Thursday morning we headed to STL for a day we have been counting down to since Katie’s surgery two weeks ago. Seriously, like every morning she would wake up and say, “Mom! It’s only X more days!!”, with so much excitement and expectation! It’s been a long two weeks! Ha!
Katie had her list of 20 QUESTIONS {literally} ready for her doctor-
Most were great questions, a few silly, but all serious in the mind of an 8-year old. And they answered every single one for her.
When we got back into the exam room at her appointment, we could tell that Katie was getting a little nervous. She started talking about how she was afraid to see her arm and what would it look like, and would it be crooked or look small…it was really weighing on her mind.
When Jennifer, Dr. Goldfarb’s OT/PT that works with him (and is wonderful), started to slowly cut off the the bandages, Katie watched very nervously.
To tell you the truth, I was a little nervous, too! The last time we saw her arm it was shaped like a “M”!
When it was fully unbandaged, her arm looked GREAT! A little dry skin and some orange-tint leftover from surgery, and of course the healing incisions, but really good overall!
She didn’t like it.
She said it was ugly and small and was afraid to move it, even a little bit. She was afraid if she lifted it up that it would fall, like the day she broke it. It was pretty sad. Her brothers thought she was being a little drama-princess…
They did their best to humor her anyway. Such good boys.
We left the exam room and went to make Katie’s follow-up appointment for 1 month and were going to head across the hall to therapy to get her hot pink custom brace made. In a matter of moments, she got terribly nauseous, dizzy, her “ears felt funny,” and she leaned heavily on me as I tried to walk her to the bathroom. She got as white as a ghost. She all but completely passed out right there.
The nurse helped us back into our exam room and we got her laid down and a cool rag for her forehead which was sweating by this time. Poor baby. 
I guess her anxiety built up so much, combined with the fact that she did NOT want to look at her arm, and it all just scared her so much. The boys really did feel sorry for her at this point. We stayed there for a good 15 minutes or so and she started to feel better.
Since she didn’t want to see her arm, the nurse helped us wrap it up in a sterile pad and Jack carried her to the therapy office.
We got right in and she was fitted for a hot pink brace with purple straps that she designed herself. She started to perk up while we were here…mostly because of the antics of her Daddy and her brothers. I’m telling ya’, you can’t take them into a doctor’s office or anywhere where there is stuff to mess with. They were playing with all the therapy tools in the room. Katie got quite the kick out of it. It was sweet.
When we were all finished, Katie was sporting a new brace {that she can SWIM in!!!!!} and was in MUCH better spirits! She will be in the brace for 8-weeks or so, but all will be determined for sure at future therapy sessions and her next doctor’s appointment in one month.
xoxo
Now- LET’S GO SWIMMING!!
No comments:
Post a Comment