Good evening my friends!
Well, the first step of a long journey for the next 4-6 months has been taken. Makenzie's surgery on her left foot went very well yesterday, better than expected say the the docs! One prayer that was answered is that the fixator apparatus that had to be placed on her leg was not as big, burly and heavy as was expected. If you look at the picture on this page you will see what it is.....honestly, it's big enough! And, extremely complex! To think they were going to put a bigger one on....I yi yi!
This Ilizarov fixator is a relatively new procedure in the U.S. I was so fascinated after seeing it in person I went to look up some information about it. It is named after the Russian orthopedic surgeon Dr. Avram Ilizarov. Dr. Ilizarov grew up in the peasant class in the back end of the Soviet Union. He attended medical school and became an orthopedic surgeon in the 1940's. He got the fixator idea from looking at how a wagon harness fits on to livestock, specifically horses. His first fixator for healing crushed and deformed bones was made of bicycle parts. So here's a guy who grew up around poor peasants like himself, looking at horses and cattle and wagons....to one day by trial and error design an apparatus that helps so many patients become mobile after trauma or deformity. It took an idea and intestinal fortitude to make something.....something that could change someone's life.....wow.
No matter where you are and where you are from, you can do something to help others in your life, and maybe everywhere else. You never really know the impact of your existence, whether your a world reknowned surgeon, or a checker at Walmart, or a school teacher, or just being the best parent you can be. Never underestimate what YOU can do.
So, Makenzie will adjust this fixator three times a day. With each turn, her foot will become more straight, with the goal of walking on both feet. It's going to be a while, but it will be. Lots of cleaning, pain meds, discomfort, etc, ahead....but ultimately the end is walking. We look forward to that day!!
So my friends, pray for continued healing, pray for no infections! Prayers have made such a HUGE difference already. We cherish each one of you for being there!
Mary
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
A new year, time to get on with it!
Happy New Year Everyone!
Hope you all had a peaceful holiday season spending time with family and friends. As much as I love Christmas and all of the things the season brings, when January comes I'm ready to get back to routines; kids back in school, husband back at work, me back to whatever's required at that moment....
We have some updates and some things to pray about. Like today. For tomorrow.
First off, after having a pretty difficult time with illness in October, Makenzie gained stregnth and weight in November and December. Thanksgiving this year was a time of true gratefulness as my sisters and I and our families came together and camped out! Yes, camping at Thanksgiving.... a tradition the Hines family had for many years growing up. And Makenzie came out too! It was a milestone of sorts for us, and a time to just be together and enjoy family, fellowship, and great food!
In early December, Makenzie went in to consult about her feet at Texas Orthopedic Hospital in Houston. She and her mom & dad have decided to have work done on her left foot. This procedure is very tedious, and the recovery/rehab time is 4-6 months. It will involve a halo/fixator around the lower leg/foot, so to rotate the foot to a straight position. It is not a procedure for wusses, as it involves lots of maintenance. The surgery is scheduled for TOMORROW! This is where you, my friends, come in. We have been praying about this procedure for awhile now, and we need prayers as we enter in the actual surgery and recovery time. Please pray for a good result, for complete healing, and for speedy recovery. Makenzie wants to go to college next fall walking......that it her goal. Honestly, right now she is dreading the procedure. However, she knows it's the way to the road to recovery for her. Remember the goal.....
I thank you my friends for all of the encouragement and prayers that have been said for my niece. The further we get away from April 29, the better we can see that it is truly a miracle she survived such and accident. Ever since then, I read in the Houston Chronicle every week about someone hitting a tree of power line with disastrous results.....not very many survive these kinds of accidents.
Pray without ceasing.....
Mary
Hope you all had a peaceful holiday season spending time with family and friends. As much as I love Christmas and all of the things the season brings, when January comes I'm ready to get back to routines; kids back in school, husband back at work, me back to whatever's required at that moment....
We have some updates and some things to pray about. Like today. For tomorrow.
First off, after having a pretty difficult time with illness in October, Makenzie gained stregnth and weight in November and December. Thanksgiving this year was a time of true gratefulness as my sisters and I and our families came together and camped out! Yes, camping at Thanksgiving.... a tradition the Hines family had for many years growing up. And Makenzie came out too! It was a milestone of sorts for us, and a time to just be together and enjoy family, fellowship, and great food!
In early December, Makenzie went in to consult about her feet at Texas Orthopedic Hospital in Houston. She and her mom & dad have decided to have work done on her left foot. This procedure is very tedious, and the recovery/rehab time is 4-6 months. It will involve a halo/fixator around the lower leg/foot, so to rotate the foot to a straight position. It is not a procedure for wusses, as it involves lots of maintenance. The surgery is scheduled for TOMORROW! This is where you, my friends, come in. We have been praying about this procedure for awhile now, and we need prayers as we enter in the actual surgery and recovery time. Please pray for a good result, for complete healing, and for speedy recovery. Makenzie wants to go to college next fall walking......that it her goal. Honestly, right now she is dreading the procedure. However, she knows it's the way to the road to recovery for her. Remember the goal.....
I thank you my friends for all of the encouragement and prayers that have been said for my niece. The further we get away from April 29, the better we can see that it is truly a miracle she survived such and accident. Ever since then, I read in the Houston Chronicle every week about someone hitting a tree of power line with disastrous results.....not very many survive these kinds of accidents.
Pray without ceasing.....
Mary
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