Tough Day

K, Aunt Amy, and I went to the Shriner's Hospital today. K had an ultrasound done on her hips and it was determined that her right hip is not out of socket, but it is not sitting right in the hip socket. There are some technical words they used, but they did not make much sense. To fix this problem, they informed me that K needs to wear a harness for the next four to six weeks. Needless to say I was disappointed.

My imagination was running wild. I could envision K in a contraption much like what Forrest Gump had to wear, but for her hips rather than her legs. When they brought the harness in, it was not as bad looking as what I had in mind. It is a fabric harness that holds her legs in a position with her knees bent and her hips pressed into her hip sockets. If you hold her upright, it looks like she is squatting.

This is a very tough pill for us to swallow. It is more than disappointing. It is heartbreaking for Christa and me. K has to wear this harness 24 hours a day. We will not be able to give her a real bath until she is out of the harness. I don't know exactly how we are to change the t-shirt she wears under it. If we take her out of the harness, the four to six weeks will start over. The doctor said they can help us change it when we take her back each week when we go to have the progress on her hip checked.

So for the next four to six weeks K will be in a harness that goes over her shoulders and holds her feet. We will have to spend a day each week going to the hospital, getting an ultrasound on her hips, and meeting with the doctors to hear how things are progressing.

Please keep K and us in your prayers. This is very tough. We are supposed to go to the surgeon at Northside Friday. I am now wondering whether or not we should even go.

One last thing that needs to be said now. K, Christa, and I cannot be more thankful to have Aunt Amy here with us. She is a great help and I don't know what we would be doing without her. I have said it a couple times to her just today, but once again in a more public venue I must say "THANK YOU AMY!"