Yet Another Syndrome

Hadrian had another gynecologist appointment last week. The good news is that all of her bloodwork turned out to be just fine! But, since the Provera did not cause her to start her period, Dr. Ursula wanted to get an ultrasound of Hadrian's ovaries. And, sure enough, the culprit was discovered. Hadrian's ovaries were covered in cysts. Hadrian definitely has Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. : (

So, she is now taking a round of Prometrium which is a stronger medicine to jumpstart her period. This diagnosis would also explain the severe acne that Hadrian randomly seemed to develop over the past 6 months. She has been to the dermatologist so that we can try to get her skin cleared up again.

With the antibiotics, acne medicine, and the Prometrium, Hadrian is struggling. She is exhausted. And, this morning, she got up for school, and was greeted with throwing up. She has felt crappy all day. The hormones are definitely giving her some side effects and are causing her to just plain out feel bad. And, still, no period. She will continue swallowing those pills to work on it, though!

Just add the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome to her Compartment Syndrome, and Hadrian is now just one big syndrome!! LOL. She has to be the strongest kid I know. She exemplifies the Chinese proverb "get knocked down 7 times, get up 8." She is digging deep to have what it takes to get up one more time!

Hadrian and I went with Haley and Austin to the Georgia National Fair in Perry on Monday. Just walking around the fair caused Hadrian severe leg pain! Her legs were killing her!! It is pretty sad when she is having a harder time than her mother getting around! I hope this is not just a fact of life for her now. : (

If so, it makes me sad to think about what a struggle everyday activities may be for her. I do alot of massaging on her calves at night . . . whatever it takes to get her through this.

My girls and I were recently at a wedding, and Hadrian was very aware of the big scars on her legs. This was the first time I have noticed her truly feeling self conscious about her legs. She said it didn't help that we all mentioned how obvious her scars looked while being in a dress. Sorry, Hadrian!! Those big scars still get to me. But, let me assure you that no scars will ever define you. You are beautiful . . . inside and out, with scars or without, no matter what!!

Hannah and Hadrian


Me and My Three Girls!

Released and Ready to Go!!

Hadrian had a doctor visit with Dr. Cullen this past week. She addressed all of her concerns about the aches and pains she has been experiencing now that she is back playing soccer. Hadrian is having a lot of soreness in her thighs, her calves have numbness which she describes as indescribable, and her ankles sometimes give out.

The good news is that everything she is dealing with is no cause for alarm and is pretty normal. The bad news is that she will just have to deal with her aches and pains . . . indefinitely . . . . and maybe forever. But she is now released by the doctor to "do her thing!" Unless she begins to have issues worse than she is having now, then she doesn't have to see Dr. Cullen again. So, on with life . . . as we know it now. Dr. Cullen is pleased with her progress and feels she is good to go! : )

I think she will now always be a candidate for icing and advil after any type of exercise. And, I hear these words quite frequently . . . "mom, my calves need massaging." ; ) But, whatever it takes to make the baby girl feel good. Lol.

Hadrian will probably die that I am sharing this . . . but she has been experiencing LOTS of fatigue. And, she has not been having periods to the tune of about 8 months now. We have had SO much going on in our lives that I just haven't paid too much attention to this. Dr. Cullen said we needed to get her in to see the gynecologist immediately. I wasn't aware of the seriousness of the situation. Hadrian and I just kind of thought "no periods . . . . no problem!" LOL

Hadrian's oldest sister, Haley, who always has a funny thought about everything, told me that Hadrian will probably be the next case on the Discovery Health tv show "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant. NOT!!! I don't even want to go there!! LOL. But, Haley is the same child who pranked me when Hadrian was on spring break and convincingly told me she saw Hadrian on the tv show "Girls Gone Wild." Enough Haley. No mom needs this kind of humor. HA.

Dr. Cullen told us that without regular ovulation, estrogen and progesterone levels remain low. Female athletes with irregular menstrual cycles face a much higher risk of stress fractures and premature osteoporosis. After doing some research, I realize now that irregular periods in young women are the key warning sign for osteoporosis later in life. So, we wasted no time in getting Hadrian to the gynecologist!! She was thrilled beyond belief . . . ; )

So, Hadrian survived the rite of passage into womanhood. I told her it is just her unfortunate lot in life. . . no woman can escape the joys. She had a WONDERFUL doctor named Ursula . . . a larger black lady . . . who was absolutely beautiful, and had the perfect personality for Hadrian. Hadrian liked her office rule . . . "You don't hurt me, and I won't hurt you." Lol.

We will get all of her test results next week, but in the meantime, we have to jumpstart her period. I just got her prescription filled today, but she has to take a round of Provera to cause her to start her period . . . . we have laughed about the fact that there is just something wrong with this . . . aren't pills supposed to make you "feel" better?! When Hadrian has a period, she has such severe cramps that she cries. So, we are bracing for the pills to kick in. : (

Hadrian now has enough stamina to play a whole soccer game . . . and she is slowly but surely getting her "game" back. She is happy to be playing again, and her teammates and especially her coach have been so supportive with her journey back!! How blessed we are!! : )

On the Field Again!!

After 6 long months for Hadrian . . . she played soccer again. And, I mean really played . . . in her uniform . . . her cleats . . . and shin guards. She was a part of a team again . . . and she contributed to her team. : )

Hadrian has rejoined her old Atlanta Fire United team, and they played in the Atlanta Cup Soccer Tournament over Labor Day weekend. She played half of each half, and she did really well. The first game she was really sucking wind, but the second game was much better. These two games were on Saturday, and the games were played in Gainesville. So, we took the opportunity to cross the mountain to Blairsville and spend the night with her grandparents a.k.a. Babelle and Pa.

Hadrian was starving after a full day of soccer. And, I emphasize starving! Her Babelle treated her to a steak dinner, and I have never seen a girl enjoy her food quite so much! She ate every bite of her salad, rolls, potatoes, and steak!! Yummy!! She was one hungry girl!! And, after a day of hard work and a full tummy, she wasn't good for anything but the recliner. And, neither was mom. LOL

Her team played at 8 a.m. Sunday, and she did great! After the game, she announced that she wasn't even tired. She felt normal again! Normal is awesome!!

And, I must say that seeing her play again was amazing for me. When we see one of our kids overcome an obstacle and achieve a goal, there is nothing better! What a blessing it was for me to be there!

Hadrian didn't just want to play soccer again. She NEEDED to play soccer again. And, she did just that. : )

4 Months After Surgery

It has been a long time since I have been on here to update - obviously! Moving this summer has just about done me in. Hadrian and I moved to Tree Corners Apartments in Grayson, and it is taking me a while to get my act together. Downsizing from 5 bedrooms to 2 bedrooms has been a challenge, but it is getting done slowly. I still do not have internet service at the apartment, so blogging has been on the back burner. I wanted to blog tonight because this is a big day for us!

Hadrian is on the soccer field tonight for the first time since her surgery!! Yay!!! This has caused mixed emotions for me because I know how badly she wants to play soccer again. But, at the same time, I know how hard it is going to be for her to get back into playing shape. And, of course, facing the possibility that playing soccer again may not be in her future. But, we are thinking positively and hoping for good results!

Hadrian told me tonight that she hasn't touched a soccer ball in over 5 months. And, I must say, just finding her soccer ball proved that she must be right! LOL. But, she was genuinely excited to get in her car and drive to the soccer field for practice. And, I was just as excited to see her go! This was such big news that I had to send out a mass text message to inform her dad and her sisters that she was on the way!

Hadrian's legs have healed up just fine. Besides the fact that I still cringe when I look at those big scars, everything seems to be good! But, anything new causes discomfort. Starting school caused her legs to hurt just because of the walking she does going from class to class. My friends who do not have kids in Gwinnett County Schools may not get this. (ha) But, the schools here are so big that just going from class to class requires a level of physical fitness! ; )

Dr. Cullen told us that her legs will hurt, swell, and be numb for a good while. So, this apparently is no real reason for concern - except for Hadrian - who is the one dealing with it all. She has not been released from the doctor yet. We have another appointment in September for him to assess her progress.

So, almost 4 months to the day after her surgery, Hadrian is on the soccer field! Yes!! : )

She can only condition and do light stuff with the ball. No shin guards or impact yet. One step at a time. But, we are SO thankful and grateful to be making this step!

So stay tuned . . . . to see how it goes. : )

Thank you to all of our friends who continue to tell me that they have been following her progress! You are the best!!

Becky

9 1/2 Weeks

Hadrian is coming right along with her recovery after the compartment syndrome surgery. She had been going to physical therapy, and they had her running suicides outside and running on the treadmill inside. And, they told her to work on running every day on her own, and she could run up to 2 miles a day. I was thinking "wow." She is doing really good if she is already running this much. Dr. Cullen had told us she wouldn't be running until August! So, I was impressed that she was way ahead of schedule!

Well, we went back for a checkup with her doctor this past week. Dr. Cullen walked in and said "whoa!" She should never have been running in the first place. He was not a happy doctor. So, we are not going back to physical therapy, and now she is supposed to be only walking up to 1 mile a day. No running at all!! Never should have. Somebody got a little bit ahead with her training schedule!! Yikes!!

I seriously had been wondering about her running, but I didn't say anything. Hadrian had not been doing so well with that whole "run on her own" thing anyway. She had been lacking a little bit of motivation - imagine that! Hadrian made the comment that "for once, her laziness had paid off." And, she is actually correct about her laziness paying off - just this once. The running she has already done could cause some damaging scar tissue. But, we are just hoping no damage has been done!! Seriously hoping.

Dr. Cullen told us Hadrian will be walking in July, hopefully running in August, and actually playing with a soccer ball by the end of August. So, now that the game plan has been confirmed, we will try to stick to it.

Hadrian is back at work at KFC. Her legs get tired and ache after she stands a while, but we are hoping this gets better with time.

Just about everywhere Hadrian goes, we find someone giving her legs the stare down, and we automatically know they are wondering why in the world this girl has four big scars on her legs! Some people just look and never say anything, and some people get the nerve to ask what happened. So, here she goes, telling the story . . . one more time. If she had a dime for every time she told the story, well, you know, she would be rich by now! (HA) Honestly, not hardly, but she would definitely have a little bit more money!

Speaking of money, I have had a few people ask how much did it cost to have this type of surgery. And, the answer is approximately $20,000 - give or take a few dollars. Thank goodness for good medical insurance! : )

5 Week Update

Hadrian's surgery was exactly 5 weeks ago today. She is doing very well! In fact, she just got home from the beach today. Her surgery definitely is not interfering with any of her summer plans. ; ) She did have to cover up her incisions when she was in the sun, and she wasn't allowed to get in a hot tub. Other than these two things, the fun continued!

Since my last blog post, Hadrian has seen the doctor again, and Dr. Cullen said she is progressing right on schedule. One of her incisions was not healing as well as the others, so Dr. Cullen had to get his scissors and scrape it out. Ick!! That was slightly gross! And, Hadrian has had a total of five physical therapy sessions. Each session definitely brings on more progress with her flexibility. She will start back to physical therapy tomorrow.

One thing that feels a bit weird to Hadrian are the numb spots on her legs. Hopefully these will go away with time. She walks perfectly normal, and you would never know she has had surgery! We were told that her physical therapy plan is crucial. She cannot do things too quickly or it could cause the same problem to develop again. Yikes! We don't want this to happen! So, she has to be careful and not do things that haven't been authorized.

Her incisions look great!! Posting pictures to show the progress.

Outside Right Leg

Inside Right Leg

Inside Left Leg

Outside Left Leg

Thank you so much to all of our friends and family for your continued concern! Hadrian is doing fantastic! : )

Second and Third Weeks After Surgery

Hadrian went back to see Dr. Cullen on the 11th day after surgery. They clipped her stitches and cleaned up her incisions. And, they put tape on her incisions to hold them together. Dr. Cullen said she is looking good!!

Her right leg will flex and has mobility, but her left leg is being really stubborn. So, Hadrian needs to get into physical therapy right away to stretch the muscles in her left calf.

We took Hadrian's crutches, and they adjusted them to fit her and gave her a lesson on how to walk with them! So, no more wheel chair!! We have advanced to crutches!

Hadrian went back to school for a half day with her crutches on Day 12. She said it got old telling the story over . . . and over . . . and over again. She said every person at school asked her "what happened?!" And, I think she "grossed" a few of them out by pulling down her support stockings! HA

Hadrian started physical therapy on Day 18. After the first day, she was in pain again. After the second day of therapy, she was able to walk on her own without crutches! Yay! She looks normal again! She has had three sessions total, and she will continue therapy for a while.

Things are pretty much back to normal at our house. Hadrian is driving again and definitely making up for lost time with her friends!!

We go back to see Dr. Cullen again on Monday, and I think he will be pleased with her progress.

Thanks to all for your prayers! Hadrian has done amazingly well! : )

Days Six through Ten of Recovery

On Wednesday night, May 5th, Hadrian went to support her teammates in the second round of the state playoffs. Cory is pushing her out to the car! This is the first day she put on compression stockings. One of the main concerns now is preventing blood clots.

After the soccer game, we stopped at Frontera to eat and to celebrate Cinco de Mayo! Yum!! Hadrian kept her legs elevated in a chair.

Thursday, Hadrian couldn't move! She had a few really good days before Thursday, but apparently she did too much too soon. She was in lots of pain again and had to stay medicated so she slept all day. And, we had to get to Warner Robins for her sister's graduation, so we left really late Thursday night after we got Hadrian ready.

Hadrian with her two sisters, Hannah and Haley

Friday, May 7

Going to graduation was a bigger ordeal than I thought it would be. Haley's husband, Austin, helped me get Hadrian loaded in the car and drove us to Macon to the coliseum. But, when we arrived, we quickly realized there were NO handicapped parking spaces! Lots of handicapped grandparents go to graduation ceremonies! So, we had to unload Hadrian out of the car, and then Austin had to go find a place to park the car. And, when we finally got in the coliseum, all of the handicapped seats were taken! Some really sweet old people offered to squeeze Hadrian's wheelchair in between theirs, but Hadrian declined. She did not want to sit in the middle of a group of elderly people that she didn't know for the entire graduation ceremony! (ha) So, we wheeled her all the way to the other side of the coliseum and found a seat for her. Whew! We finally got settled in to watch the ceremony!

Haley had a graduation party at her house on Friday night. Hadrian was given baby duty since she couldn't get up. I think she was perfectly fine with that! Haley's niece, Kaitlyn, is an absolute sweetheart!

Hadrian got Kaitlyn to sleep and loved snuggling with her! : )

We came home from Warner Robins on Saturday afternoon. Hadrian was still using the ice packs, staying elevated, still in her wheelchair, wearing the compression stockings, and occasionally took her pain meds. She seems to be doing well, and continuing to recover!

Days Five and Six After Surgery/Pictures of Incisions!

Pictures of the Incisions on Fifth Day

Outside Right Leg

Inside Right Leg




Outside Left Leg

Inside Left Leg

Hadrian spent her fifth and sixth days after surgery trying to stand up and regain some mobility. She was able to bathe in the tub which was major progress! And, she had good spells with no pain mixed in with some painful episodes - all perfectly normal on the road to recovery. We continued with the ice packs and pain medicine and celebrated baby steps!!

Day Four - Turning Point

Yesterday was the fourth day after surgery for Hadrian. And, it was definitely a good day! She did not need any of her pain medication at all. This was a big change from the three days before when she was taking two pills every three hours. Hadrian woke up yesterday and said she wasn't hurting, and she made it through the entire day and night without asking for her meds! Yay!!

And, I held her up and she actually took some steps yesterday, too! From what I have read, people sometimes have surgery on one leg at a time, so they have one good leg to assist with walking on crutches. Once the one heals, they go back and do the other leg. So, progress will be slower, and it will obviously take Hadrian a while to walk since she had surgery on both.

We unwrapped and checked her legs again yesterday. She has lots of bruising up and down her calves, and she has a big blister under one of her bandaids. I called the nurse this morning, and she said blisters are actually normal, so no worries.

So, we continue with the ice packs. I go out and buy ice everyday to keep her cooler pumping cold, cold water. The girl at the Kroger gas station probably wonders why I show up every day and buy a 20 lb. bag of ice!! lol

So, Day Four was definitely the turning point for us - from constant pain to no pain! And, Hadrian was just a happy girl yesterday. She actually got bored, and we watched funny stuff on the laptop! Laughter is also great for healing!

Thank you very much for all of your prayers! I see that they are working!

The Big Reveal

Hadrian and her friend, Cory, starting to take off the wrappings on her legs.

The ice pack

The ten pounds of cotton underneath the ice pack!

And, finally, we actually see the first big boo boo!

The incisions in both legs!

Not so bad!

Well, we finally got to see what was hiding underneath all of the bandages, then Hadrian and Cory wrapped her legs all up again!

Saturday Update - The Soccer Banquet

Just a quick update to let you know that Hadrian is still alive and . . . . . well, not kicking! She is wiggling her toes which we are proud of. The pain has come and gone with bad moments and good moments. But, overall, she is doing well and remains in good spirits. Yesterday, her day was filled with getting ready for her high school soccer banquet. She started about 1 p.m. knowing that she wouldn't be going to the banquet until around 8 p.m. It was an all day process, and we had to allow plenty of time for resting!

Hadrian had to put on her bathing suit to get her hair washed.

Hannah washed Hadrian's hair! What a great sister!!

Hannah and I were exhausted running up and down the stairs for Hadrian all day. We had to get her tweezers, her makeup bag, the hair straightener, her body spray, her dress, her underwear, and on, and on, and on. LOL

And, in between this, I was packing the cooler for her ice packs, getting her drinks, her pain medicine, her food, and trying to keep her comfortable. : )

She was allowed to go to the banquet for 30 minutes (approved by her doctor), so we didn't go until after the dinner and jv awards were over.

Her teammates were really happy to see her!! Hadrian was just glad to be there!

And, I was thrilled that we were able to get out of the house for an hour! We feel really blessed to be doing so well!

First Night After Surgery

Bath Time from a Bucket!

Hadrian described last night as the "worst night of my life." I actually thought she did well. She and I slept some, so that is always a good thing! She was in a lot of pain off and on through the night, but the pain medicine does give relief. I spoke with a nurse today, and she said we can bump the time between doses up to every 3 hours, so that should help.

She woke me up at 5 a.m. and made the announcement that she had to go to the bathroom. So, here we go. We turn the light on, get all of her hoses unhooked, slide her to the edge of the bed, and now what?! LOL

Her toes were so swollen, and when she put her feet on the floor, she decided she was not going to be able to stand up. So, we get the wheelchair, and went through the process of transferring her from the bed to the chair. We roll to the bathroom, and again, now what?! LOL

I tried lifting, she tried standing, and we tried everything we could think of to get her to the potty, but it wasn't happening. I got the crutches, and we pushed, pulled, and tugged with the crutches for a while. Finally, after thirty minutes of her trying to pull and stand, and me trying to lift and pull, Hadrian decided she would just hold her pee because that was a whole lot less painful than getting to the toilet. I reminded her that she couldn't hold it forever! It would come out sooner or later! HA

So, here we go rolling the wheelchair back to the bed, getting her transferred from the chair to the bed, repositioned with all of her pillows, reconnected to all of her pump hoses, and now she is in tremendous pain from this whole process. So, she gets more pain medicine and is trying to get comfortable again from the potty escapade. So, an hour after we started, she is back comfortable again, but she still hasn't emptied her bladder which was the whole purpose to start with! Whew!! I called her dad to see if he could come help, but before he was on the way, Hadrian decided she didn't need any help. She was back in the bed and that is where she planned to stay!

So, she made it until about 8 a.m. this morning, and she had to go! Well, she called a boy friend (Cory) from work over, and he just carried her to the potty. Seriously easy considering all of the painful drama we had gone through earlier trying to get the same result!

So, she went potty and brushed her teeth, all while not having to stand up, and Cory carried her back to the bed, and wella!! Mission accomplished!! Hurray!! But, that caused her legs to hurt and made her tired, so she took a nice nap.

Earlier today, we had bath time from a bucket, changed into fresh clothes, and she was ready to go!

And, now Hadrian is watching Avatar (her favorite movie) from her bed and life is good . . . . . . for now! : ) And, a wonderful friend, Monica, is bringing her specialty brisket over for dinner! Yummy! Life is wonderful! : )

The Big Day Has Arrived! Surgery!!

Hadrian had her surgery today! The nurses took her back at 10 a.m. Right on time! She was finished just before noon. Dr. Cullen said that she did great and everything turned out as expected. He said he did his very best not to clip any nerves, and he made all of her incisions the same so all of her scars will match! Awesome!! We certainly wouldn't want any mismatched scars! ; )

Hadrian was super impressed with the fashionable hospital gowns!

Hadrian talking on her cell phone and facebook to kill time before surgery.

She was saying all of her final goodbyes.

The last picture of her legs (calves) before surgery! We like how the doctor has to sign the body parts he is performing surgery on.

Recovering after surgery. She was going in and out of consciousness.
I am sure she doesn't mind me taking a picture and posting it for all to see! HA

Made it home and Hadrian is laying in bed! She has the water pump keeping her legs iced at all times!



Those pain pills make it hard for a girl to stay awake!

I know a lot of people have been praying for Hadrian today. We appreciate your prayers very much!! So far, so good. According to Dr. Cullen, we are probably in for a few rough days. She has to stand and walk on these legs to go to the bathroom. Lucky for us, Hadrian can hold her pee for a very long time! LOL

Dr. Cullen said the first week is bad, but then we will see steady improvement with the pain during the second week. I am just hoping we can manage the pain so that Hadrian can stay comfortable. So, please continue to pray for good days!!

Pre Op Visit

Today was the Pre Op Visit for Hadrian. I think it became real today that the surgery is really about to happen. Hadrian says she is okay with it unless she really thinks about the incisions. She and I both are concerned about the pain level after the surgery! Hopefully, the Oxycodone prescribed by Dr. Cullen will keep the pain at a tolerable level!?

So, tomorrow I have to get her temporary handicapped parking permit, get her prescriptions filled, and find leg attachments for the wheelchair I borrowed from my dad. If I can't find leg attachments, then I will have to rent a different wheelchair. Her legs are not allowed to hang down at all. They must be flat or elevated until we go for the Post Op Visit on May 10th! Plus, I need to go to the grocery store and buy all of her comfort foods!

Dr. Cullen assured Hadrian the surgery should go smoothly without complications. Like he said, there are no major arteries or organs near her calves, and she will probably lose no more than two tablespoons full of blood. So, there is not alot of risk for complications. The main concerns are simply that the surgery will work and that Dr. Cullen doesn't clip any nerves!

The office staff told us today that it was difficult to write up her surgical orders because they never do these surgeries! In fact, we had to wait for them to write the orders a second time because the first ones were not correct! And, we were told that Dr. Cullen wants a second physician in surgery with him. I asked if we have to pay for this second doctor in surgery, and yes, of course we do! We will get a separate bill from this unspecified unknown doctor. Lovely!

So, Thursday is the big day at 10 a.m. Hadrian has to check in at 8 a.m. in her gym shorts and house slippers! We will be at Gwinnett Medical in Duluth.

I will let you know how she did when the surgery is over! Please pray for things to go smoothly! We really appreciate your thoughts and prayers!

Posted April 18, 2010

Well, Hadrian has been resting her legs for about three weeks now. She doesn't feel that resting is doing her one bit of good. So, we were hoping to get a second opinion from a doctor who might be a little bit more aggressive with treatment.

Friday, we saw Dr. Cullen with Georgia Sports Medicine. He told us that for Hadrian to rest for six weeks waiting to see if there is any improvement is a total waste of time (which we were feeling!) He said after six weeks of rest, there would be an absolute zero chance of seeing improvement. He said after resting her legs for six months, there might be a twenty percent chance of seeing improvement. But, Hadrian is in a time crunch. Next year is her senior year. Waiting around doesn't do her a bit of good since she wants to try to rehabilitate back to play club and high school soccer again.

Dr. Cullen totally agreed with Dr. Traub on the diagnosis of the "dreaded" compartment syndrome. He was so sure that he didn't feel the need to put Hadrian through the testing which is very painful in itself. So, yay for that! He said that all of her muscle compartments are involved which means more extensive surgery and a bigger incision. And, he thinks she needs to have surgery right away. Ok! This is what Hadrian wanted to hear!

So, the surgery date is April 29! She will have surgery on a Thursday, and must stay home for ten days. After ten days, she should be able to walk on crutches and get back to school. Dr. Cullen told Hadrian that this will not be a pleasant experience, and there is a risk of cutting nerves during surgery which could cause problems later. But, the chances for a full recovery are 80 percent. Eighty percent, hhmmmm. Not perfect, but Hadrian wants to take the chance. Really, what choice does she have?

They will cut both her legs like the picture shows. They cut into some muscle, so therefore, it can be very painful after the surgery. Hadrian is just really glad she will be asleep! : ) I am wondering if we can keep her asleep for the ten days following surgery! ; )




So, we will be preparing for surgery! I will move Hadrian's stuff to our guest bedroom downstairs, and she will be busy getting things in order at school so she won't fall too far behind. There is never a good time to fit in a surgery, but we will just have to make it work. I think we are ready to just dive in and get it over with! We will keep you posted!

Posted March 24, 2010

Ever since high school soccer season started this spring, Hadrian has been having excruciating pain in her lower legs. I kept listening to her compaints, and kept thinking hhhmmmm. Ok, Hadrian. I took her seriously, but at the same time, I am thinking these are some really weird symptoms you are having! I was hoping her legs might just heal on their own. You know, one of those miracle cures where it just suddenly all feels better! The sports trainer at school has been working with her. She has been getting stretched, and pulled, and massaged, and taped and iced all through the day at school. All by our young, amazingly cute, sports trainer. It has been making me wonder if she wasn't somehow enjoying this pain!? : )

But, watching her play soccer has just about been too much for me. Grayson was playing Parkview (last year's state champions) and Hadrian played so hard - all the while dying!! I could tell every single minute of the game was pure torture because her legs were hurting so very badly, but she played right through the pain. And, she played very well. What a girl! I love that she has such a competitive spirit and always wants to be in the game.

Well, we had an appointment scheduled yesterday with the sports doctor. The PA first came in and checked her out, and he said he had seen this problem only once before in a girl who had sickle cell anemia. And, since Hadrian doesn't have sickle cell anemia, he wasn't sure if he was correct with his diagnosis, so he went to get the real doctor.

Well, Dr. Traub agreed with the PA, but he wanted to test Hadrian. She had to run until the pain started (which took all of 2 minutes), and then he checked her again. He said her legs were so swollen on the inside after two minutes of running that there was no doubt in his mind that she has the dreaded compartment syndrome. Usually, making this diagnosis is very difficult. It usually takes test after test after test, and they usually stick needles with measuring instruments in your legs to check the pressure in the compartments. But, Hadrian didn't need any of the tests! The reason this is so hard to diagnose is because the legs look perfectly normal on the outside but they swell on the inside. But, it is good we got a definitive diagnosis immediately so we know what we are dealing with here.

Since this is such an uncommon condition, let me explain. Muscles are enclosed within a tight tissue called a fascia. Normally, the fascia has enough extra room to allow the muscle to function without a problem. With Hadrian, her fascia is too tight, and it constricts the muscle during activity. This stops the blood flow to the muscle. The lack of blood flow causes ischemia which is the same phenomenon as a heart attack. So, just as a heart attack causes chest pain, this lack of blood flow in the legs causes severe leg pain.

So, Hadrian has to completely rest her legs for six weeks while taking anti-inflammatories. We will see if this helps. If not, we move on to surgery which is called a fasciotomy. Dr. Traub thinks he has performed two of these in his entire 14 year career. Seriously?!

Well, there is never a dull moment around our house. Always something happening, or in this case, not happening. No soccer for six weeks?! What will we do?!