Miracle Wrist

2+ years post surgery and going strong . . .

"I was born and I couldn't put it all the way straight like my other hand.  Because the tendon was not making it do it.  My wrist bent in.  I had surgery and it take that tendon out of that place and into another part and make me be able to put my hand straight up.  I'm strong and I can do more things now.  I do the "prayer stretch" and do push ups.  I got an A+ from the doctor for doing so good." (Davis)

Praise the Lord for the miracle He worked in our son!

God has protected Davis and has been at work in his life from his early beginning. 
A brief background:  Born 9 weeks premature, he spent 5 weeks in the Neonatal ICU and remained on an apnea monitor for 9 months.  We first began therapy (physical, occupation, and speech) when he was just 6-months old.  At the age of 4, his constantly folded-in right wrist (which led us to working with him to become a lefty and counter his natural right-handedness) and low muscle tone eventually helped us to figure out a diagnoses for our amazing boy: cerebral palsy.  God blessed us with specialists to support our son, and a surgeon.  Two and a half years ago (at the age of 5), Davis underwent a Green Banks Transfer to rework the tendons in his wrist and provide him a more "normal" range of motion.  This surgery was a huge success and has made such a difference in his life and activity.

Two and a half years post surgery, our surgeon is incredibly pleased with the results.  We are so thankful for this miracle.
Praise God!  

We celebrate this medical victory and continue to ask God for strength for our son and continued protection over his life.  Mild Cerebral Palsy, while a non-progressive condition, is something that will continue to present challenges for our son.  Motor limitations cause him to work harder than most and lead to painful joints and fatigue.   Davis is an incredibly hard worker and has not let any physical limitation hold him back.  We couldn't be more proud of our tough boy.  
God has blessed Davis with strength.  He is a strong boy.  He has an incredible testimony to share of the work God has done in his life. 

Wrist

18 months post surgery, and praise God, things are looking good!

October 2011, Davis had a Green Banks Transfer (Flexor carpi ulnaris tendon transfer) of the tendon on his right wrist to release the tight tendon pulling his hand down and to the right (a symptom of his mild Cerebral Palsy) and transferring it from the palm side to the back, to pull up the hand.  

After his surgery, Davis worked hard with an occupational therapist for 9 months and 

we check in with his surgeon periodically.

At this most recent visit, his surgeon is thrilled with the results and progress Davis has made.

We're amazed each time we see him using his right hand - it's a miracle!  

Praise God!

His wrist is straight, he can hold his hand flat, his wrist is strong, he can use his hand.

Davis still has a tendency to fold his hand in like before, but really that's a good sign.

There are no longer tendons pulling the wrist in, so he is only holding his hand down out of habit.

One common problem after this type of surgery is for the moved tendon to tighten on the back of the wrist, causing the hand to be pulled back (as opposed to it formerly being pulled in), which would require a second surgery to loosen the tendon.  The fact that Davis has nearly full range of motion and can still hold his hand in a bent in position means that this tendon hasn't tightened! 

We'll check in with the surgeon again next year, but everything looks great.

His surgeon's orders: Play, play, play!

(I think we can handle that :)

We are thankful for God's protection over our son.

We are thankful for the skilled hands of the surgeon.

We are thankful for the support of our therapist.

Our son Davis was fearfully and wonderfully made. 

 He's our miracle boy!

Milestones

He is learning and growing; achieving, hitting, and passing milestones!

Davis was born 9 weeks early.  He spent 5 weeks in the NICU and was "wired" at home for 9 months.  He has received therapy since he was 4 months old: physical, occupational, and then speech.  Two years ago, he was diagnosed with a mild Cerebral Palsy.  Ten months ago, Davis underwent surgery on his wrist to re-work some tendons to allow a more "normal" range of motion.


Now, after 6 years of weekly therapy . . . our son has graduated!
Davis has met all milestones and goals.

It's a big change.
I hadn't realized how much a comfort and how much a part of our life this weekly therapy has been for our family until it was no longer necessary.  I'll miss meeting with his wonderful therapists regularly!  But it's a good thing.  Our ultimate goal with therapy was to no longer need it.   

We won't be stopping completely cold turkey.  There will be follow-up.  Davis will meet with his surgeon and therapists to monitor progress.  I am thankful for their continued help and partnership.
While it was determined that therapy was no longer necessary, Cerebral Palsy doesn't go away.  Davis will have challenges to overcome his whole life. He has learned to adapt beautifully, and we are learning how to best set him up for success.    

We don't want his medical history or diagnosis to define our son.  God has shown Himself faithful and has been at work in our son's life.  Our son's past hurdles have not limited him.  We want Davis to be proud of his story and proud of what he has overcome.  We are so proud of our son! 

*In addition to graduating from therapy this summer, Davis is rapidly loosing teeth and has learned how to read! 

Wheelbarrow

Grandpa was a good therapist . . . Davis worked hard last week perfecting his "wheelbarrow"!
This is a wonderful stretch and strengthening workout for his right wrist.
It's not easy for our boy, but he get's stronger each time.

this picture doesn't show the proper technique - his right palm should be flat on the ground . . .
hard to do while smiling for the camera :)


*We're nearly 4 months post wrist surgery to correct a symptom of his mild Cerebral Palsy*
His recovery and new range of motion has been truly amazing!
Follow his Journey

Stretch!

Three months post Surgery, the range of motion in Davis' right wrist is AMAZING! We are down to one Occupational Therapy session per week (dropped down from 3 per week). Davis is working hard to strengthen and stretch the tendons in his wrist: he climbs a rock wall, leans onto a table with his weight on the right hand palm, he moves his hand side-to-side to cover and reveal hidden objects, and can support his weight as a "wheel barrow" for several steps. He works everyday at home on his stretches, each day they are get a bit easier and are less painful.

We are incredibly proud of how hard Davis is working and how much progress he has made.
Davis is proud to show off his new range of motion, demonstrating to people how he can hold his hand out straight - something he has never been able to do before. It's truly amazing.

We are so thankful for the success of the surgery. We praise God for the incredible healing of Davis' wrist.

Davis showing the amazing flexibility of his wrist while stretching:

Cast Party

Monday morning, one month after his Green-Banks tendon transfer surgery, we returned to Memphis for our second post-op visit . . . and to get the cast OFF!!!!

Davis had been counting down to this big day and was super pumped. The cast-cutting saw was a little loud and intimidating, but after hearing it won't hurt but may tickle, he giggled the entire time. The surgical site is still tender but is healing very well. Davis was hesitant to move his right arm, but was able to squeeze our doctor's with surprising strength. Over these next few weeks, we'll have extensive occupational and physical therapy (3x per week) to gently work and strengthen his right arm: shoulder, elbow and wrist.

The biggest news: Davis can now hold his right hand/wrist perfectly straight!!!
Praise God!!!

After the cast removal, we spent the day in Memphis celebrating: Abyssinia Ethiopian food and the Memphis Zoo (where we practically had the entire zoo to ourselves!).


The cast if off . . . replaced by an awesome brace and accompanied with 2-3 therapy sessions per week for the next month. Road to healing, here we come!

Cast Countdown

The countdown is on . . . 21 days to go before the Super Camouflage Cast comes off!

We met with Davis' Orthopedic Surgeon yesterday for a 10-day-post-op-appointment. Everything looks great, and (big deal!!!) Davis can effortlessly wiggle and straighten his fingers on his right hand! (We are also pleased Davis is finally self-weening off the powerful pain medications.) Praise God for this quick healing!!!
The cast is not holding Davis back from being a normal, active, rough-and-tumble 5-year-old . . . and he has quickly learned his arm is now a powerful weapon (watch out!).

Since everything is going so well, Davis will only need to be cast for one month! Only three more weeks wearing this large itchy cast, then we move to a wrist brace accompanied with lots of Occupational Therapy.

To help mark our final days of cast wearing, we made a paper chain (in army colors, of course) - Davis can take a link off each day and countdown to the big day!

Cast Adventure

Davis' surgical experience: Green Banks Transfer to correct a symptom of his mild Cerebral Palsy

Thursday morning (October 13th), while still dark outside, we (Mike and Amy) traveled to Memphis with Davis for his pre-op appointment. The remainder of the day was full of fun: Children's Museum of Memphis, Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant, Memphis Zoo, then snuggling together while enjoying pizza and Disney movies in our hotel . . . it was so special to have this time with our sweet boy.

Friday (October 14th), we woke at 4:45 AM to enjoy a final beverage before surgery (Root Beer, his special drink of choice), then headed over to Le Bonheur Children's Hospital for our 7:00 surgery check-in. We rested in the waiting room for 1-1/2 hours, Davis snuggling with Mommy and watching cartoons, Daddy sleeping. At 8:30 we were called back and Davis got to walk the "toy hallway" to choose a special toy - he immediately picked out a set of green army men! In pre-op, we met with the anesthesiologist and Davis' surgeon (who initialed the correct wrist for surgery), changed him into his blue gown, and Davis picked out his cast color (army camouflage). He was oblivious to everything, completely happy to be playing with his new army set, and really excited for his new cast. We prayed over our boy before they led him back for anesthesia (he chose bubblegum scent). It was so sweet watching him skipping along, holding the nurse's hand and carrying his sheep, blanket, and one of Mommy's "soft shirts". He was so excited and couldn't wait to wake up with his new cast!


The surgery began at 10:00 and was quicker than originally anticipated, only 1-1/2 hours long. Davis had a Green Banks Transfer (Flexor carpi ulnaris tendon transfer) of the tendon on his right wrist to release the tight tendon pulling his hand down and to the right (a symptom of his mild Cerebral Palsy) and transferring it from the palm side to the back, to pull up the hand. Ideally this surgery will allow him to hold his wrist at a more neutral position and give him a more "normal" range of motion for that hand. Former common activities which had been awkward or impossible for Davis to perform will hopefully be made easier with the transfer of this tendon.

At 11:30 AM, we met with Davis' surgeon for a post-surgery consultation, who was very pleased and very optimistic for the outcome. Davis will be in a full-arm hard cast for 4-6 weeks, necessary for holding the arm completely still while the tendons are healing. The rigorous occupational therapy will begin later, first we need to help our boy heal.
We were led back to recovery just as Davis was waking from the anesthesia. Our poor boy was very disoriented and in a lot of pain - it was very hard to see him suffering. We pulled him onto our laps and held him tight through the first hour as he fluctuated between sleeping and crying. We were unsuccessful in our attempts to get him to drink liquids. Finally he was able to communicate that his arm hurt. Two doses of morphine took the edge of the pain enough for him to calm down and eat an orange popsicle. "I want my cast off" - the coveted cast was now seen as the cause for his discomfort and pain and he just wanted it off!

At 2:15 PM we were finally transferred to his hospital room (903) - the surgeon wanted to keep Davis for 23-hour observation, which allows for the surgery to still be considered "out-patient" while enabling the hospital staff to monitor his pain. Davis was exited to be able to choose his own food from the call-in-order menu: chocolate milk, pineapple, and Rice Krispie treat; and to have control over the TV from his big bed. He was pretty miserable for the first few hours, but perked up significantly by 6:00 PM. He played with his army men, climbed onto the window sill to look out over downtown Memphis, watched several movies (and a baseball playoff game) and enjoyed more chocolate milk and pineapple for dinner. Our biggest obstacle was keeping the cast arm elevated to reduce the swelling of his right fingers and keeping Davis comfortable. Davis was also very ready for his IV port to be removed, poor boy had two arms in pain. He needed a few more doses of pain medication to help him throughout the night, which he gagged down in tears.


Saturday morning, Davis was still uncomfortable and very ready to go home. Unfortunately we had to wait a long time for our discharge orders and paperwork to be completed. Davis ate more chocolate milk and pineapple (the only food that appealed to him), watched more movies, played with the army men, napped and rested, and explored the hospital. The longer we waited though, the worse he felt - he just needed to be home!
Finally at 2:00 PM, the orders came through and we were ready to leave, with cast care instructions and prescriptions for pain medicines. Our puny boy, jumped up and practically ran the entire way to the car (stopping at the hospital gift shop for his free gift - a plush duck - on the way out) - he was so excited!


Davis slept the whole way home, but upon arrival this afternoon, jumped out to excitedly show off his new army cast to all of his siblings and very happy to be home.
We couldn't be more proud of how strong and brave (and sweet) our boy was throughout this surgical experience. He was wonderful!

Looking back, he said he wants to go to a hospital again - it's a relief that he has positive memories from his time at Le Bonheur (that may have something to do with free gifts, chocolate milk and pineapple, and a TV above the hospital bed). We were very impressed with the care we received from the doctors and nursing staff at Le Bonheur - we are very thankful for their help and kindness in caring for our precious boy.

We are incredibly grateful for the help of friends and family for taking care of the home front while were were tending to Davis in Memphis. We are thankful for their willingness, availability and flexibility (until the day before we left town, we were only expecting a single night away from home - with the added 23-hour watch, we were gone for three days and two nights). Hendrick and Tesfaye had a ball staying with friends and were thrilled to have them cheering at their final soccer game. Grandpa (Amy's Dad) bravely took on the youngest four: Burke, Hiwot, Maegli, and Kolpin at our home, and was fantastic caring for and spoiling them as only a Grandpa can do (story-time, magic tricks, special meals, play ground, and decorating the house for Davis' homecoming). All of our kids has a very special three days. Thank you!!!
We are so pleased to all be home together again.

We would certainly appreciate your prayers as Davis recovers from this surgery: we are praying for full healing of the tendons and successful outcome of the tendon transfer; we are praying for a relief from pain and swelling and for comfort in his cast these next 4-6 weeks. God is the ultimate and mighty Physician and Healer, we are believing Him to heal our strong, brave boy.

Change is Coming

In one week, our sweet boy's life will be a little different.

Friday, Davis will undergo surgery on his right wrist. His folded, "broken wing" hand will be surgically straightened with a re-wiring of the tendons in his wrist.
I am excited for him, and the impact on his life this change has the potential to make . . . but I will miss his sweet bent wrist.

Davis has had a folded hand since infancy (a result of his mild Cerebral Palsy). He first crawled not on the palm, but on the back of his right hand. He sleeps with his curled wrist tucked in his shirt, carrying it like a broken wing.

This tight bend has made writing, holding a bat or ball glove, and giving high-five a challenge, especially with his natural inclination towards right-hand dominance. While Davis has adapted to this limitation amazingly well, this surgery has potential to dramatically change the quality of his life. This surgery will make my little man so much stronger.

After surgery, Davis will be sporting an awesome full-arm cast for 6-8 weeks. He is very excited to have it decorated by family and friends. Once the cast comes off, the long road to recovery begins. Davis will be working very hard therapy these next few months to strengthen and re-learn to live with and use new full-range-motion wrist to its full potential.

We are believing God to work a miracle in our little boy's wrist.
We pray for His guidance over the hands of the surgical team, and for His protection over our Davis.

Talk of Surgery

We have a big decision to make.

Our child's life could change.

Our son may undergo surgery this year.

We lift it up to our God, the Ultimate Healer.


When Davis was diagnosed with mild Cerebral Palsy last year, we knew surgery was a future possibility. The constantly flexed, overworked tendons of his right arm cause his wrist to curl in at a sharp angle. In severe medical terms, this is a wrist flexion deformity. This gives our naturally right-hand-dominant boy very limited mobility as he is physically unable to relax his wrist into a "natural" straight position.


The Orthopedic Surgeon we have been seeing for the past 18 months thinks Davis is a perfect candidate for a Green & Banks technique Flexor Carpi Ulnaris Transfer. Put simply, this surgery would transfer the tight tendon from the back of the wrist to the top, with the hopeful result being to pull the wrist back into a more "natural" position, allowing wrist extension and providing greater flexibility of the joint. These surgical transfers are recommended to be done before the patient reaches skelital maturity - most surgical patients are 5-9 years of age.

This is a relatively new procedure, test cases done within the last 20 years (most done within the last 10) have seen good results. A large majority of surgical patients saw improved appearance of wrist and gained improved mobility of forearm and wrist.
Surgery is not without risk. There is a slight risk of over-correction, an extension deformity developing post-surgery. Also, this procedure may result in significant scarring and tendon bulging across the top of the wrist. And, as with all surgeries, there is an anesthesia and infection risk.

Our Orthopedic Surgeon would like to perform this transfer on Davis this Fall.
We would love to see full-range motion given to our son.
This is exciting and scary.

We will be praying.

We will be seeking out second opinions and advise from Medical Experts.

Ultimately we will seek wisdom and guidance of our Lord.

We have hope in the knowledge that our God has the power to Heal.

We trust our Ultimate Healer.

A Wrist Adventure

To the doctor we go . . .

Davis is a very special boy, with a very special wrist. Over the Summer, he was diagnosed with Minor CP - which can cause the brain signals to muscles to be slightly damaged. The muscles Davis' wrist work overtime, causing his wrist to be continually flexed (it looks incredibly painful). It takes significant effort to straighten his hand and wrist to a "normal" position, and he is unable to bend back his hand - he has a very limited range of motion.

We have seen several specialist over the years. This past year we learned he may be a good candidate for surgery. . . a ligament switcheroo. The basic idea would be to move the tight ligament from the underside of his wrist to the top - pulling the hand into a more natural position. The original idea was to wait another 4 years before surgery, to allow Davis to grow. This Monday, Amy and the kids traveled to Memphis to meet with an orthopedic surgeon - the latest suggestion is to have the surgery within the next year.

notice the hold of his right wrist (on the table) . . .

It's scary and exciting. Any surgery is major, and there are no guarantees. While the idea of the surgery makes sense, it may not work. We have a lot of questions for which we will need to find answers before we make such a big decision.
But, if we can help our boy: if help to heal his wrist, if we can give him a normal range of motion, if we can ease his constant pain and tightness, if we can enable him to perform normal tasks with minimal effort . . . that would be amazing.

We have a lot to pray about!

Until we're ready for surgery, Davis has a brace to wear. The goal of the brace is to gently stretch the muscles and help to maintain some range of motion, as well as preventing fatigue and injury by holding his hand in the proper position.
Our only complication: he's 4. It's nearly impossible to keep a brace on a 4-year-old! This is our fifth brace - we keep trying out different designs hoping to find one that will work (and we've lost a few along the way).


Praise God for this special boy! We trust our Lord, the Ultimate Healer. We are thankful for the people He has placed in our lives to aid us on our path to healing, and for the strength He has given our precious son. We pray that full-range of motion will one day be restored to our son. We can't wait to see what God does with this situation - we know He can work all things to His glory. Davis will have an amazing story.

Diagnosis not Definition

We always knew our four-year-old, Davis, was special. After nearly 4 years of therapy, 4 orthopedic surgeons, and 1 neurologist, we have a diagnosis. . . not a definition. This diagnosis will not define our son. Davis was created for a purpose, formed by the Divine hands of God. God has been at work in his life and we can't wait to see what God has planned for his future. God is bigger than a diagnosis.

Davis has been diagnosed with a mild case of Cerebral Palsy.

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a non-progressive motor condition that causes physical disability. Cerebral referring to the cerebrum, which is the affected area of the brain, and palsy referring to a disorder of movement. It is caused by damage to the motor centers of a developing brain, possibly during pregnancy or childbirth. Almost half children with CP were born premature.

We praise God our son has an incredibly mild case. He has low muscle tone, tight ligaments preventing full-range of motion of his right wrist, and speech challenges. Davis was born premature (at 31 weeks gestation, 9 weeks early). He spent 5 weeks in the Neonatal ICU and remained on an apnea monitor for 9 months. We first began therapy when Davis was just 6-months of age.

God protected Davis from the very beginning, and He protects our boy still. We are thankful for this diagnosis. We praise God this is a non-progressive condition. We praise God for specialists who can support our son. We praise God for our son.

Davis is an amazing boy. He is our fighter. He is a brilliant four-year-old with a gentle, loving spirit and a glorious giggle. He has always risen to meet challenges. Davis is incredibly gifted in his cognitive ability but has always had to work harder than most physically to overcome motor limitations. He is a strong boy! Davis has worn ankle braces and a wrist brace for two years. To prevent injury to his leg joints, he will most likely always need a brace or shoe insert. We are excited at the possibility of wrist surgery in the future to correct overworking ligaments and give Davis more wrist mobility.

Now that we have a diagnosis, we can continue to move forward.
Praise God!