Ava has been cast free for a week now. Oh what a long week it has been! I knew this part of the journey would not be easy but I never expected it to be this difficult. Ava is scared! Scared to be moved, scared of being touched and wants no part of standing. She has been fighting us tooth and nail on her recovery. At least four nights this week Ava woke up screaming out in pain almost every hour! The lack of sleep has not helped and on top of it I got sick with allergy and sinus issues. My patience has been thin and I really just want to see my baby healed. Her cries and screams break my heart! I hate to see her in so much pain. Yes we give her pain medication and we do whatever we can to make her comfortable but she does not make it easy for us. We're all tired. It's hard to get make a four year old understand that yes it hurts but the more you move through the pain the better you will feel. Oh the road ahead seems so long!
Ava is not sleeping well, cries in pain at physical therapy, complains her knees hurt and will not bear any weight on her legs. She moves around and can now bend her knees but she is using her arms and core to compensate instead of working the muscles in her legs and hips. Finally on Friday I called Dr. A with my concerns. He relieved my fears some by telling me knee pain is common due to the way she was casted and it could take weeks before the muscle pain is gone. He expressed concern about the lack of sleep and the fear of bearing weight on her legs. Bottom line Ava needs to get moving to progress to walking again. If by Monday Ava is not sleeping better and trying harder to move she will have to return to the hospital for pain management and physical therapy several times a day. Well guess what... all Ava had to hear is "hospital" and "IV" and her little attitude took a 360! Neither one of us wants to go back there so hopefully we finally got through to her how important it is to try harder. It's tough love time but as a parent it has to be one of the most difficult things. Nobody wants to see their baby in pain.
 |
| Working those legs! |
 |
| Loving bath time! |
 |
| Not so sure!! |
The last two nights Ava has slept better (oh so thankful!) and today she seemed to try a little more. We got her to do some exercises and when David helped her stand she managed to balance for a brief moment on her own. (Yeah!) When she sits in her chair her knees are sitting better and she seems to be moving her legs and feet around more. On a positive note bath time has come to be a favorite for all. Ava is so happy swimming around in the tub and almost all her dry skin has washed off. What a crazy ride this has been and unfortunately it is far from over. I pray tomorrow is a better day and Monday we will not have to return to the hospital. Ava is such a brave girl and I know how challenging relearning to walk must be for her. Hopefully things will only get better from here on out. My girl is on the mend and I can't wait to see those first steps!!
No comments:
Post a Comment