days. I hope for his sake he's shorter than my son, lol. That said, these guys, especially Herb is very creative when rigging up equipment for special needs. One time there was a boy so tall that they used a regular hospital bed (they extend lengthwise) and got the construction workers to build a ramp to attach to the bed. Now that's ingenious!

Now that Elias is stable I'm going to head into town tomorrow with my sister and BIL to do a little shopping for some things we need. Time is actually moving quite fast at the moment... been gone 5 days now.

A pet therapy lady came by earlier with a three-legged dog named Sage; very cute. Then there was a birthday party and the ladies brought me some cake, ice cream and coffee but Elias didn't want any b/c he's struggling with nausea although it seems better now. They also brought two little toys but I'm giving them to a younger boy b/c I know Elias will have no interest in them. Busy place but in a nice way.

[titaniumed]

Wow, wow, wow, he looks good!!!!

Its just amazing.
Ed

[Pooka1]

I have to second Ti Ed's comment. It's really remarkable how great he looks at this point.

I think you are catching a well-deserved break.

[Elisa]

Wow, wow, wow, he looks good!!!!

Its just amazing.
Ed

I know! I can't believe how good he looks and his skin has all pinked up again. His back pain is minimal (good pain management) but his neck hurts b/c it's being stretched by the weights and his head hurts somewhat across his forehead where the front pins are. I was surprised he was willing to get out of bed and into that wheelchair so soon but I'm sure it had a lot to do with wanting to free his head up from being confined to bed with the weights. He got his book all ready to read, set him up by the window but he couldn't read b/c his head hurt. His back felt really good while in the wheelchair though.

Gone: oxygen, morphine pump (he's on pills and an IV injection (?), fluids, (he's been drinking a tonne of ice water) and now they just took the catheter out. He just had surgery and halo application yesterday. Tomorrow morning we're going to get him back in the wheelchair and attempt the walker. I hope this head pressure from the halo gives up a bit b/c he'll have a lot more mobility than being stuck in bed where he can't move his head without help.

YES, I/we definitely deserve a break!!

[titaniumed]

The skull pins have to hurt. That will probably be a burden for him for a few days...reading will be difficult. Maybe get some DVDs for him to watch.

Are they giving him shots so he can sleep? It was the only way I could sleep in the hospital, after a shot, there was no pain at all. Ask him how he feels after a shot.

Will he be able to get out of bed on his own in a few days? Just wondering about his logistics.

Try to take care of yourself, and don’t worry too much. You just started a marathon and the finish line is a ways off. Set your pace, your running now, and we are on the sides cheering!

Ed

[tonibunny]

The pain from the pins will go, its an odd sensation at first but after a few days you get used to it and it isn't uncomfortable :-) I'm glad he can turn his head a bit - the back of my head got very sore when I was in a halo, because I was lying on the same part of it all the time.

Have a nice shop! :-) xx

[Singer]

His color looks really good. He's a real trooper!

[mamandcrm]

Hi there, I haven't posted anything in your thread before but I have been reading it and just want to add my voice to the others that your son is amazing to be able to deal with all this so well. And you seem to be doing pretty good too!

Have you tried reading to your son? It may seem silly to him at first but he might enjoy just closing his eyes and listening to a favorite book. Good luck to you

[ddb]

I'm so happy to see all is going so well! Healing wishes being sent your way

Dee

[Elisa]

It was a bit of a rough night last night with the nurses coming in and out on a regular basis as well as they put Elias’ catheter back in b/c his bladder was really full but he couldn’t pee. He was in obvious discomfort but I did have to get out of bed in the middle of the night as the nurse wanted me to call the ‘call button’ for assistance b/c she needed some flushing. It really is hard to sleep through when there’s a constant stream of people coming in regularly. I’m told the reason he was having trouble peeing was due to the anesthetic and that his bladder is still “sleepy”. Not sure why they took it out so soon then.

Also, his neck is super sore from all the weights pulling on it so I’ve been rubbing some muscle rub on it as well as placing heat packs on it too. He’s supposed to have 2 more pounds added this morning and another 2 tonight but the nurse is holding off until she gets the okay to give him some Valium to help relieve the muscle pain. The doctor also says he can have some Ambien to help him sleep better at night while the nurses come in and take his vitals.

When he takes the Valium in a little while he won’t be able to test out his walker b/c his legs will be too rubbery but he should be able to sit in his wheelchair. We’ll see how his head and neck feel though. This might just be a catch-up-on-sleep day as he’s very tired and he’s sleeping right now.

I’ve explained to him that he was very twisted and some of his muscles are long and some are short and they’re all being pulled straight and although it is very uncomfortable the traction is doing what it’s designed to do and that is to straighten everything out and that soon it won’t feel so sore. That’s how it was explained to me.

[rohrer01]

Awww, I'm sorry to hear you had a rough night. I hope you both get some sleep today. Maybe a day of rest is what you both need. It seemed like he was doing an aweful lot for just coming out of surgery. I've found that when I have surgery, I feel better than I think I should that first day, THEN the anesthesia wears off and BOOM! It hits ya. One day at a time. Rest well.