Noah's 3rd Surgery

Originally posted December 28, 2007

Noah had his second surgery on his leg the week before Christmas (his 3rd surgery altogether though). This surgery was to lengthen his heel cord. Since his right leg is shorter than his left he walks around on his tip toes alot around the house which has caused his heel cord to tighten up so that he cannot bend his foot upward towards his knee very well, so they lengthened the heel cord and then put a pin in it to hold it into place. The surgery went well, and Noah was a handful for the nurses when he woke up in recovery. He kept pulling out his IV, and they finally had to wrap his arm up in gauze so that he could not get to his IV to pull it out. He got lots of toys while he was in the hospital, and had many visitors. The Stingrays hockey team visited all the children and played with them in the big playroom. Wendy from Wendy's restuarant brought Frosty's and a little toy for all the kids, a big poodle came by and visited the children in their rooms, and the Marines dropped by with a wagon full of toys. Noah got a big talking Lightning McQueen car.

Anna and I were not able to go with Noah for this surgery because he had to spend the night, and there wasn't room for all of us to stay there. He talked to me on the phone however after he was out of recovery, and the first thing he said to me was, "Mommy, I'm in the hospital, but I don't have a baby in my belly." I almost died laughing. He still remembers Mommy going to the hospital "to get the baby out of my belly" and associates that with going to the hospital. Anna and I went to visit him later that evening along with Grammy and got to play with him in the big playroom for a little while. We also had our friend's 15 year old son, Anthony, with us that week as well. Noah adores him and thinks of him like a big brother, so it really helped to cheer him up that week while he was recovering from his surgery. It also helped us alot too having another set of hands around to help out since Noah couldn't get around very well.

The next day they put a red cast on Noah all the way up to his mid thigh. He picked out the color. I guess he wanted it to be a Christmas cast. They gave him a wheelchair and a walker to get around with, and he was able to come home late that afternoon. He was so excited to be home finally, and surprisingly he really liked his wheelchair and walker and could get around really well using either one of them. He has to wear the cast for four weeks, then he goes back for another surgery to remove the pin they put in his leg and to have his current cast replaced with a walking cast.

Picking out a toy before surgery. He got a plush Mater and Ramone that talk.

Waiting in the wagon to be wheeled of to surgery.

Posing with Daddy and Anthony before surgery. Noah was so out of it in this picture though. The medicine was kicking in.

Waking up in recovery after surgery.

Playing games in the huge playroom at the hospital with one of the Stingray hockey players.

Eating his first meal after surgery, a peanut butter sandwich, his favorite.

Playing with Thomas the Train in the playroom while Mommy and Anna visit.

Pretending to be Bob the Builder and looking a little worn out.

Saying goodbye to Mommy and Anna for the night.

Talking on the phone to Mommy the next morning.

A view of the playroom.

Painting a Christmas picture for Mommy.

Checking out his new red cast.

A big poodle came to visit all the kids in the hospital.

The Marines brought toys for all the kids in the hospital.

Showing off his new Lightning McQueen car he got from the Marines.

Heading home finally.

After going almost five days without a bath, and Noah loves his baths, Daddy looked up on the internet how to give someone a bath while wearing a cast and found out it was possible for Noah to still take a bath with his cast just by using a simple trash bag and propping his leg up in the tub. His leg doesn't get wet at all, and it's completely sealed off by the trash bag. Noah was so excited.

So happy to finally be able to take a bath again.

Feeling good after his first bath since his surgery.