Dylan – look closely, you can see his holding his little foot.
Yesterday, we took our first step in the journey to help Dylan WALK. Â Our appointment at Shriner’s was at 9am…not too early, unless you factor in that we live more than 2 hours away from Greenville, SC. Â Getting up before the sun does is just wrong! Â I guess I’m spoiled.
So the big kids could focus on their school assignments, we brought both Dylan and Lainey. Â I had to drive, following Randy in his company car, since he had a meeting scheduled in Columbia right after our appointment and then he was driving on to meetings in Atlanta for the next few days.
Our day was spent registering as new patients and seeing different doctors, radiologists, nurses, and others. Â During our visit, we learned that the SC Shriner’s sees about 300 limb difference patients each year. Â And, at no cost to the patients. Â Amazing, and a blessing.
Every time we entered a new room, Dylan would shed new tears. Â We’ve come to expect this when we’re in any type of “doctor” environment. Â Usually, he’s fairly easily consoled when we can convince him there are no “owies” coming.
The x-ray showed that he does not have a working knee – only cartilage. Â We weren’t expecting anything more, honestly. Â Their plan is to amputate through the “knee” and fit him with a prosthesis. Â Surgery should be sometime in the spring – maybe April. Â We did learn that, with children this age, they cast the leg post-surgery for about 3-4 weeks to protect the leg as it heals. Â Oh joy. Â Another cast EXACTLY like the one he just got out of.
We’re waiting to hear from the surgery coordinator regarding an actual surgery date. Â It’s hard to look that far ahead – Lainey has her next surgery February 23rd. Â We told Shriner’s that we wanted the month of March off!
Our challenge now is to somehow communicate to Dylan what’s coming…he loves his little leg. Â And, it makes me very sad to think of him losing it. Â Thankfully, we have friends here with a daughter that went through the exact same thing. Â We plan on taking our cues from them on preparing Dylan, not to mention tons of prayer.
February 2nd, 2011 at 12:48 am
Okay…. I admit it… I cried. I had been praying that they would find a knee and be able to do surgery below the knee, but that isn’t to be so now I will be praying for whatever they drs. have to do to get my grandson where he can walk and run and do all the things that God wants him to do.
I hate that Dylan has to go through this, but I am so thankful that he is going to go through all of this…. because of 2 wonderful, loving people that wanted to give this little boy the chance in life he deserves. Thank you Donna and Randy.
I am not surprised about the cast after the surgery and I’m glad that it won’t be but for 3-4 weeks that he will have to wear it.
I have a friend at church that works with Shriners Hospitals (she and her husband). She says the hospital in SC is terrific.
It is amazing how God puts His plans together and we don’t know what the outcome of those plans are until they become so crystal clear. God planned it for you all to move back to NC (me having surgery and Randy realizing he needed to be closer home helped set some of this up so I guess it was worth it when God used me for surgery in His plan) and then God led you all to the right church He wanted you to be at and then God gave you all new friends who just happened to have gone through all this with their child. God knew you all would need someone like this to help you in preparing Dylan for the surgery and afterwards.
God never ceases to amaze me or leave us without His care. He will be there for all of you through Lainey’s surgery and through Dylan’s surgery. One day when we see Dylan riding his bike or playing ball with his brothers or walking across that stage to receive his diploma or walking down that aisle as he takes a wife, we will look back and see how God’s plan was unfolding all the time.
With you all “taking” March off, we may just have to have Easter in March or early April or late May. I don’t care just as long as I get to give our special Easter to them all.
February 2nd, 2011 at 10:27 am
Good luck Dylan! God bless!
February 2nd, 2011 at 1:05 pm
I don’t blame you for “taking March off”. You will probably need that break. Starting prayers for Lainey’s surgery soon…she usually does great…or has in the last 2. Hopefully Dylan will forget soon, about his little foot to concentrate on other things, like a prosthesis to be able to walk and stand up. That is what our prayers are for him ~ It will make your world so much easier not to have to carry him anymore or put him in a stroller. For Lainey, our prayers are that she will finally be able to make the words come out correctly and have tons of conversations with us!! If both of these things happen, then the year 2011 will be perfect!!!!!
February 2nd, 2011 at 2:27 pm
Hey Donna. On my blog list there is a blog named “Our Treasures From Afar”. Her name is Karin and her daughter just had the same (or similar) amputation/prosthetic work that it sounds like Dylan will have. She did a good job of documenting the procedures and emotions if you want to check out her blog. I also know she’d be more than happy to e-mail dialogue with you as well. She lives in Massachusetts and has 10 kids total. :)
Just another resource if you want one.