Our Little Valentine
I thought it was about time for an Ellie update. . .
She and her folks are in Florida. Ellie is already using her walker and getting about. She did that within days of having surgery.
She is also doing therapy at two different places now. The girl is working HARD!!!
But being in Orlando, sometimes a kid needs a break, and what better place than Disney? In this picture, she’s having lunch at the Rainforest Cafe.
I’m flying down on Wednesday to see her and her folks. Can’t wait!
Ellie Update
Ellie is doing much better now. Yesterday she even got to sit up, and get in her special stroller and wheel around the hospital for a little while.
Here the physical therapist is stretching her legs and checking them out.
For continued updates, try “Helping Ellie Walk.” It’s also linked to her mom’s blog about this surgery, and to Ellie’s Cheerleaders page on Facebook.
Thanks for all your concern!
Imagine. . .
Imagine you are 4 years old.
Imagine after they poked a needle in your arm and hooked you up to a bag with a tube, then put a mask on your face and you went to sleep, THEN you woke up to find the guy you asked “is it okay if you fix my legs?’ really did a number on you while you were asleep. The bottom part of your spine has been sliced open. Because he fiddled with the nerves, they are now hypersensitive.
You must stay flat in bed.
The first night after surgery you have spasms in your back muscles. The pain medicine is making you sick to your stomach and you are throwing up. But remember, you have to stay flat on your back!
That’s how Ellie ended up spending her first night after surgery. Can you imagine being 4 years old and wondering why all this is happening to you? Sure, you wanted the guy to fix your legs, but what’s with all the pain and sickness??? My heart aches for her and her mama who spent the night with her and had to watch her little one suffer.
Fortunately, they finally found a pain med she could take that did NOT make her sick, and her day was better than her night, at least at last report.
Poor little girl. Hopefullly she will sleep better tonight.
Ellie After Surgery
Ellie got through her surgery with flying colors. Here she is once she got into her room:
Don’t let that sleepy little face fool you. She dozed off and on for a little while, but then she didn’t want to go to sleep. The little rascal fights going to sleep, even when she needs it!
I suspect the next day or two will be a bit of a trial for her Mom and Dad, while they try to keep her occupied. She had to lay flat for the first 24 hours after surgery, and she was upset about that. She wants to play with her IV line… she’s the typical little kid!
But the main thing is the surgery is over, it went well, and now the process starts of healing, then therapy to re-train her muscles and help her walk.
And that’s what it’s all about… Helping Ellie Walk!
Our granddaughter is having surgery today!
In fact, by the time I get this post published, she should be IN surgery. This is a MAJOR procedure called SDR surgery, or Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy.
In a nutshell, the neurosurgeon will make an incision on her lower back, lift off the top part of the spine there (between 2 and 4 inches), and expose the spinal cord and nerves coming off the cord.
He’ll test the nerves to see which ones are causing the spasticity in Ellie’s legs, and cut those so they stop sending the wrong signals. With the spasticity relieved, Ellie should be able to walk without a scissor gait.
She’ll be in surgery 4 to 5 hours, then to the recovery room and on to ICU.
It takes a long time to recover from this surgery. She has to have lots of therapy and re-train the muscles so they are functioning correctly.
If you want to read more about Ellie, the main site is “Helping Ellie Walk.” It has links to her Facebook page, and her mom’s blog about the SDR surgery.
And if you’d be so kind as to keep her and her folks in your thoughts and prayers, it would sure be appreciated!