Our Red Thread: Two Weeks Post Op. (Recovering at home... part 2 of 3)

As I sit here typing this update, I realized that exactly two weeks ago , I was typing from the surgical waiting room at Hershey Medical Center.

Lucy’s recovery continues to be going extremely well. She's making daily forward progress. On Monday, April 21^st , Lucy, John-Merle and I went to her physical therapy evaluation. I wheeled Lucy into the building in the wheelchair and big brother kindly carried her little walker. While waiting for the therapist, Lucy wanted to walk around and check out the toys. Not wanting to squelch the desire to be mobile, I took her out of the chair and put her in front of the walker. She was motoring along fabulously and that day was the last of the wheelchair (at least until next surgery), it was put away!

By Wednesday afternoon, she was bravely taking a few steps without her little walker! This has built her confidence and today (Thursday) she’s not using her walker much at all. I anticipate it too will be put away very soon.

I’ve only been giving her Motrin or Tylenol a few times each day. All of her steri-strips have fallen off and her surgery site looks so good. I’ve been putting vitamin E over it a few times daily. (hoping this might minimize scarring?! The incision is about 7 inches long.

The physical therapist told me she's going to be suggesting twice a week therapy to get her "back to baseline." If she continues making the progress she's currently making each day, I think she'll be back at baseline within the next week!

Picture taken the night before surgery

And......after ..... :*(

On Easter Sunday it was beautiful outdoors and Merle and I took the boys and Lucy to a nearby rail trail. We put the boys bikes in the back of the Suburban along with Lucy’ wheelchair. Not long into our walk, Lucy repeatedly told us she wanted to ride bike too. Without much thought, I replied “you have to walk first, then you can ride a bike.” LESSON LEARNED. Don’t tell this spunky little girl “this then this” because she will remind you over and over what you said. Four year old's have a very different concept of time. Having almost 100 stitches, the bike riding isn't gonna be happening as quickly as she'd like. But, no doubt in the near future they'll be a little Asian pre-schooler flying around on a bike in our driveway.

Lucy is scheduled for her post op. visit with Dr. Dias, her neuro surgeon on Monday, May 5th. We expect him to be very pleased with his little patient's progress!

More random photos from our week!