The Incision

We came home from the hospital 1 week ago today. So many things since then.......
Danielle continues to get better and stronger every day!  Her progress is slow and steady.  Mornings are still the worst part of her entire day.  Danielle still takes OxyCodone every 3 1/2 to 4 hours for pain.  She did take her last OxyContin today. She has not taken Flexeril for her muscle spasms today. (I hope to be finished with this as well.)  I continue to give her a daily sponge bath because she can't get the incision wet until Tuesday.  Tuesday will be the 2 week mark and she will be able to take a shower.  This also means we won't need to go to the beauty shop to get her hair washed every other day.  She still tires very easily and continues to take a nap in the morning and a long nap in the afternoon.  I still have to help her to lie down and to roll to her side.  I also help her get dressed.  I have mentioned that when she lies down her shoulders and hips need to be lined up. She has regained enough strength that she can pick up her hips and move them (most of the time.)  Her back is starting to itch but it is so tender that it hurts to scratch down the side of the incision.  I run the palms of my hands gently down the side of her back to relieve some of the itching.  She still doesn't have much of an appetite and she has very strange vivid dreams, both side effects of the medication.

Last night Danielle attended her brother's basketball game.  I was very nervous about taking her.  She still has to be VERY careful about getting sick.  Any type of infection will settle right around her rods.  We went in a side door and sat on the stage to watch the game.  The administrators got Danielle an office chair with a firm high back to sit in.  The game was wonderful (tournament champs) and it felt awesome to Danielle to be out of the house. She was thrilled to get to sit next to her best friend who hadn't been able to visit the house due to being sick.   She was sore and TIRED when we got home.  She was very sore this morning.  She felt much better after taking a nap in the afternoon.  She is walking around the house more and sitting up much more.

Danielle's incision is 15" long and is held together by purple glue.  The glue will come off on it's own.  Her incision really looks wonderful.  She has no staples.  However, she has staple marks around the entire perimeter of her back.  They stapled the dressing on her while doing surgery.  People have asked how much taller she is.....she gained 1 1/4 in. and is now 5'8" tall.  Yesterday she told me she feels like her body "fits" now. Before surgery she felt like her middle was just scrunched up.

We have received so many cards, balloons, and kind words on our blog and on facebook.  Danielle enjoyes all the visitors too.  We have also had some delicious food brought to our home. We had great care packages with snacks and reading material sent with us to the hospital.  Friends and family have also picked up a few groceries for us! We feel so incredibly blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful family and community.  I am overwhelmed by all the compassion, kindness and prayers that have been showered upon us and  just want to say THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!  Your kind words of encouragement and prayers have gotten us through many difficult moments.  God has blessed us in so many ways!  Danielle is so strong and brave and I am so proud of her!

Danielle's 15" incision.  

Danielle's cousin Kelsi brought a great big gift bag.  Inside were 16 smaller gifts all wrapped with a note on the outside.  She got clappers.."if your parents are not listening you use these to get their attention."  The glasses above are her disguise so she can "disappear for a while."  She got a loud horn..."if they (your parents) are still ignoring you."  The red hair is  "so your hair doesn't feel so short now that you are taller."  Danielle had lots of fun opening up all the gag gifts!  Thanks Kelsi!

Danielle's little cousin is pictured with Danielle below.  She was so afraid of Danielle at first.  She would just look at Danielle from a distance.  She was afraid she would hurt Danielle.  Her parents really talked to her about being careful around Danielle and told her that Danielle would not be able to pick her up. They were both happy to see each other!