Kristin Is Out Of Surgery

Hello All,
Just want to report that Kristin is out of surgery and is resting well in her room. Her surgery began at 10:30 and what was supposed to last about two hours extended to four when it was found that her femur had grown around one of the rods. I had forgotten that there were two rods in her leg. One came out fairly easy but the other gave the surgeon quite a challenge. She removed some bone but said that she would have to remove too much to get it the way she had planned, so she ended up drilling a hole in the end of the femur and pulling the rod out that way.

The end result is that she has all of the hardware out of her leg and a hole the size of a nickel going up her femur, pretty much the length of the bone. This changes the timing of the Iliazarov procedure since it will take longer for the bone to heal from this one. -- For the next eight weeks she can not put any weight on that leg. The bone is very weak and It is important that it heals without breaking or shattering. In order for it to be fully healed, the drs. said that it will be at least three months before they can do anything else with it. That takes us to the end of February - beginning of March.

The Lord knows what is best and His way is the only way to go! Mommy is doing very well considering all the waiting and anxiety. The doctors said Kristin could leave the hospital tomorrow but that there was no hurry, she doesn't have to leave until everyone feels ready. (When is the last time you heard that in a hospital???) I believe that it has been decided to wait until Friday. Thank you for all of your prayers. You all have been so kind to Carla and her family. -- Anita and I wish you all a VERY GOOD Thanksgiving Day tomorrow. We all have much to be thankful for.

God Bless and good night,
Bill, for the Cooley's and Hazels

Tuesday Update from Aunt Christa! Growth Plate does not need to be removed! PTL

Exciting update....Just heard from my sister who is in Dallas with Kristin to visit with all the Dr's and do blood work and stuff to prep for surgery tomorrow @ 10am. Carla said that after the Dr's checked Kristin's "good leg", they were impressed with the length of it and feel that she has the growth in that leg of a 14 yr old (which was when she would stop growing) ......so they wont be needing to take the growth plate out tomorrow. Yahooooooooo!!! :~) We are so excited
about that news for Kristin's sake. So, tomorrow's surgery will be to take the pins and rod out of her "bad leg". She should be able to discharge on Friday...pending how she is tolerating the pain. :~)

Thanks for your concern and prayers!
~Christa

It has been three years since Randy, Kristin, and Aubrey had their accident. During this time the girls have healed very well and we have been grateful to the Lord for His graciousness.

After the accident we noticed that Kristin's bad leg was a bit shorter than her good one. Everyone assumed that it was natural considering all that she went through, and we figured it would eventually take care of itself. However, during the last year it has been very evident that her bad leg has not been growing along with her good one and a visit to a new clinic in New Braunfels, caused the Dr. enough concern to see if he couldn't get her in to see a specialist. God Is Good! Randy and Carla got received a letter from a specialist in Dallas who is affiliated with the Scottish-Rite Children's Orthopedic Hospital. and he gave them an appointment to go to the hospital for a consultation.

On October 21st, Carla and Randy took Kristin to the Scottish-Rite Children's Orthopedic Hospital in Dallas and it was determined that:

1) Her left leg was about 2 ¼ inches longer that her right leg.

2) The growth plate in her right leg is severely damaged

3) She still has about two years of growth yet and at the present rate of growth, by then her left leg will be 6-8 longer than her right leg.

On November 25, Carla and Randy are to take her for her preliminary processing. On the November 26th, the surgeons will take out the pins and rods from the femur in her right leg, and then remove the "growth plate" arthroscopically from the femur of her left leg). In a couple of days she will be able to go home and recuperate for 4-6 weeks.

In January, Kristin will go back to the hospital where she will begin the 2nd (and most difficult) phase of the procedure. At this time Kristin will have to remain at the hospital for two months and undergo what is called the Ilizarov Procedure. The procedure involves surgically breaking the femur in her right leg and putting an expandable cage devise around the leg that will be adjusted daily, lengthening the leg each day in increments of millimeter(s). Since they will have removed the growth plate from her left leg, within a couple of months her right leg will be the same length as the left.

We know that this will be an arduous and at times, painful procedure, so we covet your prayers for the family. The Scottish-Rite Hospital has things down to a science. They have a staff psychiatrist available at all times to help the kids, they have a school right there in the hospital with a principal, teachers, and tutors.

The Scottish-Rite Hospital in Dallas has a good web site. If you wish to look at it, go to www.tsrhc.org/ and click on limb lengthening under "pediatric orthopedics" in the left column.