2-2-05 -- I am WAY overdue for an update. Life in the Groenheide house has DRASTICALLY changed - Becky had her pins removed this past Mondy (1-31-05)!!!! She had them in for exactly 12 weeks! That sure is a lot more than the 6-8 weeks we had originally planned on, but it doesn't even matter anymore. Becky went into the procedure with much fear, anxiety and TEARS!! The poor thing, she was so afraid that when she woke up her legs were going to hurt as much as they did the first time. I'm so glad to report that the exact opposite happened! By the time Mark and I made it back to the recovery room to be with her, Becky was busy chatting away with the nurses and had them laughing at her cute smile and antics! She even wanted to go to school on Monday! We were home a few hours later (after eating breakfast in the cafeteria and having another nurse from recovery comment on her behavior and how they were still talking about her upstairs). More good news - Becky is now sleeping comfortably at night WITHOUT any splints on! Monday night she slept with Mommy (just incase), and last night she slept in her own bed. No more crying! No more muscle spasms! (Hopefully) no more sleepless nights! For the next few weeks we are supposed to take it easy and let Becky set her own pace. She is having a VERY hard time standing on her legs; she has the hardest time trying to straighten her knees when she is standing, but she can get them straight if she's sitting on the floor. Last night she amazed me by crawling across the living room floor! I never thought I would be so happy to see my seven-year-old crawling around the house. She was wearing and ear-to-ear grin. As I look back over the past three months, I am amazed at the grace and patience our Gracious Lord gave Becky to endure everything she went through. There were times that I didn't think I would make it through, but God continued to hold us in His loving hands. Please continue to pray for us as Becky has a lot of strength to regain as she begins walking again. Thanks and God's blessings to all!
1-12-05 -- Well, it's been over a week since I last wrote an update, and I wish that I had news of big changes for Becky, but unfortunately, life is still continuing the same as it has for the past nine weeks. Last week Becky went back for xrays, and we had planning on having her pins removed, but the bones STILL aren't completely healed, so we have to wait until January 25!! ARGH!!! I can definitely say that I AM SICK OF THIS!! I'm ready for the pins to come out!! For all the frustration that I feel, I can't even begin to imagine how frustrated and sick of this Becky is getting. She has been such a trooper throughout it all. She had a few rough days after the doctor visit last week, but she has bounced back and is counting the days until her next xrays (13 more days to go). A few days ago, a friend dropped of a standing frame for Becky to use. It's a piece of equipment that I can strap Becky into and allow her to stand up. It supports her body, but is also allows her to bear some weight on her legs. This should also help the bones to heal. Becky LOVES the stander. Last night she stood for a WHOLE HOUR! She loves being upright again. I took some photos of her and will hopefully get them posted next week. Please pray for complete healing by our next doctor visit. Pray also for peace and patience for all of us. Thanks.
1-4-05 -- HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR BECKY!!! Today my little girl is 7 years old!! She goes to the doctor today and will probably be getting the pins removed in a few days! HOORAY!!!!!
12-28-04 -- BECKY WALKED TODAY!!!!! Last week her doctor called me at home and suggested that I have her stand in the pool. He's hoping that by having her bear some weight, her bones will press together and heal faster. He also had me loosen two of the pins on each leg to allow the bones to come together. Well, Becky was EXTREMELY eager when she got in the pool, and after tentatively standing on her legs for a few minutes, she took a few steps!! With tears in my eyes, I video-taped my little girl as she walked FOUR times across the pool!! She was very wobbly on her feet, but she remembered the mechanics of alternating feet as she walks. It was awesome to watch!! Also, Becky is sleeping at night!! I put her back into her old splints, and she has slept the whole night for the past FIVE nights!! Thanks for all the prayers!
12-21-04 -- Wow! I can hardly believe that it's been six weeks since Becky's surgery. I'd love to say "time flies when you're having fun", but this experience has been anything but fun. I'm happy to say that Becky's spirits are doing great! She isn't having anymore panic attacks, and the pain she experiences is minimal. The bones are SLOWLY healing, and today at the doctor, he said to plan on having the pins REMOVED after our next visit in two weeks!! HURRAY!!! The bones still have a bit of healing to do, but he thinks another two weeks will be enough for us to at least get the pins out. Becky still won't be allowed to bear any weight for about another month afterwards, but she won't have these things sticking out of her legs anymore!! Sleep continues to be our biggest hurdle - Becky is rolling around so much in her sleep, and it hurts the surface of the skin where the pins go in whenever she changes positions. Many nights, I am getting up with her 5-8 times per night! All she needs is for me to help get her onto her back again and she falls right back asleep. Please pray for comfort during sleep for Becky and restful nights for the rest of our family. Thanks! We are prepared for the holidays and are looking forward to visiting with family and friends. May God bless you and your family with His special love this season - the love of His most Precious Gift!!
12-13-04 -- Today it has been five weeks since surgery, and although I thought we'd be almost done with Becky's recovery, I'm amazed at how much of a routine we have settled into. Becky is doing better with sleeping at night - most of the time. She isn't waking up in pain very often anymore, but now she gets tangled up in her blankets and wakes us up to unwrap the blankets from around her. As much as I would LOVE a full night's sleep, I'm glad she is moving around so much. Over the weekend, Becky decided it was time for her to start moving herself around - when she's playing on the floor, she can scoot around a little (it worked best at Grandma's house on her hard-wood floors). Becky is starting to get sick of her limitations! At least fives times a day, she'll tell me that she can't wait until her pins are out and she can walk again. Hopefully we only have 3-4 weeks until the pins come out. Please pray for patience for her as her limitations hold her back from some of the normal six-year-old activities at Christmas time!!
12-7-04 -- Five nights in a row that Becky (and I) have slept through the entire night! Praise God!! It's been a long month, but it's been amazing to watch God's hand at work in Becky's life and for our family. There are no words to adequately express our thanks and gratitude! Keep the prayers coming! Our specific prayer request is for healing in Becky's bones. Today she went to the doctor for xrays, and the bones aren't healing as quickly as they could. Surgery was four weeks ago, and we should be over halfway done with the pins and fixators. Instead, the doctor said we shouldn't plan on getting the pins out before Becky's birthday (in another four weeks!!). That was a little disappointing. I was thinking that we only had another 2-3 weeks with the pins. Now we are looking at another four weeks - or maybe even longer!! Please pray for quick healing!!! We go back again in two weeks for xrays. That will be six weeks post-op. Becky has continued with her swimming therapy, and even though she cried the whole car ride to the pool (15 minutes), once she was actually in the water, she did MUCH better! Yesterday was her third visit, and she actually moved her legs a little bit on her own. I'm starting to realize what a long road we are traveling on, though. Becky has lost her memory or how to do reciprocal motion (alternating legs - first left, then right, then left again). This is something she will need when she starts walking again. I don't know if this is normal, but it just gives us another MAJOR thing to work on. I'm hoping to get more photos up by the end of the week. Maybe even some of Becky in the pool! Thanks again for all the prayers and words of encouragement!!
11-30-04 -- The past week hasn't seen very many changes. We still are dealing with a lot of sleepless nights - last night we were up over SIX times with her! Please pray that Becky will be able to sleep well at night SOON! The days are going much better, though. Yesterday Becky was able to spend a few hours at school. She really enjoyed getting out of the house. She's starting to feel a bit caged in. If she sleeps well tonight, we're going to school for three hours tomorrow! The kids at school are so amazing. They have never treated Becky differently, and that hasn't changed. They are a bit cautious around her wheelchair and her legs, but other than that, they treated her like it was any regular day. Today Becky went for her first swimming therapy session. It actually went better than I had anticipated. She cried most of the time, but it wasn't a hysterical scream, it was more of a sad, scared, soft cry. The therapist was WONDERFUL! She held Becky in the water and hugged her most of the time and talked soothingly to her. She even got Becky to look at and touch the spots where the pins go into her legs. The sight of this has really freaked Becky out, but since swimming, she's doing much better with it. We are still dealing with EXTREMELY tight hamstrings. Since Becky doesn't have the splints on anymore, she has a tendency to try and curl up into a little ball. This has made her hamstrings TIGHT! Last night Mark and I stretched her legs and ACE wrapped her to some borrowed splints and it helped for a few hours. Each small step brings us closer to the end result. Prayer requests - sleep at night for Becky AND parents, less fear of the pins, ease with stretching Becky's hamstring tightness, movement and stretching with the swimming therapy, joining her classmates at school more and more. Thanks!!.
11-24-04 -- Becky's doctor visit went EXCELLENT yesterday!! Thank you so much for all the prayers. God sure was calming her fears. She didn't have any xrays (we go back in two weeks again for that). He just wanted to recheck her pins and make sure they were healing good and there wasn't any signs of infection. After we talked for a bit, he said not only can Becky take soaking baths in the tub, but she is allowed to go swimming!! He actually said that the kids with pins who go swimming have fewer incidences of infections than the kids who stay out of the water. So, I'm planning on calling her swimming therapist this afternoon and getting her back in the pool a few times each week. Thatshould also help with some of the stiff muscles and help relax her legs (the therapy pool is usually 92-94 degrees!). After the doctor, I took her to Burger King for a celebration kid's meal, and she ate almost the whole thing!! That's GREAT! Eating has been another of our trials since surgery. Most meals have been only 2-3 bites and then she says she's full. Hopefully we've turned that corner. Yesterday in general was a really good day. She didn't complain as much when I moved her, she did GREAT for the car ride (one hour each way!!), and life seemed to be going in the right direction. Then we hit bed time - Becky was up screaming 4 times last night!!! Now this morning, she seems fine again. I wonder if she's moving more in her sleep and it hurts her. Please pray for restful, painfree nights for Becky.
11-22-04 - Today has been a much better day. Both Becky and I got a good night's sleep last night. That makes for a much better day. Becky is still having some anxiety - especially about being moved. She still reassures me that it doesn't actually hurt, but she's afraid that it might. Tomorrow we head back to the doctor for another recheck and possibly more xrays. Please pray for safe travel for Becky and I. Also, pray for God's peace to surround Becky and not let her be afraid about the car ride or the doctor.
11-21-04 -- This weekend has been a rough one - much worse that the first weekend. Becky is still having panic attacks about not having her splints on. She's also having a VERY hard time relaxing - even with 2mg of valium on board. She continues to hold her legs in a tight, bent position. Today I went to the store and bought 5 lb. bags of rice to weight her legs in a straighter position. She actually said it feels better and is relaxing a bit more. Tonight I got her to spend some time laying on her tummy in a bean bag chair again. She kept her left leg a little bent and tensed, but her right leg was nice and relaxed. I gave her a long back rub and tried to get her to relax. Even though today has been a better day again, I'm still dreading going to bed tonight. Mark is working again, and nights seem to be the worst. Pray for a good night's sleep. Thanks.
11-19-04 -- Becky's panic attacks continue. I called her psychologist and he suggested putting her on Zoloft along with the valium. I sure hope this works. Mark goes back to work tonight and is working all weekend. That means I'm in charge of Becky all by myself.
11-18-04 -- Today Mark and I took Becky's splints away for good, and she's throwing an absolute fit about it!!!! We didn't have a choice - when we gave her a bath this morning, I noticed that she had two small open blisters where the splints have been rubbing again the back of her leg. The splints MUST stay off. Becky's gone from moving around a lot and even sleeping on her sides to not moving at all and is pulling her legs up and keeping herself tense. Pray for her to learn to relax. This is even harder to deal with that those first few days in the hopsital were. When I ask her how much pain she's in, she says that her legs only hurt a "1". But she continues with full-blown panic and screaming. Argh!
11-16-04 -- Today we took Becky back to the doctor for her first follow-up visit. He took x-rays and removed her splints. The x-rays were GREAT - she already has some bone regrowth!!! I guess I didn't think they would be healing this fast! Isn't God GREAT and AWESOME?!? The splint removal didn't go near as well as the x-rays, though. Becky screamed at the top of her lungs the entire time - even when the doctor wasn't touching her! I felt so bad for her. If she would've just relaxed, things would have gone much better. The dressings were also removed from her pins and Mark and I learned how to take care of the pins and keep them clean. More good news - Becky may already take a bath!!! I figured it would be quite a few weeks before she could get wet. The doctor said it was okay to give her baths, and it doesn't even matter if the pins get wet. I bet the water will make dressing chages easier, too. The splints were put back on before we left the office, and Becky stopped screaming almost immediately! We took them off at home again, but after a few hours, we put them back on because of the way Becky was acting (screaming, whimpering, etc.) I don't know if she's in pain or just scared, but she feels better with the splints on, and I don't see the harm in letting her have them. We're going to try and slowly wean her from them. Maybe 15-20 minutes per leg a few times a day and just slowly increase the amount of time she goes without them on. Pray for an easy transition for Becky and patience for Mark and I. Also, please pray for Jessi. She is once again acting more mature than her nine years of age. She's helping around the house and being very brave!
11-14-04 -- Today was a GREAT DAY!!! Becky's spirits are wonderful and her "normal" self seems to be immerging more and more. Jessi spent the night at a friend's house and Mark was working, so Becky and I were alone most of the day. We went for a walk outside and when we got back home she didn't want to go back into the house. So, "we" raked leaves! I raked them and even dumped some over her head and into her lap. At one point, she looked at me and asked if she could jump in a pile of leaves. When I explained that it wouldn't work this year, she smiled at me and said, "I was just kiddin' Mom". I think my little girl is back!! She even asked if she could go to church with Jessi and I tomorrow. I think I'm going to wait one more week, though. It hasn't even been one week since her surgery. Her recovery sure is going MUCH better than I anticipated. PRAISE BE TO GOD!!
11-10-04 -- Becky came home today. Daddy took her home in an ambluance and she was giggling when she got home! I'm amazed at the change in her from two days ago. I know we have a LONG road ahead of us, but I know God will get us through it all!
11-08-04 -- Today was Becky's surgery. It went worse than I had feared. She's in SOO much PAIN! She's on IV morphine and valium. At times, she's screaming and spasming so bad that the nurse had to completely sedate her. I feel so BAD! I wish she didn't have to go through this. She's only a little girl. I understand that things will be much better when the recovery and therapy is all over, but I'm having a hard time dealing with the here and now. Please pray for our family. Pray for comfort and quick healing for little Becky. Pray for God's peace and comfort for Mark and I. Pray for Jessi. This is an awful lot for her to have to deal with, too. Thanks.
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