Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Spica Hell: Suck fest 2012

Cast day 5.

Every year for the past few years we seem to get lobbed a shitty circumstance that is totally out of the ordinary to what other people 'generally' have to deal with and Brian and I and our families have to navigate through it and hope like hell we can hold it together.

Now so far, the spica cast hasn't been quite the same hell that a dead baby (2010) and an endangered pregnancy and subsequent 50 day NICU stay (2011) was...but hey, we're less than 2 weeks into January!

Last Friday Kaia went in to surgery at around 11am. Brian and I found this step more stressful than we had anticipated. I was awake since 3:15 that morning because I couldn't sleep and we had Kaia up at 5:45am to eat her last bottle before she was "NPO" (nil per os = no food, a fancy way to describe torture to a baby). It was really weird walking into the hospital where I work and being the parent of a child having surgery. One of the nurses I use to work with was the first person I saw walking into the day surgery unit where Kaia was scheduled that morning and I hadn't seen her since I left the NICU in 2010. She didn't know about either Aidan and Kaia, so after regaling her with that long story (and almost having her in tears), she made a big fuss about how cute Kaia was and how this spica cast thing won't come close to the ordeals we've had in the past.

True...I guess...but it's still pretty sucky.

After Kaia's surgery we were whisked down for an urgent MRI. Apparently Kaia had woken up from the anesthetic in the recovery room screaming, and they were afraid something was wrong with her hip position. However, the MRI went well and the hip is in place in the cast. Now we just have to wait 12 weeks and hope that her pelvic bone grows sufficiently around the ball of her femer creating a working hip.

We brought her home the next day (Saturday), and it's only today (Tuesday) that Kaia seems more herself. Last night was the worst night yet. She was SO upset and cried from about 10:30pm to 1:30am and finally fell asleep only after we dosed her with the morphine the hospital gave us a prescription for. Kaia's never been exactly 'easy' to settle at night, but this was TOTALLY over the top. I was one dose of morphine away from calling the orthopedic resident on call at the hospital and yelling at him "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SWEET BABY?"

Let's hope tonight's a better night and Kaia returns to her happy normal self.

Cuz if not, this is going to be a LOOOONNNNGGGG 3 months.

9 comments:

  1. I've been thinking about you guys and hoping things were going ok. I bet poor Kaia will adjust to her new situation after she gets a bit more used to it. At least the surgery went ok and her hip is where it should be for now. Wishing you all an easier night!

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  2. Oh, hang in there mama, Kaia, and your husband too! All of this is so very much. I too hope Kaia is able to adjust to life with the cast without too many more sleepless, crying nights.

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  3. Poor little Kaia. Keeping you all in my thoughts.
    xo

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  4. This sounds incredibly hard to deal with. What an ordeal! I think that you guys are so strong, and you will do very well taking her through this rocky time, but my goodness, I think you deserve a break already!!!

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  5. I've been thinking of you, wondering how it's going. I hope the next 3 months fly by and that the cast helps Kaia.

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  6. The time will fly by! I have been reading for quite a long time and rarely comment, but I KNEW you would have this baby - happy and almost all the way healthy - and after this little stint, it will be smooth sailing for sure! I'd love to see pictures of the casting - if it isn't too intrusive - just really curious as far as the medical aspect of it, really. She is already super cute, she won't remember a thing abouut all this when she is older, and although I am sure it is torture on you right now, it will get easier as time passes. Just keep it together for her and yourselves - and ask for help if you need it! Cheers.

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  7. Ugh, thinking of your sweet girl and hoping that each day gets a little easier.

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  8. Oh sweet Kaia.. I am thinking of you baby girl and hoping that healing comes quickly. Hugs...

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  9. Oh poor little Kaia. Glad to hear that its in the right place and I hope that her bones grows quickly. I hope she's settling more easily now, I'm sure it will be a long 12 weeks :( Poor little dear, it must be so hard for you and Brian to see her so upset xo

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