Home Sweet Home

We got home today and are getting settled. This recovery, while scary in the ICU- has proven to be VERY different than that in October.  Hannah has done nothing but CRUSH one hurdle and bench-mark after the next.  She needs some time to heal and regain strength- but we are all so excited about her progress so far. 

Since October, when we knew this surgery was in our future, Dr. Cahill and his team had been clear with us that the objective was no longer to straighten her back – that would be too dangerous after the results of the first spinal surgery.  Rather, the goal, and necessity of this spinal fusion was because her spine was unstable and needed to be supported.  We needed to ensure that the curve did not progress and squeeze her chest cavity any more than it was.  Also, the bone in her spine was weak because screws had been drilled in and removed – creating fragility. 

So with all this in mind, we faced a tremendous amount of fear and attempted a spinal fusion again- without traction and without the hope of any correction.  Just for the needed assurance of stability and to possibly create room around her spinal cord, hoping to reverse some of the damage done in October.

As you can see from before x-ray (but does not quite do it justice), Hannah’s shoulder blades were protruding quite noticeably in her back.  We called her shoulder blades her “wings”- and her “wings” had become even more prominent after the October surgery.  We talked a good amount about how she would deal with this moving forward- and what it would mean for her- but we were so focused on completing a successful surgery- we agreed that we would face that issue after we got through the surgery.  When I first saw her back in the ICU, I gasped. Not from horror, which is what Hannah originally heard, but rather from shock and gratitude- the “wings” were gone.

We have made many jokes over the past few days about the loss of her wings and the hopes that that will not be indicative of her behavior to come.  While it was good for a few laughs and to bring levity- it was frustrating for Hannah because she was not able to see her back or appreciate the difference. She cannot look behind her, has not been able to stand in front of a mirror, and a picture does not do it justice given the incision and dressing.  It was not until she saw these “before” (January 2021) and “after” x-rays that she truly understood. We got much more than we hoped for and expected from this surgery.  As you can see in the attached x-rays- there was a good deal of correction that happened- mostly in the posterior protrusion of her shoulder blades.  Seeing these x-rays have been shocking for her.  As her mom, I stood and looked at the x-rays with her and when I turned to look at her, there were tears streaming down her face.  When I asked her what the tears were, she explained that the x-rays symbolize so much for her.   Everything she has been through, and the hope she has for her future and recovery. 

Thank you again to each and every one of you for all of the love and support over the past few months. We are so thrilled to be home, and although we still have some obstacles to face, Hannah is finally on the road to recovery. We couldn’t be more thankful or excited and we know that she will continue to crush those goals to get back to her “old” self.