I've been totally absent from my blog with high hopes of getting back into it on a more regular basis. I've had some major computer problems lately...computer crashing, losing thousands of pictures, losing my charger for my camera, my cd burner breaking and my computer screen dying - all while trying to gather pics and video for a chance to be a part of a great documentary project with a deadline that we are holding up. :( I'm going to continue to work diligently to get my stuff to the producer but then I promise I will be back at my blogging. I have so much to write but no time right now.
Quickly I will update however on Jordan's "new" thumb situation.
She had surgery Feb 17th to take bone from her leg to make a work-able thumb (her third surgery in the past 6 months...yet another reason I've been to busy to blog). The doctor made a thumb for her where she orginally only had a chip of bone and a little bit of skin. No pincer grasp, no palmer grasp on that hand.
We were ecstatic when we got the cast changed and saw a thumb! Yay! It looked much more proportional with her other fingers but I was concerned when she couldn't follow the doctor's directions to use it. She couldn't move it - at all. I've prayed through the past few weeks and hoped that with extensive therapy she'd be able to learn to use it. We were told by our OT that we'd have to increase therapy to three times per week (in addition to speech twice and physical therapy twice weekly) and I was discouraged but happy to do what it takes. My energy is waning and I'm desperate for a "normal" life with time to slow down and let the kids be kids. I had looked forward to that this summer but it looks like it won't happen yet. With time things will eventually slow down, Lord willing. One exciting thing is that this last visit Jordan was able to use her thumb to pinch - here's a picture:
Anyway, Jordan falls a lot and because of this her cast broke again and wasn't able to protect her thumb anymore so we had to go in again to have it changed. When they took it off there was a large sore that smelled and left green "stuff" inside the cast on her thumb. I thought at first that the cast had broken down the skin and gotten infected but then I noticed a raised ridge on her thumb that ended where the sore was. It was the pin that's in her thumb pushing its way through her skin! The doctor said the pin is pushing its way out but what it really looks like is that one of the many times she has fallen it has pushed back. The tip of her thumb isn't as stable and actually points up a bit. The doctor said that he could give her local anasthesia (a shot in the hand) then cut the hand and pull the pin out in the office (ummm NO) or we could schedule surgery. I opted for surgery to save all of us the stress.
However, after thinking about it I've left a message for the scheduler to see if the doctor can give her Valium in the office THEN do the local and pull the pin out. The thought of this turns my stomach and makes me wonder how I'll ever handle it but it would save a surgery and it would save us $250. We are scheduled now to go in Monday morning to see a resident for a pre-op for the Thursday surgery but I'm praying that we can schedule an office visit to remove it and also that Dr. Jones will be available rather than a resident. I don't AT ALL feel comfortable having a resident pull the pin out but I am certain Dr. Jones will be booked all week.
Please pray that we can schedule an appt with Dr. Jones and that he will be willing to prescribe her valium to do the "procedure" in his office. Also pray for me to able to handle it well for her (not throwing up or passing out!). I can handle a lot (stitches, scars, puss, suctioning breathing tubes, teeth knocked out...see previous post about Noah...etc.) but for whatever reason pulling pins out is beyond my threshold. :) My dad had to go with me last time to handle it. This time I am telling myself that with God all things are possible. :) :)
Pray and I'll post an update tomorrow after our appt.........
No comments:
Post a Comment