The things they don't say

As we get further into dealing with Perthes Disease, I find myself actually thankful for our experiences with Hip Dysplasia. Never in a million years would I have thought I'd feel that way. It eased us into Perthes Disease and prepared us in some way for the surgery that Logan will have. It's the same surgery Haley had, just a different problem and a different age. That being said, I never want to deal with hips again. The reality? Some day I most likely will. My girls could develop hip problems into the future. Up until they stop growing. I'm jaded enough at this point to believe that it probably will happen to us. For now, we'll concentrate on the task at hand.
I'm honestly going one day at a time here. That's all I can do. When I do look ahead, it's at the stage where this is just a memory. With surgery looming in the distance, I realized that the Specialists give you a lot of information. It's hard to let it all soak in. Eventually you get fluent enough that you can tell by looking at an x-ray whether someone has hip problems or not, you know which angles are correct and which are not, you know that Shenton's Line actually has to do with the hip- not a railroad or plate tectonics. Hopefully you never need to know what an Osteotomy is and all the terminology that goes with it.

What they neglect to tell you is this:

*your heart is going to break when you watch your child limp across the room
*it will take everything in you to will away the tears when someone does something kind to make your child's life easier, like offering your child a chair so that he does not have to sit on the floor
*simple tasks like sitting down on the floor and getting back up are difficult
*when you go a specialist, you feel guilty because your child's problems are not as severe as others problems
*don't.
*you will become an insomniac over the worry you have for your child
*that the words "spica cast" are capable of causing anxiety and will make you break out in a sweat
*but so will a brace
*taking home your child in a spica cast is not unlike coming home with a newborn baby. You even have a period of baby blues type emotions.
*God gives you the strength for each trial.
*it all becomes second nature after a while
*it's okay to be overwhelmed, even if your child's problems are "minimal" compared to some
*it's okay to be thankful about that
*as a matter of fact, that very thought will help you get through
*you should always reach out to somebody. Talking to somebody who really understands your situation makes it easier.
*and take what help you can get. The next time around, those people won't offer if they don't mean it.

It's amazing, Logan is my fourth hippy. Second one to have surgery and while it is somewhat easier, you still need someone that understands you. Last time I was in MN I ran into a couple so randomly, that I knew were put in my path for a reason. Turns out, they are still to this day the only people who have had a child -that I know of- with Perthes Disease that I have talked to. Talking to somebody who has gone through what you are going through lifts some of that weight off of your shoulders. In the past couple years, I have had people referred to me about Hip Dysplasia who are dealing with their second go-round. But they needed support again. Everybody in a tough situation needs a little support. **We've been lucky to have a great support system- I thank everyone who has ever helped us. Even in the smallest way. Thank you. We needed and continue to need it.**

I hope this helps the person it was meant to help. Hang in there, you will make it. *I promise.*