Already one week since PERCS!

Brendan is doing well. Brendan enjoyed the trip down. We went out to eat and he got to sleep in a hotel. He wasn't nervous or anxious until the morning which was good. He knows what 'surgery' means now and he never knows how he will wake up feeling which gets him upset. I can totally understand. He was upset heading into the surgerical room and yelled at his anesthesiologist and said "I don't like you!". Probably not the person you want to say that too BUT I think he understood ;).

He was away from us for about two hours. I think waiting is the hardest part. In my head I know this isn't a major surgery but I also know anything could go wrong. The mother in me I guess. Everything went well. The Dr. did have trouble getting a good alochol block into his adductors due to some scarring from his hip surgeries. I can tell that he had difficulty because his hips are not that loose. Recovery took a while. Brendan kept throwing up even though they gave him medicine twice. His heart rate was also high and no one knows why. He couldn't go home for a long time due to his high rate. I think we got to leave around 2pm and surgery was at 7:30am. Not too bad I guess. The ride home was LONG and he threw up a lot. He didn't fell well and he had to pee 5 times. Thank goodness I was smart enough to ask for that pee bottle. He had to wear knee immobilizers for 24 hours along with foot casts so taking him to a public bathroom was not easy. Not to mention he was in pain!

Recovery wasn't too bad. He didn't seem in that much pain but he has horrific bruising. Bruising so bad I sent pictures to his Dr. His entire thigh became bruised over the past week and under a knee. I spoke with his Dr. and I guess his bloodwork showed a high number that relates to his anticoagulating plateletts. That was the reason for the bruising which apparently his Dr. didn't look at until after I emailed him pictures. Why do bloodwork if they don't even look at it?? What if it was major surgery and my kid lost a ton of blood? I am not very happy but I can't even let myself go there. I just have to be thankful that he is okay. The bruising is finally looking better but he was purple almost black and it was awful!! Still is but it is getting better.

He is very weak. He doesn't walk to walk or do therapy. He had PT last night for the first time and I had to leave the room so he would actually work without crying. He walked more today than he has all week.

He is so STRAIGHT!!! I have never seen his little body stand so straight. He looks awesome. He is constantly sitting up in bed on his bum and it is a great site to see. He never can just sit up and be comfortable. I am excited. I hope that he can actaully gain some leg muscles and get stronger and walk better over the next year. I also have a goal that he will stand unassisted at least for a few seconds within the next year! We shall see!!!!!

He has to wear knee immoblizers at night for the next month which is nothing new for us. He is also casted for one month. He is having new AFO's made and already started therapy so we are on the road to recovery! He has been such a champ through this entire thing. He is amazing. He almost never complains. He doesn't act like he has pain which I know he does. He is the toughest little boy!! I love you Brendan!

PERCS on Tuesday!!

The time has already come. We head to NJ tomorrow after his cardiologist apt. I am not super nervous yet but I am always calm right before the surgery, except for the hip surgery...that was very emotional. I am still excited that it may actually help him and he will be able to walk easier. I am rying not to get my hopes up because I have no idea how his body will react but in the back of my mind I can't help but think this could change his life. I guess we will see soon enough. I guess we will enter a new phase in our lives. It seems like life is forever changing as the kids grow. I am enjoying their ages right now. Brendan is becoming quite the character lately. He is all boy sometimes and was very funny while out to dinner the other night. He kept whispering things in my ear to tell my husband like "you smell like poop" (hey I told you ALL boy). He would crack up when my husband would whisper something back just as fowl. It is really nice to see him continue to progress no matter in what way. :)

Think of us, wish us luck and pray if you do. I will update afterwards.

Oh The Compulsive Behavior!!!

I love Brendan to death but he can really make my mood go from a 1 to a 10 within seconds!! He has always had this issue with opening and closing doors, pushing buttons, and now banging on walls! It can really drive one insane. The real reason I go nuts is because he won't stop! He won't listen! He just keeps opening...slamming....opening....slamming or bang bang bang bang on the wall! I just don't get it. It must be part of his ADHD. He can not have a button or something with buttons in front of him or he has to touch them 10000 times!

I decided I don't like flipping out and screaming at the kid and in all honestly that doesn't even work. It may work coming out of his dad or stepdad's mouth but not mine. It never really has so I put my big pants on and decided a new tactic. What will make this kid listen??? Take away the one thing he is obsessed with right now...You Tube. Oh and guess what? It worked!!! For the time being.

I can't blame the kid because back when he was 3 years old I put him in his stander which happened to be next to his bedroom closet door and he realized he could open and shut it. This was one of the first times mommy got a break and sine he was happy in his room in his stander I thought what is the big deal? Well in this new house the front door doesn't have a deadbolt and he can open and close it....hard! It drives me a bit nutty within seconds. He has been better witht he door but he recently watched his Uncle rip down a wall and build a new one for us so my new washer and dryer could fit nicely in their little closet. Well he has been banging on walls to build like Uncle Robby for a week now. At first it was cute and he was just banging the floor. This banging moved to the walls and got very loud and very annoying. So the yelling began. The time out in his room and then my ah ha moment. I am going to take away you tube!

This morning I calmly talked to him before he even got in his wheelchair and told him we can not bang on walls and he asked why so I explained and then I asked what would happen if he banged on walls and he said you will take away my cars (he watches them on you tube) and I said yes that is right. So I know he totally understands. He did try for most of the morning but he did start up once. I told him this was his warning and that he would not be able to watch his cars after school and he stopped!! Oh my goodness it works!!! He has always handled calm discipline better than yelling but sometimes I have to remind myself instead of getting all stressed out and just yelling at him I need to try something that works for him.

Being a mom is hard work!! Thank goodness I love it!