Recovering & Recap

Danny and I came home Monday the 14th around 3pm......6 days post op!! I couldn't have even imagined that we would have been home that soon or that he would be doing this well. Danny is doing amazing!! While at home he has needed some Ibuprofen more regularly as we are moving him and repositioning more but other then that there's been alot of smiles and alertness coming from him. It's so wonderful to see him like this....not just in general, but definitely right after major surgery. Everyone that sees him says how GOOD he looks and how much more alert n aware he is. I'm so glad it shows to others, and I'm not being just an overzealous Momma. I have my BOY back and better then ever!! I was so unsure that he would EVER be the boy that I knew he can be. He has been showing off his likes and dislikes more and I love it.  I just need to figure out what it is he is barking about and when we do he will smile as if to say ~ "Thank you." Danny was in a rough patch this last year as it seemed as if he was fading away. There wasn't much behind those baby blue eyes. I honestly didn't know what kind of quality of life was in his future and that scared me to know end. But to see him now after all that he has been through in the last 2 weeks I can honestly say he has the best quality of life ahead of him. And as I stated in my last post with significantly less time in the OR. YAY!! Danny is already tolerating all of his nutrition via G-tube, the only TPN needed for him was the few days between surgeries...and I'm not sure he really needed it, but I didn't want to push his gut as I'm used to it going into the deep sleep after anesthesia. NOT THIS TIME!! He is peeing like a champ ALL ON HIS OWN and will even have a BM all on his own too. Now that is something that is just unheard of for Danny unless he is on antibiotics. Can you tell him excited!! All good things have come from this chapter in his life. I guess I just need to prepare myself for the absolute worst and whala Danny goes and proves me wrong. I'LL TAKE IT!! I'll be the first to admit when I'm wrong and I'm so glad I was. Way to go Danny!!
Here are some of the photos taken during the last few weeks. Some of them are pretty graphic so brace yourself.
BEFORE VEPTR '10

After VEPTR '12

After Back Fusion '13

**Xrays **

Before VEPTR '10

After VEPTR '12

After Fusion '13

Before surgery I had all of us wear our PROUD t-shirts and pose with Danny ;) ~  We are all VERY PROUD!!

 Ms Gail

 Ms Keren

Ms Aleana

Ms Lisa

The Morning of the Back Fusion..... ALL smiles.  I was so glad he was so healthy and strong, but man did it bother me that we were going to do this when he was in such a good place

 Heading down into the OR, sporting his fireman hospital gown and hat

 Ms Gail and my mom came down to sit with me while Danny was in the 10 hr surgery.  We went out to lunch to The Cheesecake Factory.  It was so nice to break up the day....PLUS we were able to have alil celebration for Ms Gail.  An early Birthday treat, YUMMY!

 We LOVE YOU!

 Can you tell how impressed with me she was...that she was sung to, LOL

 The first time we saw his back.....a few minutes after coming up from the OR

 His poor face, lips, n tongue were extremely swollen from laying on his belly for 10 hrs during the surgery and with all the fluids they gave him everything pooled down to gravity.

 Ms Gail giving Danny a pep talk n a smoochie before they had to leave to go back home

 I had to wear my new tshirt.....It was definitely a hit!!  I got so many comments they day I wore it

 Day 2 post op and the swelling is going down and his eyes are open :)

 Post Op  day 3 and the swelling is gone and he's all smiles again ~ I'm so PROUD of him

 Look who's sitting in his chair already and loving it

 Ms Gail thought Danny had to have this monkey..........those EYES!!

 Nanny said he needed a superhero balloon as he is her Hero!

 On Friday afternoon he went back in the OR and about an hour later he was back in the room sporting a new and bigger baclofen pump

 First dressing change and first time I got to really see the surgery work ...post op day 3 just after he came up from the OR for the pump.  We thought it would be nicer on Danny if we did it while he was still loopy from the OR.  We thought right!!

 Post Op day 1 from the pump and they took the dressing off already.  Looking good!!  Other then he got a blister right above his belly button.  I can only assume, as I wasn't there when they took the dressing off, is that they used the wrong adhesive remover and his blistered.  He will blister right infront of your eye immediately if you don't use the right one

 Post op day 5 and looking GREAT!

 Monday afternoon Post Op day 6 around 1:30 he was buckled up and ready to GO HOME!!

So comfy chillaxing in his OWN big boy bed :)

 Post Op day 11 and still a CHAMP!!  Most of his sterie strips are already off, his incisions are closed and most of them healed over already.  Really, Danny??  AMAZING!!

We are right back into reality, with last week finishing tons of paperwork and making appts.  I LOVE IT!!  Everyday Danny continues to get stronger, heal, and amaze us even more.  GO DANNY!!

We did have a mishap this last week.....with Avrianna.  At Dive practice on Thursday nite she hit the water pretty hard on her last dive.  She said she was pretty dizzy and her head hurt.  I guess it was a pretty impressive smack, I wasn't there to see it, but Dan was.  The next morning she continued to have a headache so I called our buddy Dr Kasper.  He felt she probably has a minor concussion, so she needed to take it easy the next 2 weeks as another minor head injury could result in major brain injury.  This normally wouldn't be an issue, BUT this Sunday is the ONE and ONLY dive meet that she was to attend and now she can't go.  She's pretty disappointed about it, but I keep telling here that there will be other meets.  I don't want to take any chances with her noggin,  So she's going hang out and chillax the next few days.

Thanks for stopping by!