During our hiatus, on December 1, 2015, Kyle had a bilateral derotational osteotomy. For those playing along at home who don't speak orthopedics, this is a fancy way of saying he had the tibia bones in his legs (lower leg bones) surgically rotated to the correct positioning. Kyle had what is known as tibial torsion in both legs (bilateral). Now, tibial torsion is very common in young children. It's what gives toddler legs their bowed appearance. Most children either totally work out their torsion by about three years old or have had their torsion begin to improve to a degree that their doctor isn't concerned. Kyle's legs had been rotated to -15 and +5 degrees consistently since he was first looked at for it when he was 3 years old. They had never improved, and it was to the point where, after all the other procedures, interventions, and therapies we'd done to correct his clubbed feet, we knew the continuing issue with correcting his feet and thus enabling him to walk more correctly was the tibia torsion issue. Basically, your bones hold the muscles in place. If your bones aren't correctly positioned, your muscles, tendons, etc. won't be either. Untwist the bones and the rest will follow, essentially.
The day after his surgery found Kyle in thigh high casts (rainbow colored, because of course) and unable to get around on his own. The King was born on November 10, 2015 by c-section. I was still in recovery and not able to assist Kyle in and out of bed. We were still in the hospital. Kyle was a two person lift. His nurse, M, didn't wait for assistance and dropped him in full view of myself, my mother, and Kyle's doctor, who were speaking about his expected course of recovery and projected release at the time.
This left one of the pins in Kyle's left leg, which was holding his surgically broken bones together, bent.
To say this didn't bode well is an understatement.
Fast forward three months to today.
I took the kids to the park after we picked Kyle up from school. I had noticed a tendency for Kyle's lower legs to look red and splotchy since he came out of his casts about three weeks ago. Today, at the park, they were red, splotchy, swollen, and he was complaining of pain. To add insult to injury, the poor child had an asthma attack. Guess what we didn't have?
If you said a new inhaler, you're right.
So, I called his doctor and rushed him in to see her. (He has six doctors. I'm currently talking about Dr. C, his pediatrician, who is much closer than our beloved Dr. F, the orthopedist, although he did receive a phone call from both me and Dr. C.) After consulting and discussing and congratulating Mom for taking pictures of his legs, which already looked much better by the time I'd driven him the half hour from our town to her office (she is located in the town we used to live in and we adore her. When you're a special needs parent, you do what you can not to lose good doctors. I'll drive half an hour quite happily to see her.), so the pictures I'd taken allowed Dr. C to see what I had been seeing when I called her office to come in, we have figured out what's going on.
Kyle is allergic to pollen, first off. Let's clear that up. And it's spring, so pollen is everywhere.
Anyways. Kyle's legs were red, splotchy, and swollen because his circulation is absolute crap in his legs now. Dr. C believes the asthma attack, which he hasn't had in months, was triggered by a combination of pollen allergy and being too hot- although it was 80 outside and the child was bright red from the heat, he wasn't sweating at all. His sweat glands are damaged from all this.
Although Kyle has finally gotten his wish (aside from the scars and a lurching gait, he at last looks more like his friends), this puts us behind again. Three steps forward, two steps back. He looks better, but he now has chronic issues he didn't have before that we can't do much about.
Kyle says, "It's okay, Mom. I don't mind. More stuff to teach my friends about!" (That would be all of you, by the by. Kyle calls each and every one of you, most of whom he doesn't know, his friends.)
This entry has been read to and approved by Kyle.
The day after his surgery found Kyle in thigh high casts (rainbow colored, because of course) and unable to get around on his own. The King was born on November 10, 2015 by c-section. I was still in recovery and not able to assist Kyle in and out of bed. We were still in the hospital. Kyle was a two person lift. His nurse, M, didn't wait for assistance and dropped him in full view of myself, my mother, and Kyle's doctor, who were speaking about his expected course of recovery and projected release at the time.
This left one of the pins in Kyle's left leg, which was holding his surgically broken bones together, bent.
To say this didn't bode well is an understatement.
Fast forward three months to today.
I took the kids to the park after we picked Kyle up from school. I had noticed a tendency for Kyle's lower legs to look red and splotchy since he came out of his casts about three weeks ago. Today, at the park, they were red, splotchy, swollen, and he was complaining of pain. To add insult to injury, the poor child had an asthma attack. Guess what we didn't have?
If you said a new inhaler, you're right.
So, I called his doctor and rushed him in to see her. (He has six doctors. I'm currently talking about Dr. C, his pediatrician, who is much closer than our beloved Dr. F, the orthopedist, although he did receive a phone call from both me and Dr. C.) After consulting and discussing and congratulating Mom for taking pictures of his legs, which already looked much better by the time I'd driven him the half hour from our town to her office (she is located in the town we used to live in and we adore her. When you're a special needs parent, you do what you can not to lose good doctors. I'll drive half an hour quite happily to see her.), so the pictures I'd taken allowed Dr. C to see what I had been seeing when I called her office to come in, we have figured out what's going on.
Kyle is allergic to pollen, first off. Let's clear that up. And it's spring, so pollen is everywhere.
Anyways. Kyle's legs were red, splotchy, and swollen because his circulation is absolute crap in his legs now. Dr. C believes the asthma attack, which he hasn't had in months, was triggered by a combination of pollen allergy and being too hot- although it was 80 outside and the child was bright red from the heat, he wasn't sweating at all. His sweat glands are damaged from all this.
Although Kyle has finally gotten his wish (aside from the scars and a lurching gait, he at last looks more like his friends), this puts us behind again. Three steps forward, two steps back. He looks better, but he now has chronic issues he didn't have before that we can't do much about.
Kyle says, "It's okay, Mom. I don't mind. More stuff to teach my friends about!" (That would be all of you, by the by. Kyle calls each and every one of you, most of whom he doesn't know, his friends.)
This entry has been read to and approved by Kyle.
Kyle, the week before Christmas, shared by his request
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