Appearance At School

Laura made an appearance at school on Monday and REALLY really enjoyed seeing and being seen.  She sat with friends at lunch, visited with teachers and staff and sat and watched a short amount of recess.  We wouldn't want to push to hard the first day.  Actually it gave her a chance to visit and answer questions.  While she had a ball it triggered a rough overnight with very little sleep.  After resting most of Tuesday and an outing with her dad she crashed to bed exhausted.  She is still struggling with being able to fall asleep when she woudl like to but as long as we can keep the nerve pain minimized in her leg she eventually sleeps.  The current medicine befuddles her mind as well as her nerves.

She really isn't up to blogging right now but she picked out a few pictures to show her last few days.

She is planning to return to school for a short visit agian on Weds. She is going to jump into math class this next go round.

Hair All Better

Super special thank you to Katie Jean at Natural Alternatives! She spent hours (yes! Hours) untangling my hair.  With a few well placed cuts (like Mrs. Liz recommended) and hours of brushing and a special kind of hair wash station it now looks like this!

I am very happy with this hair cut.

The best part of the whole process was when I got to lay down to get my hair washed.  Anyone can do that at the new salon next to the Cedar Bluff Krogers.

She was able to work out the small tangles with conditioner without me having to hold up my head.  

Katie Jean was super nice and gentle and if you go see her for a hair cut tell her you are my friend. Thank you to all the friends who gave me such good advice.  I am glad that is finished.  It was nice to wear real clothes and get out a little.  I am worn out today though.

Better

I really like getting mail. I have gotten mail every single day!  Thanks everybody.  It is exciting to see what will come in the mail each day.  Every one has been different and so fun to read.

I am going to try and get my haircut again tomorrow. Maybe it will be easier.  I guess I will be the only kid there since everyone else should be at school.

I realized today there is absolutely nothing to watch in the middle of the day and since I am not sleeping as much I think I can try and do some of the neat craft projects some of you have sent.  Yea! I was able to start reading a book, Catherine called Birdy.  I started it yesterday. Then forgot until my mom reminded me. I really like the book now that I remember it.

My legs are not hurting and I am very happy about that!

I am working on my Thank You notes but it is not coming along very quickly. I do really like all the gifts and neat notes though. Thank you very much.

We are not sure when I can go back to school yet.  I go back to the Dr. in 4 weeks but we check in with him each week.

I am so excited to see Emily when she comes home for her Birthday this weekend.

Thanks for all the notes and comments,
Laura

Another note from Mom:  Laura's pain in her legs is much better but she is not moving around as much as she was at the end of last week.  This medicine is keeping her "a little foggy" but we hope that clears up as she gets used to this dosage.  We appreciate all the care and prayers everyone is offering.
Thank you!
Melissa

Latest Dr Appointment

An update from Mom:

Hello Friends,

The last couple days have been very busy and also very up and down for Laura.

She has been missing her school family and was very sorry to miss out on the 5th grade Valentines Day Party. Since she has done so well on reaching her progress milestones we decided 10 minutes in class with a "don't touch Laura policy" would be a safe first outing on Feb 14, 2013.  She enjoyed the quick visit.  Her friends had been coached and offered a joyous greeting with lots of "air hugs". She was inundated with greetings, valentines and friendly comments. Charlie did a great job acting as her escort and making sure she was able to see everyone she wanted to see, bringing her food and generally staying close. Grandy (Dianne) and I acted as buffers to prevent jostling and we all enjoyed seeing Laura's smiling face.  She walked tall and proud through the halls and can't wait to get back and see everyone she missed.

She has decided we will have to cut the back of her hair.  There is just no way to untangle it all. We tried to get it cut after the Valentines appearance but she was just to worn out and began having muscle cramps in both legs so we headed home. We will try again next week.

Today we left home at 6am heading to Greenville again to show off her great progress to Dr. Mendelow and the Shriner's Hospital.  We made fair time only adding an extra hour to the normal 3 hour trip.  It was not a happy trip for any of us.  Grandy went with us to help out.  The majority of the time Laura was very uncomfortable. She again had pain in her legs and nausea was a problem.

We passed Dr. Mendelow in the hall as they walked us to the exam room.  She was obviously in distress. He came in a few minutes later even without a nurse stopping in for height and weight and the standard opening questions.  After a long discussion and a number of questions and some poking and prodding he let us know that what we had thought were muscle cramps are actually nerve pain due to her positioning during surgery.  He has prescribed a course of action, an additional medication and assures us we can resolve this issue.  It will not be an instant fix but we have a plan and she is relieved to know how we are going to proceed.  We are all happy to be home tonight.

Laura has some pictures she will post tomorrow.

They never did get to measure her today.  So we don't have an official growth measurement but we are pretty sure it is just over 2".

Many of you called or emailed to check in on how her visit went.  There was just no time to talk today.  I hope you all know how much we appreciate everyone's prayers and concern. Thank you for all your help.

Melissa

I very much enjoyed reading the prayers that Mrs. Tyler's class made and looking at the power points created by my friends. They were all very nice. It made me so happy to read them all. my hair is a lot less tangled so that is good.

Up & Out

So guess what, I just got out of bed. BY MY SELF! That's almost a whole week before I should be able to! I am super happy!

P.S.
my hair still needs work.

The Ups and Downs

Hi everyone,

I am doing really good.  Except I still have the awful horrible knot in my hair but we are working on that each day. Lately I think I do need more sleep at night though, but when I am awake during the day I enjoy my visitors and reading all the great cards and comments. I also get to watch our two dogs wrestle each other too.  Mom and Dad gave us a puppy for Christmas and he and our other dog wrestle all the time.

The worse part of the day is when I get muscle cramps.  I have to change my position alot so that means moving from the bed to walking to the chair to the other chair to walking to back to bed. I need help getting up and getting back down so it means I need help too.

I do know I am taller. We have not measured exactly but my parents think I am at least 2 inches taller.  Here is me with one of my friends. I know you can't tell but I am taller then I used to be.  The banner in the back ground is fun to look at and read all the messages.

Can't write any more. Time to change my bandage again.

Thanks for all the prayers!
Laura

Resting at home

Hi Everyone.

I have really enjoyed all the visitors and gifts I have received this weekend especially the HUGE banner my classmates made for me.  I keep falling asleep and missing the goodbyes.  My mom is taping up the cards and notes where I can see them and it is nice to look at them over and over.

I REALLY regret not putting my hair in braids before the surgery. It is a huge tangled mess. So tangled it looks very short. We work on it a little at a time but since my neck isn't very strong yet it isn't getting much better. I can take a shower but I can't let the shower hit my back so conditioner doesn't help much either. Someone said I could cut it but I am NOT ready to do that.

Emily came home this weekend and that was really nice. We watched movies together.

My parents keep reading the comments to me and that is fun to hear too.  It is nice to hear what is going on with other people.

So many people are praying for me in so many different states. That must be why I am getting better fast.  The pain is much much better and I am feeling much better then I did at the hospital. I have to move very carefully and there are some things I can't do for a while but this is much easier.

I sit up a bunch but I still spend most of my time like this:

If you can't leave a comment please send it to my mom and she will post it if you ask her too.
melissakirk@charter.net

Thanks everyone,
Lala

Home!

Home! Home! HOME!

Another long day but we are all glad to be home. It was a group effort to get her here with minimal pain. A caravan ~ 1 car, 1 van and 1 motor home and she slept all the way.  We will add details tonight. Thank you for all your prayers and attention.
Melissa

Thursday - Big day at Shriners

These pictures say most of the story! Laura up and painting a birdhouse is a big deal. She had a good day, all day. She is handling herself beautifully and is determined to get better, quicker. Check out the two surprise visitors she had today. Jamie and Amanda made the day even more special. Bright shining faces made Laura's day extra, extra special

NOW, the real big news is the after x-ray taken today! Compare and contrast to the "before" image. Enough said! Laura did dream she had a railroad track down her back . . .

We have tentative plans to return home tomorrow pending weather reports and final exams.

Third Day - add-on

With tornado warnings locally, Laura must have thought it best to walk a little further in her evening stroll. She made it from her room to the end of her hallway which is a pretty big deal. Two photos attached from her father. Everyone is so proud of her. She is uncomfortable and is not being allowed much movement. Small advances are really BIG advances. We hope that all of you caught in this bad weather pattern are safe and sound.

Down the hall . . .

and, back . . .

Laura has really appreciated all the flowers, animals and gifts. They make her feel so much better. She knows of all the prayers and good thoughts for her and really appreciates those, as well. Good night, everyone!

3rd Day

So today is a classic third day. Laura has gotten out of bed, walked across the room then partway down the hall. She ate a few bites then after some pain medicine is napping. She gets to sleep about 30 minutes then starts all over again. She must do it a total of three rounds today, with each one adding more distance.  There have been a moment or two of small smiles.  She really is doing fantastic. More to come later.     Melissa

And she's up!

Movie watching/sleeping with Emily

So much has happened since 5:00 Monday afternoon.

* made it through the night with her daddy and myself helping.
* arterial line blocked so she had her finger pricked (hates that)
*did a few other housekeeping issue.
Then......did this!

Then back to bed then UP AGAIN and walked across the room! She stayed up a couple hours each time today and the goal for tomorrow is to be up 3 times. A few surprises trickled in throughout the day and those were a bright spot too.

All in all it has been a long hard 24 hours. We anticipate an easier (please oh please) night. She is eating lightly so she is able to add oral pain meds.

For those of you who have inquired she had between t3 and L3 fused. That makes for a humdinger of a bandage on her back.

Emily returned via The Britton Express to school and Charlie is still biding his time with us.

Laura is tucked in for the night and I know we all wish her sweet dreams. We also thank God for all the help today.

tucked in for the night  1/29/13

She is out.

Dr. Mendelow just came in and said all went well. Laura was steady through out the surgery and there were no complications. We still won't see her for about an hour. She is in recovery. Thanks for all the prayers and notes of encouragement. Laura will love hearing them all tomorrow or Wednesday.

We thank all of you and God for the wonderful blessings of this week.
Melissa

 Waiting. Jan. 28, 2013

The surgery nurse called again. All is well. They expect to go another couple hours. Her room is ready for her and the family room and the RV are ready for the rest of us. We are so impressed with the Shriners Hospital. It is almost like having your own private facility.

Thanks for all the comments and prayers,

Melissa

So far so good.

Another update just in. All is well. She has been stable with no problems. They will be working on her spine for at least another three hours so we will hear more in another couple hours. Love to all,
Melissa

Waiting

Good morning,

Laura did a great job this morning. She was nervous at the last minute but the nurses did a great job making her feel comfortable. As they wheeled her away they were talking about giraffes and penguins. Surgery began at 9 and we expect updates about every 2 hours.

Melissa

Waiting this morning

My last night without metal bars

Tonight is my last night having had NO surgery. We had a fun RV party with Grandy and Daddy B and EMILY! They had sushi, Yum!

Later I was happy to be able to meet Katie VanderKooi. She has a great blog about her experiences with the same back surgery I am going to have and when my mom contacted her Katie offered to meet us because she is going to school here. She was very nice and even brought me a gift of all the things she enjoyed using in the hospital. If you want to check out her great blog it is scoliosis-braceyourself.blogspot.com. It has helped me so much.

I am so happy I am cuddling with Emily and two stuffed giraffes my friend lent me. I enjoy everybody's comments. Thank you so much!

Pre-op day

January 25, 2013

This morning we arrived for our 7am. appoinment on time.  I didn't have a real breakfast just a bunch of snacks.  I was able to meet a bunch of people and each one told me something I needed to know.  The first person I saw was Cher, the nurse coordinator for Dr. Mendelow.  She helped me all day.  Then I met the Anestesiologist. He gave me two choices for how I want to go to sleep for surgery on Monday.  I can choose either having them start an IV and give me medicine through that or breathing through a mask. That doesn't take any thought on my part. I choose no pain!  Then Dr. Mendelow met me in xray and bent me into the shape of a horseshoe while they xrayed my back again. This was to see if bending could straighten my spine (mom says this shows the degree of flexibility they can expect in surgery).  After that Marcus came in and he explained again what to expect and also what to expect the next week.  The Pain Management Lady came in and told me how the pain button (PCA) worked and how they will be watching me like a hawk.  Elaine from Child Life came in and showed me what the mask the anestesiologist uses looks like.  She also told me Wednesday is going to be the "awful, why am I here everyone is so mean day".  She told me how they have huge bird houses I can paint and lots of fun things to do while I heal.  THEN I had to get my blood drawn...DUN DUN DUNNNNNN.

It wasn't that bad. After they pinned me down when I tried to run away. They also gave me a bunch of colorful sparkely paper to use for art stuff.  After a couple more things I was done! 

We ate a quick late lunch but the weather was to bad to come home. So I am at a hotel with my mom and great-grandmother about to go to P.F. Changs for dinner. I wonder what I will get?



Me as a horseshoe.



Art on the wall in the x-ray waiting room. Love this!

We have arrived.

So we beat the weather and have arrived at Shriners. They have fabulous family rooms so we don't have to fight the ice in the morning. A fantastic hotel room in the hospital.  I am snuggling up in my new fuzzy socks, my teddy bear you all signed, and blanket given to me today from my fantastic class.  If anyone is thinking I am lucky to miss school...guess who has to wake up early on a snow day?  I have to wake up early to be downstairs at 7 am. Just like any other school day. :-)  At least I don't have to put on a uniform or go outside.  We will update tomorrow after my pre-surgery tests. No spelling tests though!

So this is a picture of the x-ray of my back.  Isn't it different?  I learned today I am going to have some surgery to straighten my spine on Monday January 28, 2013.  I knew it would happen I just didn't know it was so soon.  It will be at The Shriners Hospital in Greenville, South Carolina.  

I am going to come out TWO INCHES TALLER! Finally I will be taller than Charlie. Ha! HA!  

I am going to the hospital Monday at 6 am.  So you can pray for me and I will appreciate it.

My mom says we can get a pedicure this weekend and I can have my toes painted my favorite color pink! Maybe I will get sparkles too. 

You can check back anytime and my mom will update this blog while I can't.  Let me know if you have any questions and we can find out the answers.

Wish me good luck!

Lala Lizzie

obi chose to stay inside and sit on the heating vent.

i chose to go sledding

Looking Good!

Dressed and ready for the MRI at the Shriners      

Hospital in Greenville, South Carolina 1/14/13.