Furgurnie - I hope everything went smoothly and your little girl is recovering nicely. Hugs for Emma and her Mummy too. Once you are settled back at home, if you have any hints or tips about handling what must have been a very tough day, I would be most interested to hear them.
We had our surgery date confirmed today as the 11th August, and I feel sick just thinking about it. I am glad that we don't have to wait until the 26th August though as I would tie myself up in knots more than I already have. And the sooner that we start treatment, the sooner our baby girl will be on the road to recovery.
Does anyone know if we are allowed to ask on here whether anyone has used a particular surgeon and/or hospital?
Jackie - What a shock for everything to have happened so quickly for you. I feel like everything is moving so fast and I have had time to research and prepare myself as best I can. I can't imagine having had only one day to prepare like you did.
We have a big 1st birthday planned for our daughter's birthday on 8th August so I am trying just to stay focused on that for the moment. We also moved forward her 1st birthday cake smash photo session to last Wednesday in case her surgery was earlier than anticipated. I am flat out editing her photos from the cake smash...it's a welcome distraction at the moment as it's hard not to think about what is ahead for our baby girl. I do the occasional client photo session but this was my first cake smash and it was so much fun! I'm so glad that we were able to do that before her cast goes on as they will be great photos for her to look back on.
I hope that the precious bubs are all doing well and continuing to smile despite these challenges.
Jacksnjeff - know those nerves feelings well. Hope you get some great news at your next appointment.
Furgurnie - The rhino cruiser is a good brace, DD seemed really comfortable in it and when she came out of surgery when the cast was removed, I was very relieved to find her in it. It became my focus during that second time, I never considered how the plaster would be removed and that she'd have to be knocked out a second time, so I just sat, dreaming about what her chubby little legs would be like plaster free. You're sounding really positive so far, hope the op goes really well.
Karma1410 - Our surgeon was Mark O'Sullivan and DD's surgery was at Cabrini at Malvern. Lovely hospital, lovely staff (well all but one nurse, but anyway!). When the plaster came off we went to Mercy I think and the staff were wonderful there too. Oh, all in Melbourne, in case you're interstate. Have a wonderful 1st birthday with your daughter, sounds like the cake smash was fun!
Corelly - We are booked in at Cabrini Malvern too, so I am glad to hear that you were pleased with the hospital. Our surgeon is Marinis Pirpiris.
Can I ask why or how you chose Mark O'Sullivan as I have seen his name a few times now? I'm not sure how you ever know whether you have picked the right surgeon and I guess that is one of the unknowns that worries me. We haven't had a second opinion in terms of the treatment plan and I'm wondering now whether I should be trying to get an appointment with Mark O'Sullivan.
Mark was the surgeon we were referred to by the paed we were referred to by my ob. So a lot of referring going on! My GP though, her kids were also treated by Mark and she was singing him praises when she heard who we were seeing. He really is very good. But we had nothing to go off and just had to go with the gut instinct - mine was that I liked him immediately. We never sought a second opinion. In relation to Cabrini, and probably all hospitals, we were required to show the nurses our car seat, which was rearward facing, to ensure that DD would fit properly. We had to purchase a crotch extension strap for the seat to lengthen the belt so it would reach over the cast. We were told to get it from the RCH equipment distribution centre, off Gatehouse Street. As you drive into the carpark, before you go up the ramp, DH tells me its on the left. Cost us about $28, if memory serves. The strap needs to be fitted before your baby is discharged from Cabrini. Ask your surgeon if this applies to you because I don't know if it is relevant if your bub is forward facing. HTH.
Corelly, it certainly is a very anxious and nervous time, these Dr's appointments. Have you been given the all clear for your daughter?? What sort of treatment did your DD have?? Right now, we just feel like it is never ending, and it gets so disheartening..............
Karma, it is alot of trust we place in Dr's and we also hope that we have made the right choice/decision. We were referred to ours by our GP that said she would use him if this was her daughter. I love our GP and hearing those words gave me comfort and then reading about him on the internet. If you have any doubts, I would probably seek a second opinion as no one loves or knows your baby like you do. Good luck!
Are there any Sydney siders on this thread or anyone that is being treated at The Children's Hospital, Westmead???
Jacksnjeff - we've been given the all clear. DD doesn't have to visit the surgeon until May next year and if all is still good then, visits will become every couple of years until she is 14. DD's story is that the midwife found she had a clicky hip at birth. Four days later the hospital paed found it to still be clicky so we were referred for an ultrasound at 2 weeks. The ultrasound people said she was too little to do then and DH and I already had the heebie jeebies about the paed so we left and waited to see my ob at the six week check up. We got him to refer us to a paed, saw him the next week and then it felt like it was rush rush over a handful of days. The paed couldn't feel anything was wrong, so he sent DD for an ultrasound where it was found that one hip socket was virtually non existant and the other was shallow. Into the surgeon's rooms, into the first brace, the Dennis Browne for 24/7 for 4 weeks with the weekly movement of the brace. At the end of that it was found that there was no improvement so she had an open reduction and into the cast for 6 weeks (we were lucky that the anethesist that the surgeon wanted to use was going on holidays so our cast came off at 5 weeks!!) The cast came off at the end of August and she was in the rhino cruiser until February where her hips were deemed "perfect". She's now 16 months, can sit, roll, crawl, scoot on her bum and walk while holding furniture and her walker. So that's our story!!!!
While I'm at it.......I want to really say thank you to everyone that has helped me here in this group. I had very little support at home. DH was at work, my most reliable family live over an hour away and my mum, normally always there for us, was on a six month overseas trip, leaving the week before DD was born and returning two or so weeks after the rhino cruiser went on. Without this group, I would've gone mad. So to those wonderful people who helped me in the early days, heard my tears and sympathised with the pain we were going through, I really thank you from the bottom of my heart. MummyNaomi, an enormous thank you to you, you are one special lady. So for anyone going through this now, I will be here, because I know how invaluable the tips that I got in those early days were and how hard it would've been for me without it.
I can't believe that after one appointment with the surgeon where they throw all sorts of bad news and statistics at you, you don't get another opportunity to ask any questions until the day of the surgery! I have a couple of questions that I really want answered in advance of the day (like whether they use CT scans for example, how many of these procedures the Dr has performed, whether her osteotomy if required will need pins and plates or will just be a shortening etc) and the receptionist keeps telling me that even if she leaves questions for the Dr, most likely they won't get answered. The only option she has given me is to book another whole appointment next week, just to ask a couple of questions that could be handled in 5 minutes on the phone.
Did anyone else have this problem? I am so uncomfortable handing my baby over for surgery without feeling like I am fully informed, but maybe it would be the same no matter which surgeon we see. Is this standard or have others had a different experience to this? Have you been able to speak to your surgeon by phone for any quick follow up questions?
I am just so frustrated and now feeling quite uncertain about our choice of surgeon. Perhaps though this would be the same no matter who we see. I just want to make the right decisions for my baby girl.
Sorry for the rant but I felt like I was going to explode if I didn't get it all out.
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