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Welcome Madcat! The parents in this forum are super supportive so I hope we can support you through your daughters op!
As for us - we have been brace free for a week now after 6 long months. Its simply wonderful! DS is loving his new found freedom and making the most of it (already standing) and his confidence has sky rocketted. He has gone from being quite clingy to super independant almost immediately. I'm so happy that our journey is coming to an end. We go back to the surgeon in 3 weeks for an xray and checkup to see how DS is going brace free - hoping for the all clear then, I believe we then have regular check ups for a while after that as DS is still growing.
Hope everyone is travelling well through their own journeys!
Naomi
x
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Good luck, Madcat. It's always harder on the parents! At least your daughter is excited - I'd imagine it would be far worse if she was frightened. Hope all goes well for you all.
Naomi - YAY for DS!!!!!! Fingers crossed for that first appointment, I think that's the hardest one.
We're all well over here, so hope everyone is okay too.
Corelly x
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Thank you Naomi and Corelly.
Yeah for the end of Brace time for your DS Naomi. Its fantastic when they find their feet again, hehe, and also amazing the speed at which they catch up to where they should be again. There will be no stopping him now!
Hey has anyone noticed a link to walking on their tiptoes? Our DD walks and runs constantly on her toes.
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Now that exams are all over and its holiday time i can come and chat more frequently, thank you all for your warm welcomes and support. Its great to hear such positive stories.
well we had our appointment with the orthopedic surgeon on Wednesday and after 2hours of tests and xrays it was what we expected - DD needs surgery to fix her hip. The dr thinks it will be an open hip reduction as well as cutting into her hip to lower the socket, but will make the decision after injecting dye into the area on the day of the operation.
She will be in hospital for 3 days and in a cast for 6 weeks. We find out the date of surgery within the next week and it should all happen within the next 3 months, as the dr prefers to do this kind of surgery in winter so they are not uncomfortable during the hotter months in a cast.
This doesn't seem real... my poor little girl!
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Big :hug: Pink Fairy. I hope you get your date for surgery soon so you're quickly on the road to recovery.
Corelly x
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Hi peeps,
Hope all goes well for you, Pink Fairy. We have a similar story a little further down the time line.
DD went in for her hip operation a week and a half ago. They did a Salter Oesteotomy, (cutting hip bone horozontally in half, rotating the socket section down and placing a piece of bone in the gap, all held together with pins.) Op went fine, or so we thought! She had an xray on day 4 and found the piece of bone had slipped out and hip had returned to its previous position. So day 5 the operation had to be redone, what an ordeal!! extra pins were put in and she is now in a spica, Phew!
We are now home, and she is doing really well! It is amazing how quickly they recover from such a big procedure (x2). She is back to her cheeky self, and taking everything in her stride (or Beanbag!).
What a little trooper!!!
Kids are so resilliant, and can certainly teach us a thing or two about coping with the things life throws at us.:D
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Oh wow, Madcat! What an ordeal! Sounds like you're keeping really positive though, good on you and wishing your DD a speedy recovery.
Corelly x
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Hi girls
It's been so long since I've visted you all and at a quick skim, I think I am across what stage most of you are at.
Madcat - you and your bub sound like absolute troopers!
Corelly - how fantastic the brace is gone, am jealous but happy for you!
Pink Fairy - I hope things are going OK with your little one, sounds like a lot going on with you guys!
Well, our little tots is now 13 months old and has had the brace on for 4 months now. At her 4 month check with the surgeon, he looked at the x-ray and there has been NO improvement at all so far. So the original 'minimum 6 months in brace' is out the window... looks like being more like a whole year. Arrgghh!
Still, I shouldn't complain as we certainly have not been through the wringer some of you with surgery etc. Our problem is that we are waiting for her hip socket to calcify into bone. The little procedure she had in theatre at the begining showed that cartilage is there and her femur sititng correctly in the hip socket, but it just hasn't formed into bone yet. Is this a similar situation with anyone else?
Anyway, she started walking on her own at 11 months old. We couldn't believe it! Not to be left behind by her big sister, she just took off! She looks so funny waddling around - everyone watches her in a bit of dis-belief. And now, 2 months down the track moves to fast and has started the 'climbing phase'. God help me! She even has her own pair of shoes now, of which is so proud. So much so, that I took them off before her nap the day she got them and she insisted on taking them to bed with her to cuddle. Strange girl!
Well, that's our update. I hope everyone is coping reasonably well and that we can all see some light at the end of the tunnel!
Smarti xx
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Smarti - What a little legend! Walking at 11 months in a brace! Now that's determination :) . Wish your doctor had some good news for you, but I hope that the time flies and you see some improvement soon.
Corelly x
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Thanks Corelly :D Yes, she's certainly determined! x
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Smarti - what a dead set legend your daughter is and LOL @ the mental picture of her hugging her shoes :)
Madcat - Totally agreed, these miracles of ours certainly teach us a thing or too about coping with dysplasia don't they, wishing DD a speedy recovery!
Well we had our checkup last Thursday (DS has been out of his brace for a month), and the xrays showed a massive improvement (**breaths BIG sigh of relief**). We don't have to go back to the ortho surgeon for 12 months !!!!!! YAY ! Even the surgeon seemed suprised how quickly DS's acetabular angles have improved. We are stoked to say the least! I know this sounds really odd but I am finding myself a bit teary every time I think back to DS in his brace now, I have this sadness that wont budge that 6 of his first 12 months of life were spend in the brace, anyone else have feelings like that after its all over? I know we have been incredibly lucky as our treatment was short compared to some, but I guess I'll always feel a little 'robbed' of his babyhood IYKWIM?
Naomi
x
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Hi Girls!!
So sorry I haven't been around much... well sorry at all lately.
We have had a crazy few months..... just CRAZY! but slowly things are getting back to normal :)
How are you all going, hows your wonderful babies??
Theres a few new names I am seeing around the thread, Hi Girls :)
Smarti - Im so sorry to hear about there was no improvement at the x-ray.... I hope things pick up quickly! And i cant believe your little girl thats amazing that she is walking in the brace! fantastic!!! Kids are truely amazing hey :)
Madcat - wow sounds like you did go through some ordeal, but like u sad kids are so resillant its amazing... we should all learn from kids hey :)
Corelly - so happy to read your news :)
Pink-Fairy - Im so sorry to hear about your DD, it must be so hard on you hun, and of corse ur DD. I cant begin to imagine what you are going through but know that there are some amazing people on this forum that will help you through your journey.
I wish you all the best for the coming months xx
Naomi - Thats fantastic news about Bailey! im so happy for you both hun!!! I know how you feel about getting a bit teary...... I get the same looking back on pictures of that damn harness and brace, but then I think its made her the way she is (a mummy's girl) hahaha..... but yeah.... i know how you feel hun xoxoxox
Update on Lahni: She had her x-ray a month or so ago and her right hip is perfect still (yay) and her left hip still isn't 100%, apparently she has no cartledge in her left hip or something??
But the doctor didn't seem too stressed about it and said 30% of babies her age don't have it yet or something, we have another x-ray late July and see the doctor the following afternoon, so fingers crossed everything is ok.
I cant help but to get nervous... hahaha, at least I got another month to wait hahaha.
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thanks everyone - so glad i found this forum! Sounds like everything is going well for you all :D
We are still yet to hear from the hospital about a date, but i guess thats the beauty of going through the public system. Fingers crossed its not too long.
Ive started talking to DD about it, we watched a video on the childrens hospital website (highly recommend it for anyone who needs to take kids to hospital in the future!) and she knows she is going for an operation, she thinks its for the sore on her knee lol ive taken her shopping and we got some nighties and leg warmers... so now its just a waiting game.
Madcat - Glad your DD is doing well, what a stressful time for all of you! How is she coping with her cast and not being able to walk yet?
Hope your all having a great weekend! We went to see Toy Story 3 today - it was awesome! DD loved it :dance:
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Hi Guys,
Pink Fairy, i hope your operation date is soon.
Our DD is coping really well with being in a cast. She was in a full spica when she was one, and although she doesn't have a memory of this, i wonder whether she this has subconsciously helped?
We are only a week in and another six to go... The first day she spent most of the day screaming "GET THIS PLASTER OFF ME NOW!!!!" (Exorsist Style!) but since then she has not mentioned it, and has seemed content to be wheelchair or beanbag bound.
We have waited for our DD's op for about 10 months, and told her all about it from the outset. She was fully prepared and could have told the surgeons exactly what to do. It was only in the week leading up to the op we read we should have only told her about it a week before, oops. But she was SO brave and didnt hear a squeek of fear from her before hand. After the op, rest assured every day gets much easier, and once you all get used to it, the spica part is easy. Its all a small price to pay for their future freedom and comfort, and the kids adapt to their new situation quickly.
Reccommend: Lots of pillows, Chest freezer full of easy cook meals, Lots of walks, beanbags (if ok with surgeons advice), lots of games and easy reach play things, movies and thank god for ABC kids!!!
Wish you and all other families the best, on our journeys to happy hipville.
:leap:
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Naomi - Bailey is a true champion. He is just so determined and his brace days are behind him. I owe him a pair of cargo pants - so if you do end up in Melbourne, I see a shopping day!
Jesska - Waiting is the hardest thing isn't it? And I know what you mean about looking back at photos too. The other day we were going through photos of DD and a few with the plaster and braces came on and I was in tears. It still hurts every time I look at them. I can see her now, so free and it's easy to forget what it was like, but when you see it again, it hits hard. I can't wait for the day where we've been brace-free longer than in the brace, but we're a long way away from that. I'm sure Lahni will be fine :)
Pink Fairy - sounds like you're preparing for the hospital really well. I hope the time comes around soon for you.
Madcat - I wish I had your positivity when we were in our spica stage. You sound like you and DD are going along fantastically well. Good on you!
For me right now, well it's 11.17pm and DD is still not asleep. Grrrr.
Corelly x
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Hi All,
Haven't been in for a long time but just having a read through, Naomi - I know what you mean about feeling you have missed out on something, but having had both my DD treated for hip dysplasia I've just had to come to terms with this was meant to be my journey. We are not having any more children so I will never get to enjoy a baby brace free but that is just our journey. I joke to people I have breach, small babies that have dodgy hips (both girls were breach, therefore CS births and both were small 2.6kg and 2.4kg and both had HD). You can always hope any future children won't have the same issue but don't count on it otherwise you will be more disappointed.
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Hi everyone,
I'm new to this! Just wanted to vent my sadness at the news I just received yesterday that my 7 week old DD needs to be put in a brace this week. I spent the day crying yesterday and of course my little girl was just smiling at me all day! It's only her left hip which they say is moderate at 38% and likely to hve the harness on for 3
months. I know it's not long in the scheme of things but
it's just upsetting because it's my first and I just thought
she was perfect! I know she still is but it just upsets me to
think she's going to be unable to kick her little legs. She's so active and has been rolling over from 1.5
weeks and I'm worried that it will delay her development. I know it's only for 3 months though and many of you have had it worse I'm just a little upset and it may take a bit to get my head around it. Thanks for listening!!
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Oh KristenZ, my heart warms for you. My DD was also that little when her first brace went on and it was tough. But she was so resilient and once you're past the first couple of days, it does get easier. I had my down days as you've probably read, but DD adjusted and we did get through. There are lots of people here to support you. As far as delaying development goes, yes, it will for a minute, but it doesn't take them long to catch up. And my DD is showing that due to the time she spent restricted, her other developments have come flying forward - she talks like you wouldn't believe. She can count and knows many of the ABC and she's only 15 months old. So try not to worry too much, lots of good will come out of this too. Your DD is perfect, no matter what, brace or no brace. We made sure we smiled and laughed a lot with DD, tried to hide the tears from her, and she was a pretty happy baby throughout. Hope this helps, even a tiny bit. Make the most of all of your cuddle time for the week.
:hug:
What sort of brace is she going into?
Corelly x
