The Springs Are Out!!

 Luke had his final procedure a couple of weeks ago to remove his springs. The procedure took about 30 minutes, not counting prep and recovery. We arrived at the hospital at 6 am and pulled back into our driveway at 11:30 am. Not too shabby, especially considering the fact that the hospital is 90 minutes away. They are incredibly efficient at Brenner/Baptist and I love it.

Scan taken the day before surgery. Please excuse the coffee stain.

Happy boy. The morning of surgery.

Moments before he was taken back.

Recovery

I was brought back into recovery to hold him as he woke up. Being the only parent in the recovery area I felt pretty privileged. He did great and only fussed a couple of minutes after he woke up. Several nurses stopped by to tell me how cute and sweet he was. They were also pretty obsessed with his meaty thighs. 

We were told that we could expect up to 3 days of recovery time, meaning that he could be really drowsy and in pain for that long. However, our little trooper was back to his old self later that same day. He did nap a little more than normal but when he was awake he wanted to get down and play. 

He was given pain meds at the hospital but we gave him only a normal dose of Infant Ibuprofen later that afternoon and one during the night. After that he seemed to be pretty much recovered. The next day we actually went out and did a little thrifting with my parents and he did great! 

A little Yo Gabba Gabba with Grampa the morning after surgery.

Just over 24 hours after surgery. No drowsiness, no nausea, no swelling, and no pain!

 

 We go back in a couple of months to follow up on the complete closure of Luke's soft spots and for another scan. After that we only have to go back yearly. Thank you so much for your prayers and thoughts during this hurdle. As always, if there's anyone you know who might benefit from reading Luke's story, please send them the link!

Merry Christmas from the Parkers!

A couple of scary moments.

So I decided it was probably a good idea to share some of the "hiccups" we've experienced along the way since Luke's surgery. While we are 100% happy with the process and the results, there were still some moments that weren't cake.

The bone that makes up a baby's little skull is very thin. One of the places where the springs are attached started to sort of curl the morning after surgery. Dr. Thompson said that the bone there had actually kind of chipped a bit, but that the spring remained securely in place. We watched it closely and thankfully it never became an issue. There are 4 bumps on his head where the springs attach and the one that curled is noticeably taller, however his hair covers it completely.

A family photo in the pumpkin patch. I LOVE Luke's crazy hair.

The other moment that was a bit on the scary side was the day that I got Luke up from his morning nap and there was a spot of blood on the top of his head near the front incision. After a frantic call to our surgeon and a spur of the moment trip to Winston, it turned out to be no big deal. I have a mesh breathable bumper in his crib... Luke always seems to burrow his head into the corner of the bed when he sleeps... so he actually got a tiny piece of scab (from the incision) caught in the mesh crib bumper. This caused some bleeding but Luke never seemed to be in any pain at all and was playing happily while I dissolved into a puddle of (irrational) tears. After a thorough exam, Dr. Thompson just had a nurse dab a little ointment on his head and sent us on our way.

Our last minute, makeshift costume for Luke's first Halloween. Who doesn't love a tiny robot?

Our kids put us through a lot, don't they? (Sorry Mom... I see how it feels now!) At times it's easy to feel like bad parents in the moments that are hard or painful for our kids, even when we know we're doing what's best for them. We scheduled Luke's surgery to remove the springs and I already feel terrible about putting him through the needles and the anesthesia and the recovery. Please keep us in your prayers.

Also, please keep in prayer a sweet little boy named Alex as well as his family (The Velasco family are Missionaries to Mexico). I met his Mom recently through mutual friends and he's getting ready to have surgery soon. I know they would appreciate your thoughts and prayers as they make big decisions and start on this journey with little Alex.

~Roseanna