For everyone who has heard me gripe (for lack of a better word) about the cost of the shirt we bought to go under Ethan's cast, I thought I would share with you what a $73 shirt looks like.
And this is what it looks like when you pay someone to put a hole into it (for a fee of course ;)).
I just hope it works out well for him. It is supposed to reduce the risk of sores from the cast and to provide more comfort. It is stressing us out a bit though to be honest...not just the shirt but the casting as a whole. I know, after all my griping (there's that word again) and pushing to get him casted again and now we have stress??? Believe it or not this stress is not related to the procedure or the fact we have to try to keep him healthy for a while now...it is bowel movements. That's what the stress boils down to... A week ago we had to administer some PEG Lite at home, it was the first time we've given it to him (he's had it in the past but that was while he was in therapy)...it took about a day to take effect, but then it came and came and softened and loosened and down right turned to water. A week later and it is finally starting to go back to 'normal' which isn't all that solid (nor should it be by the way). But during the past week, we've dealt with a lot of blow outs. Mainly down his legs, but there have been some that have shot up the back. How do we protect the cast/shirt? This is my stress right now. Minor I know compared to other things we've dealt with with Ethan, but I have not been able to find a solution. We have had a couple suggestions, but have not found any that are fool proof. We do not have the luxury of trial and error...we need to succeed to make sure this cast stays on for the whole two months. Any suggestions would be appreciated! We use disposable diapers in case you're wondering. For those who are not used to BM talks - I'm sorry to be so graphic!
On a somewhat lighter note, I thought I would take some pictures of Ethan pre-casting. It might be hard to tell by the photos so I will explain a bit...
Much to our surprise, this one doesn't look as bad as anticipated (or how it has looked in the past)...I hesitate to suggest perhaps his acupuncture has been doing some kind of miracle??? This is the bottom part of Ethan's curve and it is subsequent to the true (and worse) curve up higher.
If you look carefully at Ethan's hips, you can see how they kind of sway up to the right. This can be very pronounced at times.
Here you can somewhat see (pictures aren't that great) the rib humps he has. One is by his Mic-Key button, this rib protrudes a bit more than the other side and up from that you can see a ridge, from what I understand this can be a typical side effect of scoliosis. As the back twists, it starts to affect the rib cage and often creates a hump. On a side note, you can also see the scar on the right hand side from where his port-a-cath used to be. It might be hard to believe, but Ethan has gained a lot of weight since June and actually looks very healthy now. I find his ribs look a bit bony in this picture.
Here you can see the upper part of Ethan's curve and how it is misshaping his right shoulder. I really hope that the casting will show some improvement of the scoliosis. Please keep him in your thoughts.
Here Ethan is ready for bed the night before his casting. He typically wears this soft Boston brace to bed and in his pony walker and standing frame.
He was just so cute on Sunday afternoon during his nap time that I could not resist taking a picture...and then I joined him in a nap. It was very lovely! :)
As for Lorelei, she did seem better with her cold but is coughing a lot tonight and all of her new teeth are starting to come in.
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