Cast Away!

September 1st! The day we were all waiting for finally arrived. Brock's cast removal wasn't until 2:20 p.m. and it made for a VERY long morning full of anticipation.


I wasn't quite sure how I was going to load Brock by myself, but I did it!! If we could only know what Brock was thinking when I took this picture..... He was giving me a look like "now where are you taking me???"
During the entire drive to our appointment I was 'strategizing' how to get Brock OUT of the car seat. If my efforts failed, I was prepared to phone into the clinic and ask someone to come out and help. It wasn't very graceful, but I got Brock out and into his jogger. WHERE THERE IS A WILL, THERE IS A WAY! :)
I told you we were anxious about this appointment and it showed--we arrived 40 minutes early! ha. We actually didn't spend long in the waiting room before a gal came out and called for Brock. When we approached her she asked why we were here?!?!? Seriously? I think my claws came out and I became a little tense when I told her "I was told to come today to get Brock's casts removed!" She then asks: "How long have they been on?" Me: "FOUR WEEKS AND WE ARE HERE TODAY TO GET THEM OFF!" She simply asked if I knew where the cast room was and I think I had already passed her by the time I answered YES! ;)


Brock met up with his ol' buddy Lenny. I think B was having a sense of Deja vu.


He loves the vibration of the cast cutter!


Does this look familiar???


And......THEY'RE OFF!!! Wow, I think Brock could use a little pumpin' up with Hans and Franz. He has some scrawny looking legs from spending virtually all summer in casts! But check out his amazingly straight feet still! The white gauze is a bandage from where the surgeon released his tight hamstring.
After the casts were off, Brock had to get an x-ray of his hips. Oh my, did he pitch a fit! His legs had been locked in a bent position for 4 weeks and he had to get them straight for the x-ray. OUCH!
Pain is still a very real thing we are dealing with............ Getting used to movement and sensations is going to take awhile. There is a long road of therapy/rehab ahead, but I'm trying to be optimistic.
Upon leaving the ortho appointment, I had to drive across town to the hospital and pick up an abductor wedge for Brock. He has to have his legs/hips supported while lying down, and will require the wedge for about a month or so. When I ran in to get the wedge, I didn't even pay attention to what I was receiving, I just said I needed to pick up something for Brock Gullidge, and I took what they handed me. All I wanted to do was get home. But.......when I opened his abductor wedge, I noticed something was not quite right...... Can you figure out, from the picture below, what the problem was???????


The crazy thing fit MY big legs!?!?! Obviously, they didn't give Brock the pediatric size!?!? Jason was able to cut this thing in half and we cut the straps to improvise.

I moved Brock back to his room upstairs where he slept on his air mattress and I was able to sleep in my bed! Oh my glorious BED! Brock let me sleep for a solid 4 hours and it was amazing! I got him back to sleep and grabbed about another hour nap before it was morning time. This sleep thing is going to be addictive I have a feeling. The more I get, the more I want! ;)

This morning after girls got on the bus, Brock and I went into the hot tub. He loved the warmth and the buoyancy of the water. However, getting out was not as much fun. :( He is rather crabby now and hates to have his diaper/clothes changed, but soon all that should get easier.

Tomorrow, I take Brock to Burlington to try on his new AFOs. They have been ready for a couple weeks, but with Brock in casts there was no reason to get them. My intuition tells me the boy is going to protest wearing his braces! I don't blame him. I wouldn't want to do a fraction of what Brock does. He is a trooper for sure!

Until next time.............................