The Holidays--Hips and Eyes

 We went to Utah for Christmas and Kate had a great time playing with all of her cousins.  She is playing model with her cousin Mckell at the Union Train Station where we froze our patooties off in the name of family pictures.

I received a call from Dr. Wenger's office right before Arthur Christmas was about to start.  I ran out of the theater so I could hear him.  This was one of the Dr.'s working with Dr. Wenger,  not the man himself.  He said that after they had a meeting with other docs in orthopedics,  it was decided that Kate will need hip surgery on both sides.  The big, once a month meeting was actually canceled, so I guess this was just with the guys from Rady Children's.  He said that the left leg is worse than the right one and should be operated on first.  Her femur head is not only heading into her pelvic bone,  it is also misaligned.  I heard the words growth plates and steel plates.  I was squatting down on the floor with my knees up to my chest and was starting to think that maybe I shouldn't look like I was having issues so I can't tell you everything about that part of the conversation.

What I do remember is that she will have a cast that goes up to her waist,  it will bend at the waist,  and then down her leg.  Not sure how that works,  guess I'll find out.  She cannot use crutches because she can't put ANY weight on her leg so we are looking at 6 weeks in a wheelchair for EACH leg.  They can space the surgeries weeks to months apart, or they can do them just two weeks apart and she will be fully cast up each leg but your recovery time is cut down. He also said it wasn't an emergency,  but that we should schedule within or a month or so.  That feels like an emergency to me.   We go back to the Dr. on the 9th and get the details and figure out the best way to schedule the surgeries. Kate has always complained of pain in her thighs,  we even had an x-ray of them a few years ago,  her pediatrician said it must be growing pains.  I did ask the Dr. if her thigh pain could be referred from her pelvic/femur issues and the answer was yes. That is such a bummer,  I should be happy to have a cause I guess,  but I'm not.   I haven't told Kate yet.  I will before we go to the Dr.  Do not want to have that conversation and I need to be emotionally ready for it for her sake.  Still waiting for that to happen.

 In the meantime,  we got two kittens for Christmas.  Don't ask.  They sure make Kate smile.  Totally worth it. The black one is Bagheera,  and the ragdoll mix is Indy.   I am hoping that they will help distract her during her time in a wheelchair.  IF the cast only goes to her knee,  I am hoping to take her to Disneyland and go on the easy rides if she feels well enough. Zoo outings?  

I am just going to pull her out of school.  She is a smart kid,  I'm sure we can handle a little home school.  Hopefully have some play dates with friends to watch movies and play games, etc.  This also means that my going back to school will be put on hold most likely.  I'll know for sure when we schedule the surgery.  I hate typing that word,  surgery.

Kate is being fitted with her second pair of contacts on Wednesday.  I'm torn about this.  I'm told that surgery sooner might be best.  Insert screaming here.