My son, G had surgery on his hips at Shriners Hospital for Children in Philadelphia late February. The purpose of the surgery was to position his hips in a way that will be more amenable for walking on his own in the future. We had been on a waiting list to have this surgery done for over a year. We finally received a date and I experienced a mix of emotions – relieved to finally get it over with, scared of my baby going under the knife again and anxious about the recovery period. For four weeks Gabriel is in a Petrie Cast, which consists of casts on both legs up to his thighs with a bar going across his legs, holding them in one position. The casts add an extra few pounds to him which makes a lot of daily activities a huge challenge. However, being the amazing little boy he is, G is managing quite well and he put my fears and anxieties at ease. He recovered from the surgery amazingly well. He learned how to roll from his belly to his back, he scoots around on his bottom to get what he needs and mastered his wheelchair in less than 5 minutes of sitting in it. Its amazing how quickly children learn to adjust and keep moving forward. I really learn a lot from him. I am following his lead and learning new skills myself. I’ve developed some muscles I never thought I had, I learned how to carry a wheelchair up and down stairs, in and out of cars and most importantly, I have gained a new found respect for those who live with a wheelchair all the time. G continues to teach me more things about life than I ever thought I would learn.
MRM