My tough little dude…

So life has been speeding past at breakneck speed and we’re now already nearly 2 weeks post spica cast removal. 

Getting through the 3 weeks of the spica cast was not easy.  In fact it was hell.  There was so much happening all at once that there were a few moments when I just cracked.  It was not always pretty.  But we found ways to deal with the situation and managed to cope and survive it all relatively sane.  I will do a post soon on how to survive the spica cast days, in case someone ever finds this blog and needs some help as we did, but today I want to focus on how amazing my little boy is.

When the cast was first fitted we were told that once it came off, that little people “get on with it very quickly” and “don’t need much help” so I guess I was expecting him to do just that and get up and walk very soon once the cast came off.  The reality is actually very different to what you expect and build up in your head.  I think part of the process is that you are so damn focused on getting to the point of having the cast removed that you forget that there is still work to do once the blimming thing comes off.

Last pic of K in his spica – about 5 mins before removal

There were two things that I was not prepared for.  How LIGHT my boy would be after the removal (one gets used to lugging close to 23kg’s around all day) and how THIN he was.  I expected his legs to be thinner but I was really shocked to see how his total body mass had deteriorated in those 3 weeks.

skinny body

That said my little warrior would put slight pressure on his leg when you would make him stand from about an hour after spica removal and was sitting on his own beautifully.  I had read (God bless Google) that often children coming out of spica cast’s need to regain muscle strength to sit on their own and would need support but thankfully Kade was fine immediately in that department.

Off we went home where it was heaven to BATH him properly for the first time in 3 weeks.  His chafing sores had healed well under the cast from the bed sore cream we had been using and his chafing on his legs was not as severe as I had seen in my research.  It took 2 days for my warrior to find the confidence to stand supporting himself on the coffee table and was soon rolling around on the floor like a monkey.  But still not ready to put pressure on that leg or to even attempt to walk.

Standing for the first time sans spica cast

I am happy to say that with each passing day this little dude has managed to surprise and impress me with his tenacity.  From figuring out how to leopard bum shuffle to get around to pulling himself up to walking tentatively whilst holding our hands to slowly, slowly walking on his own.  He is pretty much walking on his own now.  He still has balance wobblies every now and then and sometimes has a slight limp when he walks (mostly when Mom or Dad are watching) but we are so very proud with how well our son has dealt with his recovery. 

His smile makes the whole ordeal worth it.  The pride we feel when we can see how proud he is that he’s doing something “big” again is just amazing.

Tomorrow we see our orthopedic surgeon for a follow up appointment to ensure that Kade’s progress is where it should be after spica removal and we will be told whether he needs any physio. 

It’s funny you know, with all that life has thrown at me of late, my tough little dude has taught me that with a smile and a good heart, anything can be overcome.  Whether it be a broken femur or a broken heart, life goes on and we just need to tackle it with as much joy and fervour as we can muster. 

It won’t always be fun and easy (I’ve only posted the good pics, there are many with moany faces) but it’s worth it in the end…