Hip Dysplaysia Support Group #2

[Miss.September]

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you Karma that it is an MRI you get sent for. I'm surprised that the receptionist doesn't know what your surgeon prefers to do after surgery. Feel free to PM me at any time too, I can give you my details if you PM me.

[furgurnie]

Hi guys, thanks for your messages.

Emma is doing really well, we got home yesterday afternoon. It is so good to be out of the hospital!

We went to Monash Children’s Hospital in Clayton and our Dr was Ton Tran (head of paediatric orthopaedic surgery). Our experience was a positive one, the Dr’s and nursing staff were fantastic.

Emma had an open reduction as expected. Her spica cast is plain plaster which we will write all over and keep once she’s out of it. She was first on the list, so we didn’t have to wait long until she was called for her op. She handled the 6 hrs fasting without any grizzling, such a good girl!
The anaesthetist used gas to put her to sleep (my husband held her in his arms whilst this was being done) and then used a block which made her numb from the waist down (helps with post op discomfort apparently).

The op went for 1 ½ hours. During this time my husband and I got a drink from the cafeteria, bought Emma a big balloon and then got our pram and car seat and took them to the ward so the OT’s could modified them if needed. The time went really quickly (thankfully) and before we knew it we were being called to see Emma.
She recovered really well from the anaesthetic, she was a little pale and swollen but otherwise good. She had a bottle as soon as she was awake.

The following day Emma had a MRI to confirm that the hip is in correct position, she screamed in the beginning as the loud banging noise frightened her, but actually fell asleep 5 mins before the end! I was in the room with her. We were discharged after this. Car seat was modified (like Corelly, we had to buy an extension strap $20), pram was ok as is.

Since being home Emma is much more settled, she slept solidly last night despite having nappy changed 3 hourly. Tonight we’ve decided 4hrly should be ok.

Karma1410, I hope our story helps you to prepare for August 11th. I’ll be more than happy to tell you anything else you want to know. The cast is heavier than I expected and was quite awkward to begin with, do you know if your daughter is getting fibreglass or plaster cast? Hope her 1st birthday is a blast. What is a cake smash by the way?! In regards to your post about wanting more questions answered by the surgeon, I would book another appt if it would put your mind at ease.

Corelly, I was told that the cast will only need to be on for 6 weeks not 12, yay! Emma will then most likely go into a Rhino Cruiser

Does anyone know how to put photo's on this site?

Hope everyone is doing great.

[pink_fairy]

So glad to hear everything went well furgurnie! Sounds like you have an amazing little girl. I hope the next 6 weeks go quickly and she (and you!) is coping ok. Was your hospital stay only overnight? We were told 3 nights - perhaps that could be because my DD is older?

We are going through Childrens Hospital at Randwick and our surgeon is Dr Angus Gray, we were referred to him by our Dr who has worked with my mum for around 20 years!

Im back at uni this week and im over it already!!! Hope you all have a great weekend

[furgurnie]

Hi PinkFairy, yeah everything went unbelievably smoothly for us. We really are blessed to have such an easy going little girl. She was a little unsettled at times today but we think it was due to frustration as she can’t kick her legs anymore. She doesn’t seem to be in any pain, but her incision site is a little tender when we brush past it putting her nappy inside the cast.

We were also told our stay would be 2-3 days, but Emma recovered really well and my husband and I were pretty happy and confident with caring for her in the cast so there was no need to be in hospital anymore. The worst part of the whole experience was sharing a room with 3 other babies recovering from surgery, so neither my husband or I got much sleep (not to mention Emma).

What are you studying at uni?

[Miss.September]

Furgurnie - great to hear Emma's surgery went really well. Her surgery sounded exactly like my DD's except we waited a week before we had the MRI. That's fantastic that the cast only needs to be on for six weeks look after your own back in that time, these munchkins get heavy suddenly in these casts! Unfortunately it is against BB guidelines to post photos on here, other than in a signature, but a lot get around it by making facebook friends. I think you can link to your facebook albums or an off-site photo share site, like flickr, but you'd have to ask one of the administrators how. We too stuck by the "rules" with nappy changing for the first few nights, but for us, DD ended up more unsettled after that so we stopped and let her go right through the night. It worked fine for us.

[MummyNaomi]

Hi Everyone and a big welcome to all the new Mums joining the forum

Pink Fairy - How are you going leading up to the surgery, it must be difficult with it getting closer, but I bet you wouldn't mind it to be all over and done with too. Re child care, my DS fortunately came out of his brace a month before he started child care, but the centre told us they have had infants previously with braces and the carers were fine and more than happy to look after the little ones no matter what, glad your centre is supportive I hope DD enjoys her upcoming birthday!

Furgurnie - glad to hear Emma's op went well (and Mum and Dad did well too by the sounds of things). My DS was only ever in a brace and we were very fortunately not having to go through surgery or spica's but nevertheless its an emotional journey isn't it? Agggghhhhhh a hospital room with 3 babies - not the most restful place for poor Emma to recover, glad to hear you got to go home quickly!

Madcat - hehehehe poor DD worried about her legs being chopped off What an adorable munchkin!

Karma - Welcome and like the other parents, I hope you find some support in this forum, I certainly have, especially in the beginning when it was all an emotional blur and we were adjusting to life in a brace etc. I dont think anyone else can truly understand how you are feeling unless they have lived it too. I hope Aug 11 comes (and passes) quickly for you and it all goes smoothly, it will be a tough day no doubt!. Sorry you are still trying to get some questions answered, I cant believe your surgeon cant just take 5 minutes to return your call!! Grrrr

Jackie - good luck for your appt in August. Our orthopedic surgeon was quite conservative also, but now that we are brace free (and all is very well hip wise), I am very glad. My DS was in a brace for 6 months as the angles of his acetabular needing correcting and compared to others in similar situtions it seemed our treatment was quite long, but I guess I'd rather be in the position we are now (HUGE IMPROVEMENT) and we dont have to go back to a check up for 12 months were originally we were expecting 6 monthly xrays so we are very very thankful to our awesome surgeon, so have trust in them What brace is your DD in now?

MummyNaomi, an enormous thank you to you, you are one special lady.

You're a dag Corelly, but I love ya anyway! Like Corelly, I have had HEAPS of support from this forum and now that our journey is over (and hopefully stays that way), I hope I can somehow replay the support by being here for others - and yes Karma, Corelly is a wealth of DDH info

Hope all your bubs are happy and healthy and keeping away from all these winter colds

Naomi

[Miss.September]

LOL Naomi - one of my rare mushy moments :P