Cast pictures!!

Thought I'd better add some pictures of Russell in his second cast.
I just think he's so adorable.
Oh yes.

We get to choose the color of the cast each time, and this time we chose green.

We get lots of comments on his cast.  Most people agree he's either a future football player or current ninja turtle.  I vote for the second. Ninja turtles are tough. And awesome.

The cut out you can see on his right, above, is for his lungs to be able to expand, and so that his ribs are able to come out (they sink into his back right now, due to the rotation of the spine).

The cut out in the front is for his stomach (so it has room when he eats) and for his lungs to be able to expand.

The cast extends about four inches below his waistline, you just can't see it.

The physical therapist came yesterday, and we have started some new exercises for him.  Mostly to strengthen his stomach muscles.  The cast tends to weaken them.  We're also working on getting him to be able to stand up without holding on to anything, so that if he's in the middle of the yard, or the carpet with nothing to hold onto he's not stuck.  He bounces on an exercise ball, rocks back and forth, and steps off and on a balance board (the same one we use for Tyler in vision therapy), have him push the exercise ball around, and we just have him get down on the floor and get up over and over.  His arms are really strong, but his legs and torso need more strengthening.  He did so great yesterday.

Yuck

This post if full of TMI, just to forewarn you.

We woke up this morning to find out that R has the stomach flu- coming out of both ends.  This is the first time he's thrown up in his cast.  That made for nasty nasty clean up, and I think it still smells.  I'm going to try the tea tree oil I have, and see if that helps the smell get better.  Thanks to the water-proof shells my neighbor sewed for R, the diaper leaking was not a problem last night.  My neighbor owns Stitch-to-Stitch, where she sells hand-made children's clothing.  The clothes are soo adorable-go check it out.  And she volunteered, and worked and worked with us to come up with this diapering solution.  Now I'm not cleaning the cast every other morning when the diaper leaks.  Thank you thank you sweet neighbor of mine!! 

This flu is coming at the end of a long week with no daddy around, since he's at Scout camp right now.  We've had a good week, filled with with lots of fun stuff, and some crazy and unexpected really stressful things, that I won't share on here, but I'm so happy he's coming home tomorrow.  We've really missed him.  I hope he's ready for the hug attacks he's going to get tomorrow. :)

Feeling settled

I haven't posted in a couple of days, because I haven't known what to write.  As in, I haven't known what to complain about.
And even though this is typically where I go to complain, I really don't have anything to complain about.  We're doing really well.  R is adapting more to the cast, and we have settled in to our new normal in this phase of life. 
I just feed him practically all day, which is made easier with those snack containers you can get at Walmart, where he can stick his hand in and pull out some food, yet it doesn't spill easily.  So I just give him one of those and leave a sippy cup of water out where he can reach it, and he wanders all over the house able to eat and drink and play.  And we still do mealtime too, and it amazes me that he eats then too, most of the time.
The screaming has gotten better.  He still does it alot, but it's better.  I'm not as embarrassed as I used to be about it, because I tell myself that when people see him and his cast, they realize he has something to scream about. :) I don't know if that's really what they are thinking, but it gives me a more positive outlook on those around me.  
He's been sleepy REALLY well this week, which also helps reduce the screaming.  I was really amazed when he slept for  3 hours yesterday, when I had 7 other children in my house (3 of whom were mine) making all kinds of racket.  But it was so nice to only deal with the other 7 without him too, especially when the 9 month old slept for the last hour too. 
So, I guess what it boils down to, is that when your kid is eating and sleeping ok, then everything else settles down too.   And life feels pretty good this week.  So I'm just enjoying it.

Carseat

Yesterday, we got R's carseat padded in a way that will better accomodate his cast.  Before, when he would sit in it, the cast would force his torso to be rigidly diagonal, so his chin was against the top of the cast.  Scott and I got some cushion padding at wal-mart and cut it to fit the carseat and go behind his back, and he looks sooo much more comfortable now.

We had R's visit with the physical therapist today, and he's doing so good.  We've been working on getting him to be able to stand up in the middle of a room, when there's nothing to hold on to.  And he's getting better at it.  Now, I can just stand behind him (where he can't see me) and gently pull up on his cast without him even knowing I'm helping (which is essential with an almost 2-yr-old).  We hope to be able to get him to do it without even that much help.  They also told me about a park near here that is an equal -access park, for kids with braces, wheelchairs, etc.  He might fit those swings and slides better.  I'm excited to go and try it out. 

The screaming is still kinda bad.  I got some good advice-thanks everyone.  We have a family get-together in one week, and again in two weeks.  I seriously hope it gets better before then.

"I Scream"

Anybody got ideas on how to teach a child not to scream? Cause I've got a major high-pitch screamer on my hands.  I'm ok with the crying, I know how to deal with that.  But the super-loud high-pitch wailing is OUT OF CONTROL over here.

Part of it is that he's still learning how to communicate, and he's very frustrated that he can't tell us what he wants.  That's pretty normal.  But he's also just very very angry all the time.  He's  so MAD MAD MAD.

And the screaming is making me deaf.  And I"m pretty sure no one wants us to ever visit them anymore.  I just don't know what to do.  We've begun (about 6 weeks ago) teaching him some signs to help him communicate what he wants.  He's picked up on "drink", but that's about it.  I've been trying to talk to him more, about everything, so that he can understand as much as possible about what's going on in his life. 

But the screaming has got to stop.  So any ideas, I'd love to hear them.

Today is always a new day

I've decided to separate my family blog and my scoliosis blog.  Up until today, I just posted everything about the scoliosis in the family blog, but I would like to make our family blog more private and this one more public.  I would like to help get the word out about Infantile Scoliosis through this blog, and I also hope this blog can be a source of information and support to other parents going through the same thing.

We're getting back into our "new" normal groove

Monday, July 16, 2012

We're getting back into our "new" normal groove

I think Russell's dreams while he's sleeping must be better than real life right now.

Every time he wakes up he is SO SAD/MAD. So I wonder if he's waking up, and realizing the cast is on AGAIN, and it makes him think, "Oh no. Not Again!" Or if he forgets that he has it on while he's asleep, and so when he wakes up he's panicking about not being able to move his torso. What an awful realization to have everytime you wake up.

Who knows. I just hope he gets used to it soon.

He's getting to be happier inbetween these times though. I had him outright giggling today. Nice to see my sweet little guy again.

Over one of the humps

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Over one of the humps

Now "Alice the camel has eight humps" is running through my head.

Anyway, a few days ago, I posted about Russell not eating. We've cleared that hump! He started eating yesterday, and is eating a lot still today. He's making up for lost calories, I hope. I got some good advice about letting it go, not worrying so much about it (thanks Meg!) and while I don't think that made him start eating, it sure helped me to be more at peace anyway. I think he must have had a really bad sore throat from the intubating during the surgery.

He's still more sad than he was without the cast. But that's to be expected. He's more steady on his feet, and seems to have better balance. So at least we're over one hurdle. I'm very happy about that.

The ABC's of the Abundant Life

Saturday, July 14, 2012

The ABC's of the Abundant Life

I read an article in an old Ensign yesterday and today. It's by President Monson, the prophet today, and it's called, "Living the Abundant Life". I think it's what I really needed right now. You can read it here. It's about changing your life in a "quest for the abundant life." He says you need three things to have an abundant life, a positive Attitude, to Believe in yourself, and Courage.

Some exerpts I'd like to remember:

About having a positive attitude:

Charles Swindoll—author, educator, and Christian pastor—said: “Attitude, to me, is more important than … the past, … than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.”²

We can’t direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails. For maximum happiness, peace, and contentment, may we choose a positive attitude.

I really like that phrase, "We can't direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails." Recognizing what we do and don't have control over, is very empowering. I'd like to start the day with "What can I do today to make it a happy day?" Because we really DO have that power to change our attitude, and our attitude makes all the difference.

About believing in yourself:

Thomas Fuller, an English churchman and historian who lived in the 17th century, penned this truth: “He does not believe that does not live according to his belief.”⁴

Don’t limit yourself and don’t let others convince you that you are limited in what you can do. Believe in yourself and then live so as to reach your possibilities.

You can achieve what you believe you can. Trust and believe and have faith.

So it's more than just believing in your self, it's staying true to yourself. Believe that you are full of potential, that you CAN surmount the obstacles place in your life. And have faith in God that He will help you.

About having Courage:

Courage is required to make an initial thrust toward one’s coveted goal, but even greater courage is called for when one stumbles and must make a second effort to achieve.

Have the determination to make the effort, the single-mindedness to work toward a worthy goal, and the courage not only to face the challenges that inevitably come but also to make a second effort, should such be required. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says, “I’ll try again tomorrow.”

"Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says, "I'll try again tomorrow". " That really does take courage some days. Sometimes my head is so full of all the ways I did not succeed today, that I forget about the atonement, and that I can start anew tomorrow. Life is full of mistakes, it takes courage to rise above them and "try again".

And the cast came back...

Thursday, July 12, 2012

And the cast came back...

I'm going to warn you. This is a rant, rave, complain, whine post. Read on at your own risk.

Russell got his new cast on Monday. We've had mostly good days since then, but today was a bad day.

However, I should clarify that he has been doing SO MUCH better this time than he did back in March. He started walking with his cast the same day he got it on. He did great through the whole surgery. He's been walking and getting around pretty well. He's just so sad and mad.

And so am I. Can I tell you how much I don't want this cast back on? It's heavy. It's a pain to deal with (can't get wet, or dirty, can't stick things down the front of it...) And we can't go swimming anymore. Can't be outside in the heat too long, or he will sweat alot and get sores. Ugghhh. And it makes him so frustrated/sad/mad/but mostly sad.
It's pretty understandable. I would be too. He has hardly eaten anything since the cast. Sometimes he sees food and starts screaming. Or he sees his highchair and starts screaming. I was so excited when he ate almost a whole bowl of oatmeal this morning, but at lunch we were back to not eating. And when I say not eating, I mean he'll eat one cracker during meal time. Or one bite of chicken. Literally. Scott and I feel that his cast is ok, that we won't have to get it cut off, but I'm wondering what is making him not eat. I've tried popsicles, ramen noodles, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, cheese (he's not allergic to dairy anymore!!), but I might make him oatmeal again for dinner since it worked so well this morning. I think he has a sore throat from the intubation during casting, but should it last this long? I'm guessing he'll get better in the next couple of days though. I think we just have to get through this.
And now I just looked over at him and he's eating the cup of cereal I left out on the table for him! Maybe all I needed to do was complain... Yea! He's eating!

He's been so sad today. He's cried almost the whole day, and I don't know how to help him. He didn't sleep much last night, but he did take a nap. He didn't nap yesterday. I know he's just getting used to the cast, and it's so much better than last time, but I really hate going through this. I just ache inside as I watch him grunt and groan just to get to a standing position. But he does it! And he's just happy he's up! I ache as I watch him try to figure out how to cuddle with me, and he's so sad that he can't hug me and lay his head on my shoulder, or sad that he can't reach his toys on the floor unless he lays down flat on his tummy and plays with them by his side. He can't lift his head and shoulders off the floor when he's on his tummy, so he just lays by the side of his toy, with his head on the carpet and plays. I watch him try to stand when there's nothing else to hold on to, and he can't do it. He tries and he tries, but that cast makes his center of balance off, and he's too top heavy. I know he'll figure it out eventually. His determination and persistence is a wonder.

The therapists came to our house today. We were really excited to tell them he can walk, so he doesn't need the walker. He really is doing awesome, all things considered. But there is this part of me that wouldn't mind so much if he got a cold again the next time we need to change his cast...

Being in the moment

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Being in the moment

Well, trying to be anyway.

Russell gets his 2nd cast on July 9.

I get tears in my eyes every time I think about it. I know he needs it, but I don't want it. He's so happy again right now. We laugh and play every day. I am better at living in the moment than I used to be, because I know that cast is coming on again in less than two weeks. He is soooo much happier right now. We can do so many more things as a family. We've been loving the pool, loving water fights, going everywhere. And then we're going to put that cast on again, and he's going to be so sad. And mad. And not understand why. I hate that part of this.

I hate to complain. We are so blessed. And I know it. But I'm still DREADING that day.

However, the following are pictures of us trying to "Live in the Moment":

I had the idea to put the pool at the bottom of the slide. That was fun.

Love the expressions here.

And here.

Mischevious brother...

A little apprehensive of what her older brother will do once she gets to the bottom of the slide. See the picture above to get a glimpse of what he will do.

And I believe we have a fish in the making here.

A little blurry, but kinda shows his excitement of being in that cold cold water.

Russell's progress

Monday, June 25, 2012

Russell's progress

I cannot believe how much progress Russell has made in the last couple of weeks. Neither will you, once I explain.

I already told you that he started walking a couple of weeks ago. That was just two days before the global assessment. At that time, he still couldn't say more than 5 words total, and he didn't really babble at all. He never repeated what I said either. Really not normal for a 20 month old. So when they did the global assessment, he was behind in both how he walked (he brings his knees up really high with each step) and his lack of speech. I have been trying to teach him to name parts of his face (like nose, eyes, mouth, ears, etc) for over 6 months, and he has never once tried to repeat my words.

I think you all must have been praying for him. I don't know how else to explain what happened in these last couple of weeks.

He started last Tuesday, talking. He added about 5 new words to his vocabulary in the next couple of days. Then by last Friday, he could put 2-3 words together to make phrases. On Saturday, he said, "I can see you now" over and over as I was putting him into bed. He can say probably about 20 words now, on a regular basis, and has started just today repeating words he has heard us say. Like today, he said, "It's slippery", when he was trying to walk all over a pile of unfolded laundry. So cute.

And he is walking everywhere. I'm so proud of him.

The developmental therapist and the physical therapist came last week, and he passed the developmental tests with flying colors, and the physical therapist was worried a little about his high stepping, but they both think he's right on track with his speech now. I do too. The physical therapist talked to us about using a walker for him when he first gets his new cast on, to help him keep walking once the cast is on. But we'll see; I wonder if he'll just start walking on his own. He's made so much progress, that I think anything is possible at this point.

Global Assessment

Friday, June 15, 2012

Global Assessment

I just think that title is funny. Sounds so ominous. But no, we didn't actually assess the globe. ha ha. I'm so funny.
We did a "global assessment" on Russell. Turns out he's a little behind. Which is what I already knew. I just didn't know in what areas. We were referred to Idaho Infant and Toddler program because Russell wasn't walking, and he's old enough that he should be (he's 20 months in four days). So we set up this appt today for a development assessment. Then, two days ago, he starts walking. Really walking. All over the house, and the yard, and the deck at the swimming pool during swim lessons...etc. I can't keep up with him! I was so happy, I thought, I wonder if they'll even need to do anything for him now...
So we did part of the assessment today. We still need to meet with a physical therapist, an occupational therapist, and a speech and language pathologist. You know, if certain family members would just move to Idaho already, we'd have an OT and an SLP available already. Hint, hint. :)Anywho...
Yes, he's got some things he's not doing as well as he ought to. I knew his language skills were coming along slowly, but it turns out he's more behind in that area than I thought. Thus the need for the SLP. And there are concerns with how he's walking, and the effects of what a new cast will be for him, thus the need for the PT and the OT.
I'm really happy we're getting into this program. I think it will give us more support and better odds of this next cast going better than the first one did. I wish we'd done this sooner.
And then there's part of me that's wondering where I'm going to fit MORE in. It feels like we're just so busy and we already have so much going on. And all of this news is so overwhelming tonight. Part of me wishes we'd been told that he's doing great and there's no need for any of this. I'm so overwhelmed with thoughts of another cast, and more things that we need to work on with him. And I'm trying to be there for my other kids too. Wouldn't it be nice if everything else, and everyone else in life could just be put on hold when things like this happen? You know, just until we've got a handle on it and we can take a deep breath and say, OK, life can begin again! ? But life doesn't happen that way does it. Life is about learning what we are really capable of. Even when we're content with what we already know we're capable of and don't feel that we need to be more capable.

Ughh. So stressful. So not what I really want to think about tonight.

That's it. I'm just going back to being happy that he's walking.

Joyful moment!

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Joyful moment!

Russell's new cast date is the same day as the first day of summer science camp for Tyler and Emalyn. That is awful, because it meant Scott and the kids couldn't come down to UT with Russell and I. I DO NOT like surgeries. Especially surgeries for my children. They're awful. I've done one by myself without Scott, and I hated it so much that I decided I would never do that again.

What's funny, is that I had 4 weeks to choose from, with the science camp. I could have chosen ANY of them, but I happened to choose the same week that ended up being the only week we could do Russell's cast. But that's life right? Just what happens in life. There are 12 weeks in a whole summer, but the two things that we are only doing one time each during the whole summer have to be at the exact same time!! Yup. That's life.

So today, I called the summer camp and they agreed to change the weeks we signed up for, so Tyler and Emalyn don't have camp until the NEXT week. YES! Joyful moment at my house!!

I called Scott to tell him the good news. And he says, "ok so let me get this straight: In July, the first week we have a family reunion in Utah, the second week we have Russell's cast in Utah, the third week we have Science Camp, the fourth week I (Scott) will be gone to Scout Camp. Then comes August: the first week we have Emalyn's baptism, the second week we have another family reunion in Utah." Yes. But we like to be busy! And all of those things, except for one, are really good things. In looking at all of that, I realize we're very blessed. Blessed to have wonderful things filling up our life.

We had a checkup for Russell yesterday, and I talked to his dr about his not walking. We're starting physical therapy with Russell this Friday. They're coming to our house to do it. How nice is that? We don't have to go to them, they are coming to us! They're doing what they call a "global assessment" this Friday, which is testing in all areas of development. I'm happy we're doing this. Maybe we can get him walking before all the craziness happens in July and August!

anticipation and walking

Sunday, June 10, 2012

anticipation and walking

I'm home from church early today to be with Tyler who's sick with the flu. So I'm getting caught up on my blog.

We finally scheduled Russell's 2nd cast. It will be July 9th. I'm not too happy about this day, because Scott cannot be with me at Shriner's, since he will be at home with the other three, two of whom have science summer camp that week. But that was the best option they gave me. The only good thing about this is my sweet mother-in-law who has agreed to come to the hospital that day to be with Russell and I. I'm nervous about this cast again, because Russell will have been out of cast for 6 weeks by then. I'm wondering how much of what we went through with his first cast will re-appear for this cast. On the other hand, I feel peace about it too, that it will all work out, and he and all of us will be ok. We'll get through it, and it won't be as bad as last time.

Russell has started walking a little more. He's been able to take 2-3 steps at a time without holding on to anything for a couple of months. But a couple of days ago, he started walking across the room. He still doesn't do it all the time, but he's slowly building his confidence. It's about time, he's almost 20 months old. The dr's at Shriner's at our last appt were concerned that he might have a secondary condition, because he wasn't walking yet. They said that the cast doesn't slow any of the patients down, so it would have to be another factor causing his delay in walking. Sometimes this watching, and waiting, gets really old. Scott and I think he has had the ability to walk this whole time. Something has made him not have the confidence to walk. We've wondered about muscle weakness, because he is so small for his age, but after taking him to the park a couple of days ago and watching him do chin-ups (Seriously!!), I don't believe that's true either. It would make sense to me that scoliosis causes a person to have less balance. The doctors don't agree with me, but doesn't that make sense? He is really wobbly, more than any of my other children. He falls alot. And so I think he's just been more scared to walk.
So there you have it. That's my two cents. And I'm no professional, so I could be totally wrong. We'll just have to do more "watching" and "waiting". Ha ha. :)

aches, bikes, and cuddles

aches, bikes, and cuddles

So I finally went to a neurologist for my headaches. I was told I have "normal everyday headaches" (ummm...no duh...good thing I went in...) and "cluster migraines". So I tried a new treatment for the migraines. And I won't go into any details about what it was, except to say that I couldn't close my left eye for a couple of hours. I never knew before just how ANNOYING that could be. I now feel I understand something about my brother Dave that I never did before. He has alot more of my sympathy. I also have more pain in my jaw and the back of my neck than before I went in. I'm not giving up on this treatment yet...maybe it's just slow to really start working and this is something I have to go through before it really starts working. Not sure if I'm happy that I've started going to see doctors again....didn't work out so well for me last time.

The kids and I went on a bike ride today. Well, they rode bikes, and I followed pushing Russell in the stroller. They're doing so great. It's still just a miracle to me how quickly they learned. And it's really hard to get them off of their bikes...ever. I'm loving it.

Russell and I love snuggling. I love love love my "squishy" baby, to quote my s-i-l Heidi. He seems to have missed the snuggling as much as I did, because he melts into me too, giving me lots of hugs and cuddles. Aaaahhh, so wonderful to have this surprising time, right in the middle of what was supposed to be straight casting.

Shriner's called today to schedule Russell's next casting date. Still not sure when it will be, because of some scheduling conflicts, but I have mixed emotions about this. Relieved that we're continuing his treatment, but sad that this time has to end.

Russell's 2nd cast...or not...

Monday, May 28, 2012

Russell's 2nd cast...or not...

I'd forgotten to mention the rigmarole involved in giving Russell a blessing Monday night. We hadn't originally planned to go to UT separately (kids and I in the van going Monday morning, Scott in the truck Monday night) but we decided to at the last minute, since that would help us get the oven from my parents house to our house sooner. But this meant that Scott couldn't give Russell a blessing, since he was already in bed Sun night, and Scott wouldn't get to UT until late Monday night, and we would have to get up at 5am to leave for SLC Tues morning. We tried several people, all of whom would have loved to come but we couldn't reach them, then we found my mom's uncle, Uncle Bud and his son who could come over and give him a blessing. It just felt really important that we give him a blessing. I'm so grateful to my great-uncle Bud and his son for coming over and doing that.

So May 22 Tuesday morning dawned bright and early for us...Russell was scheduled to check in to Shriner's at 6:30 am. I was happy about this because it meant that he was the first surgery of the day, so we wouldn't get bumped back like last time. We got there, got checked in really fast, and everything seemed great and ready to go. Russell didn't even really have a runny nose anymore. I did tell Shriner's about it though, Sunday and Monday when they called us, but they said as long as he didn't have a cough or a fever he should be fine to have the surgery. But when he didn't have any symptoms of a cold that day, I thought everything would go great.

About 1 hour after they took him back, Dr D-- came and told us that Russell was wheezing, and they could hear a rattle with every breath he took. They'd given him albuterol to open up his airways, they gave him oxygen, but nothing would help. He said the wheezing just got worse. So they'd pulled him out, and decided not to cast him. The risks were just too great. They were going to wait for him to wake up, and then they'd bring him back to us. Imagine my shock. I was completely not expecting that to happen. Scott wasn't with me, because he'd gone to get our lunch, so I called him to tell him the news. Honestly, my first thought, along with the surprise, was, "We get another month without a cast? Another month to snuggle together? Yippee!!" Scott sounded about like that too. Just an unexpected blessing.

It was still hard though, that day. It was hard to absorb that we'd come all that way for a cast, to continue treatment, and suddenly not to go home with it was a huge letdown. Not like it felt like it was wrong, or that something bad would come of it, it was just frustrating to have done all that for nothing. To go home without a cast.

But still, so wonderful to have him without a cast. To cuddle, to be able to bathe him, to let him get dirty, to be able to go swimming, for him to weigh about 10 lbs less (it felt that way anyway), to not worry about leaky diapers, it was a wonderful thought.

It was hard to take in both emotions at the same time. Exhausting. Plus we'd gotten up early, traveled the day before, and it's just so exhausting to have a child go through surgery anyway.

When Russell was brought back (it took him two hours to wake up!), he wasn't very happy. The Versed they'd given him before surgery had not worn off yet, and they said it causes hallucinations as it wears off (wierd!! Scary...). The Albuterol gave him a fever and made his heart rate accelerate. He was still hooked up to all the machines, so we could see that his heart rate went up to 180 bts/min a lot. He was a very sad boy. And he really was wheezing. That was scary. We'd sent him off to surgery looking and sounding relatively healthy, and he came back sounding like he had croup, and crying, and hot-and they didn't do anything besides give him anesthesia and briefly intubate him. Other than the wheezing and fever, he did a lot better than when he got his first cast, so it wasn't that bad. He wanted to eat lots of jello and drink juice, so we got to leave about an hour and a half after he woke up.

We realized that since we'd driven separately, Scott could drive back to Idaho that day and go to work on Wednesday (instead of taking it off as we'd planned). So after we checked out of the hospital, we went back to my mom's house and I took a nap. Scott took all the kids to his parents' house (I was so jealous and wished I could be there, but I was in no shape to do anything besides sleep and try to take in everything that happened). They had a great time seeing everyone that day in Payson. When they got back, Scott immediately left for Idaho.

I was so glad we'd gotten that Priesthood blessing. It helped me to remember and know that Heavenly Father is really in control here, and what happened is for our good, especially for Russell's good. People have asked us if we're worried about his back regressing, and honestly, I'm not. I'm not worried about it. It might happen, it might not. We don't really know. But I'm not worried about it. I know that whatever's in Russell's best interest will happen, and it will be OK. I know Russell's going to get better, one way or another, and I'm just enjoying this brief reprieve from the cast. I know we'll be back in the trenches soon enough.

End of cast #1...

Thursday, May 24, 2012

End of cast #1...

In anticipation of getting cast #2 on Tuesday, Scott and I cut off Russell's cast on Sunday. We watched some Youtube videos and decided we were ready to go. At first we tried wire cutters, which definitely cut through the first 3/4 of the cast, but it was a really bad idea. The friction made the saw get crazy hot, burned my hand, and almost got Russell too. And then it broke. Bad saw, bad saw! So then we switched to wire cutters, which worked beautifully!

Boy was he a happy boy when that cast came off!!!

He tried to lift his cast, but he couldn't. Scott and I were amazed once again at how heavy it was!

Very, very happy boy!
(And happy Daddy too!)

Sick?!!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Sick?!!

Sooo...Russell woke up today with a cold. Technically, we're not supposed to do the cast on Tuesday if he's had a cold recently or currently has a cold (or anything that interferes with lung function). So far, it's just a runny nose. Not serious, so I think we'd still cast him. If it gets worse, then we can't go in on Tuesday. So, I'm trying to trust in Heavenly Father, that if he gets worse, then we won't go in for the cast because it isn't the right timing. Timing is always in Heavenly Father's hands.

The reason lung function is so important is because during the surgery (or the casting procedure) Russell is put to sleep with a gas mask (obviously the lungs would need to be working well for this to go right), and because he will be intubated and on a ventilator the whole time. When they are ready to set the cast around his thoracic area, they will apply positive pressure through the ventilator, inflating his lungs to their full capacity, so that the cast is not inhibiting respiratory function. If his lungs can't inflate properly during this procedure, then the cast will be too tight. So, you can see, it's pretty important.

So we could really use your prayers right now. That whatever is in Russell's best interest is what will happen.