Traction

Warning to the squeamish...the photos below might be unsettling amd perhaps you'd like to avoid reading further!

Since our return from the States we've been waiting for this day to come.  The Charmer has begun phase two of his major surgery.  His hope is that after we're through this difficult journey, that he will be able to walk using braces.

Finally today the surgeon's schedule opened up and we went the local hospital.  Our purpose was to have pins inserted through The Charmer's femurs, so that he could begin 24-hour a day traction, pulling on both of his legs, in preparation for his next operation.

Usually, if a child requires traction, it is done by wrapping bandages on the legs and then pulling the bandages to produce stretching of the muscles. However, due to his neurological damage from Spina Bifida, The Charmer is not a candidate for this type of traction as he could not tell us "where" it is painful, and in that case, skin ulcers can develop.  The Charmer has often endured skin ulcers during rounds of casting and bracing.  We don't want these open sores, especially prior to the upcoming surgery.

So, instead, we went to the hospital where The Charmer and Momma went into a small procedure room just off the Emergency room.  Armed with an iPad and some earphones, we faced the gruesome prospect of a drill, pins, and no sedation.

The procedure was quick, loud, and scary.  However, The Charmer was strong through his fear.  Momma found that she was able to "handle" watching all the procedure (much to her surprise), and was relieved when it appeared that though scared, The Charmer felt no pain.

We have returned home.  This is a very special arrangement as most children in our city would be confined to traction in a hospital bed.  Instead Daddy fashioned a makeshift traction bed here in our living room where he'll remained connected to the weights, pulling on his legs, for the next nine days.  His head is lower than his legs, he can only sit up to eat, and he will not return to school for probably the next three months as he will be bedridden.

We will update here, for those who are interested in following, the steps toward the next surgery that will put both femur heads into his hip sockets, as well as changing some of his anatomy of his femurs.

We thank you for your prayers as this time is challenging for The Charmer and the entire family.   We are grateful to God for providing us a masterful, compassionate surgeon.  We also give thanks for those who have partnered with us to give The Charmer this opportunity for surgery.

Here are the photos if you dare to see what today's procedure actually looks like...

More in the coming days...

Waiting to go into the procedure room...

A drill was used to drive a pin from one side of the leg to the other

The right leg complete, the left leg it prepped

At home, pins extending out of each leg, the glass vials were used to protect The Charmer from the sharp ends of the pins.

In traction - looks more like a craft project - but it is doing the job.  You can't see the small weights made of barbells and weighted plastic bottles.