A New School Year

Ava started school and everything went GREAT!  We have finished the first two weeks of 3rd grade and she is really loving it.   Her teacher set up a special table up on risers for her so that she can sit comfortably in her wheelchair and work like normal.  She is still using the one crutch to get around, but seems to put less weight on her leg than she does using the walker and she's able to move more fluidly - sometimes TOO fast.  I find myself telling her to 'slow down' all the time now!

School has been a welcome distraction.  It is wonderful to see her occupied and happy again - glimpses of the girl she was are coming through again.  She is certainly tired in the evenings and trying to figure out how to fit in homework, dinner, shower, & physical therapy (30 min drive there, 1 hour PT, 30 minutes home) has been a challenge.  But we are making it happen.

Pin care is still a struggle - at this point, I'm not expecting it to get any better until we get the ex fix off.  I was really hoping in the beginning that after a few weeks or after they healed or after whatever-thing-was-going-on-at-the-moment.....that she would get less anxious and we could do the shower and pincare without the tears and anxiety and yelling.  But apparently, it's just what is is and we're going to have to get through it.  5 weeks left.  We are definitely counting down.

I went to a dr. appointment (for me!) last week and the nurse who checked me in told me that she used to work in an orthopedic area and had to do pincare with adults who had similar things applied to their bodies.  She said it was terrible for them - that grown men would rail at her angrily because it hurt so much.  Makes me so sad for my little girl and the pain and anxiety she has been dealing with the past few months.  :(

On a good note, she is finally feeling strong enough to wean off of the narcotic pain medication.  So we are slowly working toward going to Tylenol only, which I hope will also improve her mood.  Those drugs can alter personality and suppress appetite, which I think we have both.

We had our next 6 week Xray on Friday, so we're waiting to hear back from Dr. S about how her bone healing looks.  Pray for lots of re-growth and good hip position!