Roller Coaster Ride!

Well I can definitely say today has been one hell of a ride! First let me start with yesterday, our flights, connection, rental car, hotel, every thing was fine. I let Caroline take as long as a bath as she wanted. I figured it was her last one for 6-8 weeks so she could get as wrinkly as she wanted. I also let her stay up later than usual, because I knew she would be sleeping for the next 24-48 hours. Spoiled little girl. Web and I were asleep by the 10 o'clock local news all was well. Then around midnight we hear this loud beep, then another one, then another. Web and I get up and realized the fire/smoke alarm is beeping, and that the battery must be low. Nice. So Web takes it apart, but the main piece keeps beeping! He is so frustrated and tired that he goes out in the hall and puts it on top of the vending machine! We hear a faint beep for awhile but eventually it stops. The best part is it was still there this morning! HA!

This morning we get to the hospital and I am a basket case. Bonafide lunatic that won't stop crying. I cried to the nurse, to the doctor, to the other nurse, to the anesthesiologist, Web, just crying. Huge tears just rolling down my face, no control. I was petrified that she wouldn't wake up from her anesthesia and we wouldn't be bringing her home. I have watched way too many episodes of General Hospital and Grey's Anatomy. I trusted Dr. E 150% so it wasn't the surgery itself, it was what could happen. We felt totally comfortable with the whole surgical staff, I was just a crying mom. No one judged me, they even gave us time to ourselves once they wheeled her away but at that time I just wanted them to start so I could hold Caroline again.

The nurses must have known how freaked out I was because we got personal updates probably close to every 30 minutes.

Before surgery started Dr. E mentioned that he might go ahead and do her right tibia, and come back and do the hip and femur in approx. 4-6 weeks. Um, no, I thought, that doesn't fit into my plans. I am here for 2 weeks, 6-8 weeks cast is off, I have 2 months with Caroline to play, then Baby Boy Browne joins us and we progress forward! This absolutely did not fit into my timeline. But as I am learning as a mom, nothing is really in my timeline!

He told us he would see how strong her bones are and we would go from there. So as we sat in the waiting room, we had no idea what was going to happen. We tried thinking of "what if" plans, but then just thought we should wait and see what happens.

About 4 hours into the surgery, Dr. E comes out and I think, sweet, done. Not so much.

He was able to pop Caroline's hip back into socket and wanted to see if that worked, plus still do the right tibia. Excuse me? Pop her hip back in? We couldn't do that before? Well no. Because for one, Sweet C, doesn't like anyone touching her legs and two, her bones are so fragile that no one has ever wanted to try in fear that they would break the femur. So since she was under and if he broke it, he could fix it, so he tried. And sure enough, bam it was in place just like that. Now this doesn't at all mean she is "cured". It just means we are going to give it the old college try. He put in the right tibia rod, popped the hip in place and put her in a pink, hip spica cast. I chose pink. Web didn't even bother to argue that one, knowing he wouldn't win! 2 hours later, C is finally in recovery. Best thing ever, getting to see her after 6 hours. More tears, more new nurses thinking "oh geez, she's a cryer". My eyes have never hurt so bad.

So now what?

Now we wait. She has an epidural which is helping with pain management, plus valium and tylenol. She wakes up asking for Elmo, and when the nurses give her medicine she says, "thank you". Nurses love her manners! I think it will definitely work to her advantage later in the week!

Dr. E wants us to stay approx. 5 days in the hospital. Take more x-rays at 6 weeks and find out if her hip stayed in place. If her hip stayed in place, then we have the following options:

1. Take her out of cast, put her in a hip brace either at night or full time.

2. Keep her in a cast for another 6 weeks to prevent any mobility.

Of course, I would love #1. My sweet little 18 lb 4 oz baby is heavy with this cast on! I mean HEAVY.

Or, hip pops out of place and we are back to square one. Surgery on the hip and right femur.

No matter what, we will eventually need to rod her right femur, but as of now that's pushed out. Dr. E explained that one rodding surgery recovery is a lot easier than 4 plus a hip, so not to worry on the right femur. Plus it's not nearly as bowed as her left femur.

As you can see, we have been on a hell of a ride today. Our emotions have been all over the board. We went from this being the short, left side only surgery to both sides, with hip and only one surgery! We have had to cancel flights, change days with the kennel for Kelsey, re-arrange transportation, plus love on our Sweet Caroline.

I can say it is 9 pm, Caroline is asleep, Web is at the hotel and I am going to sleep for the next 3 hours before it's time for valium again. I am sure I am missing more info, and I am sure tomorrow when I read what I wrote I will be appalled by my spelling and run on sentences, but I feel like my lack of sleep is a good excuse! Thank you all for prayers, texts, emails, calls, everything. We have never felt so much love!