The Wait is OVER!

     The wait is FINALLY over… We made it to Froggie's appointment and headed back to have her X-ray done. She was really upset to even be laid down on the table and was even more upset that I left her with the technician and stood behind the wall while her X-ray was taken. She calmed down pretty quickly and was happy to go back out to the waiting room and play with Big Brother.

Playing in the waiting room.

     She weighed in at 18 pounds and we headed back into an exam room to wait for the doctor to read her X-ray and come let us know what that meant for Froggie. A nurse came in and reviewed Froggie's previous treatment with us before the doctor came in. The staff there are always so nice and genuinely interested in interacting with our kids.

Waiting to be seen

laughing with Big Brother and Hubby

Showing off her boo-boo's

Such a climber

     Froggie's doctor came in and said her hips were perfect! He said that we wouldn't need to return and that her treatment was officially over. He wanted to see her walk a little before he let us go and Froggie got pretty upset with being asked to preform for the staff but she walked across the exam room and then we headed back to get a copy of her X-ray since I keep them with her medical records.
     While Froggie and I were waiting we met another family who was going through treatment for Hip Dysplasia and I spoke with them about the Hip Hop 5K that I'm working to bring to the area. I spoke with the girl's mother for several minutes about the new policies at the hospital where I had Froggie and that I hoped her daughter's treatment was successful. I left my Healthy Hips For Life bracelet with her to show her some support and walked away feeling even more dedicated to the Hip Hop 5K and it's cause.
     My wrist felt naked for the rest of the day without my bracelet but we had a fun filled day after work. We went to the mall and I let the kids play in the play area there for awhile. We also went and picked up some chocolate and small stuffed animals as a celebration for our good news.
     While we were walking in the mall Froggie dropped her new toy (a small stuffed piglet) and when we turned around to check for it on the floor and with the shop we came from it was gone. After checking with customer service and security Hubby and I decided we were suckers for Froggie and went to buy another Piglet. The woman at the Hallmark store where we bought it was so nice, she gave Froggie the Piglet and thanked my husband for his service (since he had met us at the mall after leaving his office). We tried to pay for it but she refused to let us and after talking with her for a few minutes we found out that she was related to another sailor who Hubby has worked with.

Counting Down the Days

     Tomorrow…. Tomorrow morning we head back to Shriners, first for an X-ray and then to see the doctor once he's reviewed it. I have mixed feelings about tomorrows appointment because, much like her first X-ray, this appointment may be her last. I'm excited that her journey with hip dysplasia may finally be over but I'm also nervous that her X-ray may be abnormal or her doctor may not be happy with how she distributes her weight on the joints, or any one of a thousand things that would make tomorrow just the start of a new journey.
     Today, however, we went outside and enjoyed the clear sky. The kids ran around and played with a ball. Froggie did a lot of falling down but she was so excited to be able to explore outside. Big Brother loves to be able to run around and was sad that we had to head back home when Froggie started to get tired. (By tired I mean she was laying on the ground kicking her feet and would giggle and fall back down whenever she got up.) So tomorrow is another day but today we had lots of fun!

Froggie loved being outside today

playing ball

Love this little girl

They're so stinking cute!

Happy Valentine's Day!

     This morning we decked the kids out in they're Valentine's Day apparel and set them up on the couch to open up their goodie bags. We had gotten a book, cookies, pretzels and chocolates for each of the kids and then had bought The Jungle Book for them to share. Froggie also got her new hat this morning because I finally had time to finish it!

The hat

Hugging her baby doll

opening their gifts

Froggie LOVED her book and Big Brother liked the movie

of course she got frog chocolate

Frog chocolate

Froggie wearing her hat

Big Brother all decked out

     Later this morning Hubby came into work for Big Brother's classroom party, which just so happened to be combined with my classroom for today. While we were waiting to start Hubby went in to say hi to Froggie and she didn't want him to put her down so he took her with him out to Big Brother's party. It was a lot of fun and I think Froggie had a lot of fun hanging out with Hubby and crashing the party.

Froggie sitting with Hubby

Big Brother showing off his shirt

Coloring

Froggie walking with Hubby

The kids hanging out with Hubby

     I'm not sure if we are doing anything tonight (other than watching The Jungle Book) and Hubby and I exchanged our gifts last night since he was impatient and couldn't wait for me to open my gift today.
     One year ago we had our first trip to Shriner's Hospital with Froggie. There were no sonograms or X-rays at that visit and we had just met Froggie's doctor. She was tiny (13 days old) and her doctor did the same hip check on her that the pediatrician's in the hospital and or family doctor had all done previously; he came to the same conclusion as her other doctor's - something was not right. So we scheduled an appointment for a sonogram and headed out, we were given a Valentine (her first!) that was made by a local elementary school student and a stuffed bear that was as big as she was! Little did I know that with that appointment began our journey towards her treatment, this blog and my desire to spread the word about Hip Dysplasia.

February 14, 2013                                  February 14 2014

UPDATE: Froggie's Hips

     So, I know you've all been waiting all day to hear how Froggie's appointment went.
     We got moving a little early and dropped Big Brother off at school. He's always a little thrown off when he gets dropped off alone since we go in as a family every day. Hubby stayed in the car with Froggie since she had fallen asleep and we headed to her appointment from there.
     Traffic was not as bad as I thought it would be (read as we didn't get stuck behind as many buses as I thought we would) so we sat in the parking lot and talked while we drank our coffee for a few minutes. It was nice since Hubby and I don't get a lot of time to talk without the kids around. We will be going out in formal attire this weekend, but that's for a later blog.
     We got in and were quickly sent back to radiology. The ladies there were very nice and were exceptionally tolerant of Froggie's melt down. She has become very uncooperative for people she doesn't see very often and even though we have the same staff every time we go to Shriner's she was not happy to see any of them today.
     We got through the X-ray and there was a marker in the wrong spot. It didn't obstruct the view of the joint space, which is what Froggie's doctor wanted to look at, but they needed to check with the doctor before they sent us back to the main waiting room. Once they tracked down Froggie's doctor he said the image was readable and we were sent back to the waiting room.
     Froggie got to eat her oatmeal and watch the bubble wall while we waited. She really seemed to like the bubble wall and she REALLY likes being able to move herself around.
   

Bubble wall!

     We were taken back and Froggie weighed in at 16lbs 2oz and she is getting SO big. We were taken back to an exam room where we played with Froggie to keep her entertained. We hadn't ever been in this room and it had dolphins in the lights!

In the exam room

Dolphin light!

Hubby making Froggie smile

     Before Froggie's doctor came in the nurse and an intern came in to talk with us and check on Froggie. The intern wanted to do a hip exam on Froggie and she once again went into a melt down. Screaming, tears, batting at anything and anyone.... As soon as I picked her up she patted me and smiled.
     Froggie's doctor came in and said that her X-rays looked good and there was a consensus that her hips were stable and still in the proper position. Her treatment is officially considered over and she will have to go back only one more time in 6 months (once she's walking) to have one last X-ray.
     On our way out we took Froggie's picture with the Frog statue in front of the hospital. Overall it was a great day!

Froggie and the Froggy

Counting Down the Days

     One week from now I will be packing up for Thursday morning a little differently. I will be preparing to leave a little earlier in the morning so that I can drop Big Brother off at school before heading away from work to return to Shriners Hospital for the first time since July.
     We will be heading in for an X-ray to determine whether Froggie's hips are still at the proper angle. Hopefully it will be the last trip we have to make for a check up and I'm not really sure what the treatment option would be if things are not still lined up. But we will just play it by ear and hope for the best.
     Here's a picture of my cute sleepy Froggie... just because.

2 Weeks

     Well, in 2 weeks I will be posting another update regarding Froggie's hips... We go in for an X-ray and possibly our last appointment with her doctor. Now that she's a little more mobile I worry that she may have messed up her progress. Though I suppose if she's going to do anything to her hips it's better for her to do it now before she goes in for this set of x-rays.
    Let the countdown begin!

11 Weeks in the harness

     Well today was our appointment. We checked in and headed back to radiology. Froggie laid on the table while the tech held her still and another tech and I stood behind the wall to take the x-ray. Once they made sure there was a clear image we headed back out to the main waiting room. A few minutes later they took us back and weighed Froggie in. She was 13lb 15oz.
     We got settled in the exam room with the fish light and waited. The nurse came in to check on us and see how Froggie was doing with the harness. She left saying that her doctor would be in after reviewing the X-ray. Froggie was being a little grumpy so I nursed her and she fell asleep so I wrapped her up and put her on the exam table to sleep and I continued my wait.

     The doctor came in and after saying hello to me said "well, the X-ray is normal". He then offered to show it to me, so the nurse stayed with Froggie while I headed out to the computer to look at the X-ray. He showed me her image from today next to her image from April. Her sockets look noticeably different; more curved rather than straight lines. He was looking for angles near 30°. Her left hip was right at 30° and her right hip is at 29°!
     We headed back to the exam room where he unwrapped Froggie and adjusted her harness to ensure a proper fit. He noted that even though he increased the harness' length and allotted her more room she still held her hips at the old setting. He said he wanted us to have her wear it for only bed time for the next month and then discontinue wearing it all together! He took her out of the harness and when he handed it back to me he reminded me that it could be washed as needed. He and the nurse laughed a little when I told them we do clean it. Froggie's doctor went on to say that he can tell which kids wear their harness/braces by how stained they are.

     I asked about Froggie's odd habit of turning her foot and after wiggling her around a little he said not to worry about it. He went on to explain that it was essentially her version of sticking her toes in her mouth. 

     He initially said he wanted to see us again when she was a year old and possibly walking then he changed his mind and said he'd like to see her in 3 months. At our next appointment (in October!) Froggie will have another X-ray done and we'll meet with her doctor to make sure that her angles are still "normal".  We then packed up and Froggie got to leave in pants!

     She really enjoyed her first day harness free and spent a lot of time playing on the floor. She really napped for the first time in 3 months without the harness. She liked having free toes so much that she curled them around the slats on the crib. She also started showing off how flexible she is.

Tomorrow's The Day!

     Well tomorrow morning I will be dropping off Big Brother and taking Froggie to her appointment. When we get there we'll go back for an X-ray. This will determine whether or not Froggie needs continued treatment and what (if any) treatment that may mean. I will also be asking about Froggie's new habit of twisting her legs.
     I'm pretty anxious about our appointment; especially since the last time we went in for an X-ray I thought it would be the end of our journey with Hip Dysplasia. It obviously was not and was the start of this blog and a lot of the things I have brewing in the back of my mind.
     I'm holding out hope for tomorrow though and packing pants/shorts for Froggie. I'm hoping she can go to just wearing the harness at night or not needing it at all.

Let the Countdown Begin

     Today is Monday and that means that in just 4 days (counting today) Froggie will be re-evaluated. She goes in Thursday morning to have an x-ray done to see where her hips are at. I'm trying not to go into this appointment expecting it to be our last. Especially since I know it wont be.
     Even if Froggie's hips have improved it's not likely that they will just say ok, you don't have to wear the harness at all anymore. Sometimes kids move to just wearing the harness at night once their hips are in a good position. If she can be harness free after this appointment she will most likely have to return for follow up visits once she begins to crawl and walk to ensure that everything is still in place.
     The other option available to us is continued treatment. I'm not sure what that would look like as there are a variety of options. Froggie would probably not continue to use the harness once she begins to roll over because he doctor does not feel it's as effective as they get strong enough to manipulate themselves around the harness.

     Anyway, here's your daily dose of Froggie. I promised myself that I would never be one of those parents to put crazy ponytails in their kids hair but it's getting pretty long into her face so I bought those tiny hair bands last night...

Teeth AND a ponytail... what happened to my baby?

Clinical Check

     This morning was a clinical check for Froggie. This means we were just going in to make sure she was still tolerating the harness and that it was fitting the right way.

     We got there early and headed in quickly to avoid the rain. After a few minutes in the waiting room we were taken back and Froggie was weighed in at 13lb 2oz. We were then escorted to our typical exam room and waited for Froggie's doctor to review her files and come in. 

     I had mentioned to the nurses that I was concerned about a popping/snapping sound that occasionally came from Froggie's right leg. After she went to add it to Froggie's file Froggie and I returned to making faces at each other and playing with her blankie and frog. I also requested copies of Froggie's X-ray and Ultrasound to keep with all of her records (I walked out with them on CD at the end of our appointment!).

     Froggie's doctor adjusted her harness back to the looser original settings that he had tightened at our las appointment. We were once again reminded to keep up with tummy time and Froggie's doctor took a closer look at her hips to see if anything was causing the noise. He wiggled her legs all around and said that everything felt ok and it may be the ligaments in her knee. He mentioned that the harness isn't able to properly do its' job once Froggie starts to roll over and move more. What I took away from this is that Froggie would then be able to put herself in a position that would keep her hips from laying in the way the harness is supposed to keep them.

Froggie checking out her feet.

     When I explained to the doctor that Froggie is starting to roll from side to side and if her harness is off she can roll from her belly to her back he mentioned that he would like her to wear the harness for another month but at her next check we would do X-rays to check her progress. So July 11th we find out what the fate of the harness is!

Tummy time at school after her appointment.

     This evening Big Brother was showing his little sister the wonderful world of his cars. He even let her hold his brand new Mater!

Eating Mater!

Shriners Hospital for Children Community Open House

     Today was a community open house at the Shriners Hospital where Froggie is receiving treatment for her hips. We thought we would go and check out all that they had going on and show our support for the wonderful organization that we have come to love for all they have done for us.

     We went a little later in the open house but still got to experience some pretty awesome things. As soon as we crossed the street Big Brother was excited to see the parking lot full of the cars set up for the car show.     

Picture with the ZZ Top car

Checking out the cars with Grandma

     We headed inside to catch the craft tables, clothing sales and self guided tours before they shut them down. On our way in we got to listen a little to some young entertainers singing broadway tunes. We missed out on the roaming magician, zoo animals and clowns but I'm sure they were tons of fun for those who showed up earlier in the morning.

Some young entertainers

     Big Brother, Froggie and I showed my mother around the hospital. She had been there when my sister was younger and her legs were turned inward but things had changed a lot since then. His favorite part was showing her the boat and train table!

Driving the boat

Froggie and I touring

     After our tour and my purchase of a new Steelers bib each for Froggie and Big Brother we headed back outside to listen to the band.

The Zem Zem Band

     While outside with the band we encountered an AMAZING little girl. We had watched a video of her story while Big Brother played at the train table with her but she had left the room before they interacted much. Her family had sought out treatment at Shriners after receiving advice from professionals that they did not believe was their only option. She has been receiving treatment since she was born and uses a significant lift in her shoe as well as a crutch but boy can she dance! We ran into her again when we went outside and she asked Big Brother to dance with her. He became shy and got quiet, not that you could really hear him over the band anyway, and asked about her lift as well as the brace that reached up her leg. She did not seem bothered by his asking and showed off her brace and explained it all to he and I the best way that a young child can. He was still resistant to dance with her but didn't hide from her either and she turned her interest to Froggie. Several staff and Shriners had noticed that she had her harness on and were excited that she was "one of ours" and there today. I explained Froggie's situation to our new friend and even took her out of the Ergo to show how her harness worked. She excitedly told me that she was getting a baby sister this summer and smiled at Froggie while asking a few more questions about her harness. We listened to the band a little longer and headed out to lunch.

     It was a great event and it gave the public a chance to see how great the people and facility are, which is something we already knew!

In front of the sign on our way out