The Analise workout video
(remember to pause the playlist when you watch the video)
(remember to pause the playlist when you watch the video)
From Erik:
"The weeks seem to be getting busier and busier. I feel like a juggler trying to break the world record. Super busy at home and school. But we take one day at a time and tackle the things we need to do for that day, good advice for Analise too. Besides the soccer practices, tryouts, games, sleepovers, birthday parties, cleaning indoors and outdoors, doctor appointments, meetings and emails with doctors, grocery shopping, report cards, conferences, setting rat traps (I'll tell you that story later, yikes), hair cutting, and laundry, oh so much laundry, it was a pretty relaxing week. Ok, I'm done venting and now I'm tired again.
Kassandra turned 11 this week which means......I'm getting old. She had a few parties with friends and family. Analise was pretty cranky this week. It's very difficult to know what's bothering her. The list of things it could possibly be is so long. Is it her arms, legs, reflux, stomach, dirty diaper or any of the other 1,000 things that newborns cry over? As parents, we don't want time to fly, because it will, but maybe this difficult newborn stage can be just a little bit shorter. I know when she's turning 18 though I'll be crying "where did the time go?"
Analise had her Achilles tenotomy today. Dr. Hurley felt that was necessary in the steps of her club foot correction. Tony helped take off the old casts and her feet looked great.
We weighed her and she weighed 9 pounds, 4 ounces. She only gained 2 ounces this week, but we are now letting her sleep as much as she can at night and she was spitting up a little more than usual this week.
After the casts were removed, we took Analise up to the third floor to have her Achilles tendons cut to allow for lengthening. Apparently, the tendons will grow back over time and give her the extension she was lacking. This doesn't happen for adults (sorry Aunt Anaivett). It is a minor procedure with no anesthesia, actually no pain medicine at all. They make a small incision on the back of the ankle and cut the achilles tendon. Then they stretch the feet upward and recast. Parents are not allowed in the operating room during the procedure, so it is a little nerve racking, especially since Analise has to endure the pain all by herself. I know she won't remember it, but "ouch!"
Dr. Hurley said her feet continue to correct very nicely, much nicer than other arthrogryposis children she has corrected. She still has a few more weeks of casts, and then we move to braces and special boots.
We weighed her and she weighed 9 pounds, 4 ounces. She only gained 2 ounces this week, but we are now letting her sleep as much as she can at night and she was spitting up a little more than usual this week.
After the casts were removed, we took Analise up to the third floor to have her Achilles tendons cut to allow for lengthening. Apparently, the tendons will grow back over time and give her the extension she was lacking. This doesn't happen for adults (sorry Aunt Anaivett). It is a minor procedure with no anesthesia, actually no pain medicine at all. They make a small incision on the back of the ankle and cut the achilles tendon. Then they stretch the feet upward and recast. Parents are not allowed in the operating room during the procedure, so it is a little nerve racking, especially since Analise has to endure the pain all by herself. I know she won't remember it, but "ouch!"
Dr. Hurley said her feet continue to correct very nicely, much nicer than other arthrogryposis children she has corrected. She still has a few more weeks of casts, and then we move to braces and special boots.
As for the decision of the lateral hamstring tendon tenotomy, we still don't know what we are going to do. We were leaning very heavily towards taking her back to Dr. van Bosse in Philadelphia, and still may, to have him do the surgery that he said was necessary for proper correction of her "knock knees."
But Dr. Hurley adamantly opposes that decision. She again explained that cutting those tendons would be the worst thing for her. She would never do that surgery on a newborn like Analise. She said that not only did she disagree with how tight the hamstrings were, she said that if they were to cut those tendons, they could retract like a stretched rubber band being cut. If this happened, she said it would be very unlikely that the tendons would grow back together and then Analise could possibly lose the function of those important tendons.
I have been emailing Dr. van Bosse and relaying the information that both doctors are giving me. Dr. van Bosse said that he has rarely seen hamstrings as tight as Analise's. He said he usually does the tenotomy on these tendons if they are tight, but doesn't have another case to compare to where he didn't perform the procedure. I am still in the process of getting the most information I can, so we can make the best decision for Analise. Stay tuned!
We have a meeting with several people from the school district this Friday. If they think she is eligible, they can try to get her accepted into Regional Center. If that happens, then Analise will qualify for services from Social Services."
The many faces of Analise:
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| After casts were removed today...looking good!! |
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