Went to Alberta Children's Hospital yesterday for Sterling's now yearly clinic! Yay, for only having to go to clinic once a year now. I know I still have other appointments but super stoked to have cut down on these.
Saw the orthopaedic surgeon and he was super pleased by Sterling's hip, knee and ankle joints (We have to stretch these twice daily and is that a task or what?!? It involves lots of screaming. Especially, his tight hip joints. They are so tight that he can feel the pulling in his stomach so it isn't so pleasant for anyone involved in the stretching of them. He was happy with the progress enough that I didn't have to get a x-ray this time. Yay, for not having to stay and extra hour at the hospital with more screaming. I do need to get a new pair of AFO's made though. :(
Also, saw the urologist. Good news and kinda not so good news but also still good news. He is happy with Sterling from a medical standpoint because he hasn't had any urinary tract infections which is just so common when you don't have complete bowel control. Last clinic we were unsure if Sterling was able to potty train or have any feeling but after having Emery, I have come to the realization that Sterling won't be able to potty train as is...She is just so aware and only 17 months old and it is just different. So after Sterling's next clinic we are going to be taking him to children's to get an 8 hour bladder surgery that should help to make him continent. This will probably happen around July 2013. Yay, for not having to constantly change his diapers so he doesn't get an infection because of the constant leak. Boo, for him having to undergo an 8 hour surgery :( Although, I have come to terms with these surgeries and know that this is just the 4th surgery in his life of the many surgeries to come.
After Sterling's first surgery nothing will come as close to making me feel so sick in the surgery department anymore. I still shudder when I think about that one because the memories are just so raw and emotional. At just 24 hours old my little boy had have a 9 hour surgery to repair his spine. At that point I had not been able to hold him yet and I had only seen him for about 20 minutes total in that whole 24 hour period. I had to have a c-section because he was breech and have them let me out on a day pass so I could drive over to Children's to see Sterling before he went into his surgery. Then drive back to Foothills hospital and get another day pass once he was out of surgery to see him. I have never felt that helpless and worried in my life and I wasn't even able to be with him in the same hospital while he was having major surgery! STRESSFUL is the closest word that I can think of and that is the world's largest understatement of the century.
So, now I only have four follow-ups to the clinic to get his yearly kidney ultrasound and get a new pair of AFO's made. It takes 3 hour long appointments to get his custom AFO's made. Or in the case of his last pair 7 appointments and still having them not fit properly and give him horrible pressure sores. Which now equals having to have a new pair made before he has even outgrown his old ones. All I can say is 'Hallelujah' for the Canadian healthcare system because I am pretty sure (actually I KNOW that) I would be broke by now if we had decided to stay in the U.S.
Sterling of course made friends with every single person in the waiting room. He is just so inquisitive and outgoing that he just keeps talking and talking until they have to talk to him because they just can't help it! We are not quite so sure where he got that from being that Trevor and I are so introverted and don't really like social situations. He met a couple other kids that were his age with Spina Bifida as well. I must say that I am super happy with how crazy and wonderful my son continues to be. Neither of the other kids had wheelchairs yet (Sterling has been in his for over 2-years) and they weren't really active or independent. It made me just so happy with his progress and our decision as parents to not allow Sterling to get any special treatment or help with things such as getting onto the couch even though these type of things are so much more difficult for him.
Just loving my little man these days and taking him to the circus this weekend before his little brother comes into this world. FUN!!! Hating my contractions these days. They were so bad the other night that I was vomiting after each contraction ended. Having about 10 million a day for the last 2 weeks. I have them if I stand up, if I sit down, if I wash the dishes...doesn't he know that Mama is having a planned c-section so he doesn't need to practice coming out that way?!? The others cooperated and didn't make me suffer so much before coming. Well, I guess I can't count Emery as cooperating because I didn't want a repeat c-section and she decided that she didn't want to come after she broke my water. This one is already a handful, I can tell!
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