So today we headed back to Emeryville to see Dr. Hoffinger. So that means, we get to ride the train! ?
It is SO much better than driving. It takes the same amount of time (or sometimes less), and costs about the same.
Also, breakfast!
Anyways, we had a very uneventful trip, with very helpful conductors.
Then we arrived. We expected to wait quite a bit as we were being squeezed in his schedule. But nope! Barely had time to sit before we were called back.
We had a bit of time waiting then though, so we colored together.
Wouldn’t you know it, we sat down to talk and Dr. Hoffinger is like, “These x-rays are a month old. Let’s do pictures.” So, off we went to x-ray. For the first time that day, she got out of her wheelchair and toddled down to the x-ray waiting area. Where she promptly fell into a chair, her lower lip trembling, and she tearfully declared she couldn’t walk another step. ?
Damn it.
So, when it was our turn I carried her to x-ray, where she was SUPER cooperative!
My big girl!
Back in the room, we saw her x-rays.
10 months post op
(McFarland Bypass done 2/21/18)
Lateral View
AP View
My first thought was “WOOOO! Lookit all that dead-sexy bone growth!” Ya, the tech thought I was weird too. ? seriously tho: look at the difference in 4 months!
So, the Exogen is seriously working. He wants me to slightly shift the transducer though, to shift the direction of the ultrasound beam, so we’ll start that tonight.
Now, as far as her pain- he thinks he has an answer. The part that I circled above from today on the bottom? He says that new bone forming is what’s hurting her. That she’s trying to grow this bone, but she’s active, and she’s jangling that new growth all around. That HURTS.
Easy answer is to have surgery, fix it, and get it to heal… but it’s possible he may do more harm than good, and it may do fine all on its own.
So, surgery is back on the table… but pushed off to the side, because we really don’t know what’s going to happen in her leg.
The positive:
She’s in pain now, yes. But her x-rays show us that it is very likely TEMPORARY. (!!!) As we sit back and watch, the McFarland Bypass will either succeed and it will heal, lessening her pain, or it will fail, break, and lessen her pain. It seems counterintuitive that a break would cause LESS pain, but it will stop the strain on the bones which while overall bad, would feel like a relief.
I vote for healing. I get a vote, right?
The really good news is that for all intents and purposes, we’re moving in a positive direction. So, let’s continue to hang onto that like that life-preserver in a hurricane.
Moving forward, the goal is to just keep her comfortable. She wants to walk? Let her. She wants her chair? Let her. Don’t baby, but don’t push.
Next visit? Not. A. Clue. He wants us to send more x-rays (done locally) in 4 weeks. (Around 1/15/19) After he gets those films, then he’ll decide if he wants us to come in, or hold tight and do more films after. As far as which way he’s leaning? “Too many variables,” he said, “let’s see what the films say.”
I refuse to live my life from x-ray to x-ray. I’m going to take a deep breath, and push all this from my mind. It’s Christmastime. Let’s focus on that. We have every reason to give thanks and grateful for the progress she’s made. (Prayers are always appreciated though.)
? ? Merry Christmas! ??
