Pushing Forward

It feels like literally eons since I last posted. Maybe because it has been. Life has been crazy busy and since they moved up the surgery from the 14th of January to the 31st of December.....we have been in hyper-drive!

I went ahead and did the Cheesecakes for David again! I wasn't going to but several talked me into it. It was amazing and overwhelming as I had about 310 orders. There was about 2 full weeks of baking 12-16 hours a day....but I was grateful for every second. It is up in the air as to what post operative things such as physical therapy will be covered....so every cent earned will help.

I finished my last cheesecake at 4 a.m. the 23rd. I did my Christmas shopping that afternoon, got my last cheesecake picked up/delivered on the 24th, wrapped gifts and greeted Santa with a smile come 1 a.m. Christmas morning. We had a nice though sleep deprived Christmas day and then yesterday at 5:30 a.m. we headed to St. Louis for Davids pre-surgery consult with his doctor and anesthesiologist.

I have to say that either I am just getting more proficient at making that St. Louis drive or yesterday's drive was just easier. The traffic was almost non-existant both coming and going and the trip although longer coming home than going....went very smoothly. This time instead of going to Shriners we went to St. Louis Children's hospital where our new Shriners doctor (Dr. Schenicker) has offices.

First we saw the anesthesiologist who will be working with David! He had obviously read David's chart from cover to cover as he knew every detail of his last surgery. He told me why he felt that David's heart rate had remained so high last time and why he felt that he aspirated. He had blood drawn on David yesterday as he said that since David had to be given blood transfusions during the last surgery he wanted to make sure that he hadn't developed any anti-bodies towards the blood. If he has...then they will have to go a different route with blood products. He didn't anticipate any anti-bodies but if there were some....he wanted to know now and not during surgery!

Then we saw the doctor. He and a resident checked David's legs and hips out thoroughly. What we came up with is that they will not be doing anything to his legs. They will be focused on his hips. They will go in and remove the plates and then adjust his hips and replate them. I asked the doctor about casting him as this is what I was told they would do last time. He said that it was a possibility but he wouldn't know for sure until he got in there and saw what he was working with. Basically if he feels that casting David is the best way to go he will do it and if not....then he won't. After doing these surgeries for about 50 years and being responsible for literally thousands of kids walking.....I trust him.

The best news was the fact that since they are doing only the hips....the surgery should be a much shorter one. They also seem to think that the recovery will not be as painful and if all goes as expected (please God let it!) then we should be home in a couple of days. I am good with that!

Thanks to some amazing people, David already has a wheelchair and a hospital bed. We are good to go and won't be scrambling at a distance this time. I also have a much better understanding of both his surgery and his recovery this time. While my stomach is still in knots and will remain that way until he is back home and recovering well, this time at least....I am not a basket case with no idea what we are walking into. Still....I am praying constantly that all goes as planned and we don't have any unexpected Elam wrenches thrown into the mix!!!!

After surgery, David will still be attending school....it will just be home bound where his para and his therapy teachers will be coming to visit. When and if he actually returns to school this year will be left in the air until we see how he feels and how physical therapy is going to fit into his life. Those are minor issues though that we will work out as we go.

With all the activity here in Davidtopia.....it has really been a blessing, as I have had no real time to fret and worry over things I have no control over. I have just had to put my head down and keep moving forward. The next few days will not change that at all as my dance card is full right up until the second we hit the road headed back to St. Louis. This is not a bad thing though as there is no time for me to dwell on the negative or vacation in the "what ifs." I have a feeling God planned it this way.

So you will likely not hear from me for a few days as laundry, house cleaning and last minute preparations will trump blogging, facebook and any other socialization's I might like to hide in. However....trust me.....come Tuesday you will be hearing from me almost daily for awhile!

I am grateful to all of you who love and care about David so much. Your good thoughts and prayers are invaluable to us and I have no doubt will be the key to helping us make sure that.... David walks. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

So now I leave you. If you happen to see me in the next few day with my head down looking very single sighted....not to worry. Just know that I am focusing on the big picture and keeping the Elam clan pushing forward to the next leg of David's journey!