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Elysia - 12 - surgery over!!!!

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  • Elysia - 12 - surgery over!!!!

    Hi everyone,
    Putting out a quick thread on Elysia's surgery on the 12th Feb. All over and we are home today!!! Elysia is doing fantastic, sitting on lounge and eating junk food - yay no more hospital food!!!! Boooo - mum now has to cook.

    She was fused from T5 - L1 and had Thoracoplasty same time for her rib hump - had 5 ribs removed! It was nothing like we imagined - I have never heard anyone on this forum mention this but Elysia had an Epidural inserted and pump running for 2 days. Still able to move everything - This along with Morphine pump completely kept her pain free for the first 2 days. After the removal of Epidural - a little pain overnight but nothing and I mean nothing that kept her crying in pain. The most pain she got in her entire time in hospital was tummy aches from wind and today when she tried to be silly and sit up in bed without log rolling and was yelling Ten! Ten! Ten! (for level of pain). Whenever she did get some pain, like on first day for x-ray - as soon as they had finished and settled her back into bed, it was gone and settled in 10 minutes!!!!!

    I can't believe how little pain my child had!!!! The ICU nurse came out and warned us of her tremendous pain she was going to be in on coming back from theatre, she obviously didn't realise she was having an epidural. When we were shown to her bed both my husband and myself had tears running down our cheeks from laughter!!!! She was having a great trip on the drugs and singing out loudly, flower! Rabbit! Chicken!!!! The staff must have thought we were off our face as well, it was such a relief!!!!!!!!!

    She's still all wonky and very lopsided but she is holding herself very stiff, but this should all settle in time as her muscles let go and relax.

    It was very funny as we wanted to be discharged today but they said not until she moved her bowels - well Dr was coming at 8.00am and 7.45am there was a cry from the bathroom (she was even taking herself off to the toilet - MUM!!! I did it!!!!) PHew! That was close 15 minutes to spare or it would have been another nite on the camp cot for me and I just couldn't take any more of watching Nickelodean cartoons!!!! Dam that Sponge Bob Square Pants!!!!

    So for anyone out there who reads this and has a young child - don't panic (like I did for the last 12 months) they are so young and bounce back so easily!!! Much quickly than an adult would. I totally do not regret this surgery especially with the T5-L1 - It would have been much much more if we had waited years for her skeleton to mature.

    Cyber hugs to everyone - especially those about to undertake or thinking of the surgery.

    xxx
    Del & Elysia
    Elysia 16 in Feb 2010
    Sydney - Australia
    Feb 2008 Fused T5-L1 and 5 ribs removed.
    Dec 2009 - Crankshafting
    Dec 10 - Revision surgery...3 vertebrae taken down, hooks removed, at T11-L1 - screws inserted, fusion extended down to
    L3 using Pedicle screws, some rib removed to try to derotate. Praying for things to settle.

  • #2
    Congratulations on a successful surgery! So glad to hear that she wasn't in a lot of pain and I wholeheartedly agree that these kids bounce back very quickly. Welcome to the "other side" and sending best wishes for a continued smooth recovery!!

    Hugs,
    Lori

    Mom to Christopher, age 17, Mark, 13, Heather, 10 and Michael, 8
    Chris had surgery with Dr. John Flynn at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia on December 12, 2007. He is fused T4 to L4.
    Dr. Flynn is an AMAZING surgeon!

    Comment


    • #3
      Thanks for sharing your experiences. Sounds like you both had a good experience, despite how HUGE this surgery was. She's doing fabulous so soon after surgery. Remember to take life easy. She'll feel much better and want to do things (like not log rolling out of bed - silly kid!) so be careful to remember the BLTs - no bending, no lifting, no twisting until you know that fusion is solid.

      My Braydon has had 3 epidurals for pain management in his life. Those surgeries had the smoothest recoveries of any. I agree epidurals are great for pain control. Glad her doc was able to do this.

      Elysia is fused in the same spot as Braydon - T5-L1. I'm anxious to hear more about her thoracoplasty - have you seen a benefit in her rib hump? I'll be watching her recovery to see how she does.

      More best wishes for a smooth and successful recovery.
      Carmell
      mom to Kara, idiopathic scoliosis, Blake 19, GERD and Braydon 14, VACTERL, GERD, DGE, VEPTR #137, thoracic insufficiency, rib anomalies, congenital scoliosis, missing coccyx, fatty filum/TC, anal stenosis, horseshoe kidney, dbl ureter in left kidney, ureterocele, kidney reflux, neurogenic bladder, bilateral hip dysplasia, right leg/foot dyplasia, tibial torsion, clubfoot with 8 toes, pes cavus, single umblilical artery, etc. http://carmellb-ivil.tripod.com/myfamily/

      Comment


      • #4
        Don't know about improvement in the rib hump yet as she can't (well she could if she wasn't so sore!)bend forward but I guess since he performed the Thoracoplasty and removed the 5 ribs there had better be!!!! Will let you know when we have our check up on 31st march or maybe she'll be able to bend and I can tell before hand.

        cheers
        Del
        Elysia 16 in Feb 2010
        Sydney - Australia
        Feb 2008 Fused T5-L1 and 5 ribs removed.
        Dec 2009 - Crankshafting
        Dec 10 - Revision surgery...3 vertebrae taken down, hooks removed, at T11-L1 - screws inserted, fusion extended down to
        L3 using Pedicle screws, some rib removed to try to derotate. Praying for things to settle.

        Comment


        • #5
          Congratulations on the success of the surgery and your daughter's fantastic recovery so far. I know what a relief it is to finally have the surgery over and be "on the other side".
          Laurie

          Mother of Alexander & Zachary:
          Alex is 16 years old and in the 11th grade. He has congenital scoliosis due to a hemivertebrae at T10. Wore a TLSO brace for 3 1/2 years. Pre-op curves were T45 & L65; curves post-op are approx. T31 & L34. Had a posterior spinal fusion from T8 to L3 on 7/12/07 at age 12. Doing great now in so many ways, but still working on improving posture.
          Zach is 13 years old and very energetic.

          Comment


          • #6
            5 ribs ... wow! Elysia, you're my new hero, kiddo, and Del, BIG hugs it's over and went so well!

            Sounds like everyone in out Feb bunch did great! I'll have to check the calendar, but that about wraps it up, eh?

            Regards to all,
            Pam
            Fusion is NOT the end of the world.
            AIDS Walk Houston 2008 5K @ 33 days post op!


            41, dx'd JIS & Boston braced @ 10
            Pre-op ±53°, Post-op < 20°
            Fused 2/5/08, T4-L1 ... Darrell S. Hanson, Houston


            VIEW MY X-RAYS
            EMAIL ME

            Comment


            • #7
              thanks everyone for your congrats on elysia's surgery!!! Yes Pam, Elysia is my hero as well. She never complained once in hospital and touched so many hearts, she grapped the hand of the physio and thanked her the first time she came to help her sit on the edge of the bed. Such a brave kid! I'm so proud of her my heart wants to burst!

              Pam I read all your posts whilst you were in hospital, you certainly have a personality and a half, I just love your sense of humour and I'm sure it's what saw you through the whole thing. You deserve a bravery award as well for coming home alone!!!!!!! Yes I do wish you had a camera for that garbage bag shot! LOL! thanks for getting the calendar under way - it was a great idea!

              xx
              Del
              Elysia 16 in Feb 2010
              Sydney - Australia
              Feb 2008 Fused T5-L1 and 5 ribs removed.
              Dec 2009 - Crankshafting
              Dec 10 - Revision surgery...3 vertebrae taken down, hooks removed, at T11-L1 - screws inserted, fusion extended down to
              L3 using Pedicle screws, some rib removed to try to derotate. Praying for things to settle.

              Comment

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