Monday, December 10, 2012

Bouncing back - Living with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1

After,  I was a total " freak"  about Lizzy's Spinal fusion its taking some time but, she is almost back to herself. I had to realize it was 12 hour surgery , she has Type 1 SMA and sometimes it takes time to regain things back. Watching her in pain and not able to get comfortable hurt my heart. Her voice is in full pitch now. No more quiet days. She was not letting us move her legs on purpose. I thought the surgery has caused her not moving her legs. When, I caught her moving her legs and they were not tight and I thought they were she "laughed" and said "I did not want to move them because I thought it would hurt my back, but it doesn't." She still has some discomfort but over all doing FABULOUS!!   She no longer has a hunched back on one side. Amazing, to say the least. I am awed at the difference in her . She can sit up for 5 hours in her power chair on days she wants to. She has not totally gotten the whole concept "she can be" in her power chair every day. She went from maybe lasting 20 minutes in her chair some times to actually eating via- g-tube and sitting up for hours at a time. She is getting "braver" each day. I love it. She runs from room to room in her chair seeing what everyone is doing. I love it!!  She is still bathing in her bath chair because the bandage has not come off yet. Its okay "She is getting pretty clean!" she says. her hair is so long!! She made the statement that she feels "Older" since her surgery. LOL She looks  so much older. She is simply gorgeous!! She is my "Hero"!!

Lizzy is looking forward to the "chubby red faced"  man wearing a  red suit making finding his way here for Christmas. Hope she is not too upset she is not getting everything she wanted but..... she has an expensive list this year!! I dread the day she finds out that that "chubby faced" little man is just a "magical innocent myth of a child's belief" . I am afraid to take the magic out of her life. She is a miracle and to take that belief from her to me would be criminal in my mind. Silly, you might think but Lizzy has jumped so many hurdles in her nine years of existence I would hope that we can preserve this myth for at least a few more years. She is so "mature" for her age in many ways but I would like to keep this myth for as long as I can.

I just wish I could help her heart get over some of her disappointments she has experienced.  Lizzy,being a child of a single mother its been kind of hard to understand some of circumstances that have occurred. Constant promises that have been promised by a certain people that drop in and out of her life that are broken, just cause me so much anger. We get her through the disappointments with all the love we give her by our family. She seems to understand things we do not understand ourselves. She is such a great kid. Love her with all my heart. I tell her every night " I love her to the moon and back!" I love her more than that.

Here is some more of our heroes in the video below. Grab a box of Kleenex  Its finally here!!A way to cure babies through Gene therapy. Hoping to help the quality of life in some of the older kids. Thank you to all the Moms and Dads that went to the FDA to get the trial approved. This is history in the making . I cried like a  baby when I heard this was approved for trials to begin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=z1GKTwR2STg
Lets us not forget the older kids that inspired this trial.The babies/young children that passed from this terrible disease.  Let us not forget those of us that have fought to save these kids no matter what the medical community told us. The doctors that fought for these kids like DR.Bach, DR.Schroth, our DR. Hough and DR Wang even when they were facing a medical community that was bias and totally not willing to learn. The organizations and families that raised the money for all the research and to help us care for these kids is unbelievable. We all had a voice in these trials even if we did not go to FDA and tell our stories. Our stories are out there and have been told many times. Thank you Vinny and Catherine for your passion to pursue your belief in the gene therapy to face the FDA head on!!  I had no idea this was going on at this time but when I heard about it I was so excited.
I pray Lizzy and the older kids will be able to be a part of phase two in the trial for the gene therapy.They have inspired many with their courage, strengths,our trials and errors. Lizzy and many older kids helped so many parents have HOPE. So, much has happened since Lizzy was diagnosed. Its truly miraculous.
Prayers please for all our sick friends and those that have had surgeries! 
" We believe in miracles because we live with one!"
www.our-sma-angels.com/elizabeth
The power of prayer is a magnificent thing.You can feel  all around you that people are praying for you . I would close my eyes at times (like during Lizzy's surgery)and I can actually feel people holding hands and feel the prayers surrounding her. It is like we were led through a storm to a safe place . Thank you all that prayed for us and helped us out during these hard times. The past few years have not been easy but we have gotten through .

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Spinal Fusion and Family - Living with Spinal Muscular Atrophy


This has been the most emotional last few weeks of my life besides the day Lizzy was diagnosed.

Christen, Lizzy and I came to Madison  Saturday Nov.10 evening for Lizzy to be admitted Sunday at noon for her Spinal Fusion at 7:30 am on Monday Nov.12. We spent the night before at the Ronald McDonald House.
 Home now and looking back I wonder how I got through this past week. Well, I guess I know...lots of prayers from friends, family and many myself. Believing in miracles is what its all about. Divine Intervention.

Lizzy went from a 93 degree curve to a 47 degree. Her last few growing spurts since August were a surprise to all of us. Her Curve had gotten so bad and she just started to complain about it.  The best Ortho surgeon  for SMA kids in the world is DR. Matthew Halanski ( American Family Children's Hospital in Madison,WI ), He is "Superman". What he did for Lizzy is like a miracle. She had the worse curve than any other SMA child he has ever done.
Lizzy has exceeded the all doctors' expectations. She went through a long twelve hour surgery.It was supposed to be eight hours. There was some unexpected delays in the surgery. During the surgery all of a sudden I had this weird feeling something was wrong. I blame it on intuition . Christen went back and asked the nurses and they said Lizzy was fine... still I felt something was wrong .  I asked for prayers for her from all of our friends. I was right on with feelings I was having that something was not right. Well , what we found out after that there was a problem with one of the pins on one-side of her rods. It broke. So, they had to customize her rod on one side. Her blood pressure had dropped a few times and after she was in her room recovering it was from one of anesthesia meds that was causing it to drop. I was so upset and kept on them about her very low blood pressure and after the IV with the med was stopped her blood pressure went back to normal with in seconds. She had to have 2 pints of blood also. I knew that was not right with her blood pressure dropping like it was. Then,seeing her little swollen body hurt my heart. But she quickly improved!
 The nurses and all the doctors were so good to us. Lizzy was a hit with her nurses and docs with her sassy self and her determination to get better. Love that kid!!
DR.Schroth told Lizzy she has done "Fantastic" and only explanation for her doing so well was that she was "Just Lizzy".  LOL
The top picture is the day she was extubated. Pretty amazing to say the least!!
Here she is in her power chair the day after she was extubated and the next day.



She has done so well. I do not think I could bounce back that quick. DR. H was able to get her to 47 degrees from 93 degrees because her bones were so much more better than they expected. She has been on Vit K2  extra cal citrate  and D3 for a very long time besides the donor breast milk she has been on since she was 2. It has all worked. Plus, she is alkaline in her diet also which helps keeping her bones strong. She did leave the hospital slightly anemic but DR,Schroth said I would fix that with her diet like I always do to help that better than any med could do. That was a HUGE pat on the back. Guess, I know my stuff, Huh? I guess DR.Schroth knows that too. (Chuckle to myself)
Lizzy is healing and having some discomfort but, doing well. Sitting up so well she looks like she grew 5 or more inches.
Thank you for all the balloons and ecards. She loved them!! I think she got close to 50 ecards

We went right from Madison to Dawn's house in Lexington for the night. My girls volunteered me to cook the next day.( Oh yay)  I sat on the edge of the back seat since there was no where for me to sit for 4 hours.Stopped once for pee break. At least we made it back with out any issues. Lizzy is so long she takes up the whole back seat now! We had a full van of Lizzy's stuff.
So, Thanksgiving day I started at 7:15am cooking with a huge breakfast of biscuits sausage gravy, fried potatoes and German pancakes. Then, I cooked all day for Thanksgiving dinner. I was beat by the time everyone arrived. Up all week around the clock turning Lizzy all night then coming back to cook for 34 people was not something I had planned. It was great day though besides the fact I made my first ever lumpy gravy and a tip from a friend to use a hand mixer on my lumpy gravy and it worked!!   All and all it turned out a very good day. My brother Rory and his wife Carlene had come home from Kuwait for Thanksgiving. It was friends and family. Love that we can all get together. Dawn's house is huge so we all fit!!

Lizzy below the day she left the hospital.


Great Great Grandma Janet and Rylee


The holiday season has begun.  UGH.... I love the season just do not like the fact I can not buy for the grand kids at all this year.I am baking coffee cakes for my kids and their families for the holidays. Times for us are than worst ever.  We will get through if its what is supposed to be. God has gotten us through this long. I just wish Paul's health would improve.

Keep Lizzy in your prayers to keep recovering well.
Happy Holidays!! We have so much to be Thankful for!!

Please say prayers for two SMA children who will be having surgery in the morning. Prayers for Dani and Sohum
Thank you!!


"We believe in miracles because, we live with one!"
www.our-sma-angels.com/elizabeth
http://www.aadietinfo.com/

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Living each day- Living with Spinal Muscular Atrophy

We have a new baby in the family named Rylee Mae Huette. I am a great grandma at 54!!. She was born Monday October 8th. My grandson Reed and his fiancee Ali are the pound parents of the 7 pound bundle of joy.
 Christen,Lizzy and I got to see her on Tuesday the day after.



Lizzy had to go to Target and pick the baby out her first princess rattle. She paid for it herself.
We have a a busy last few weeks. Girl scouts, school, therapies,  taking my mom shopping after her care meeting today and making cookies etc.

Lizzy's dad came by on Sunday and carved pumpkins with her. No, I did not take pictures. First time he has come to see her here for 5 months. Breaks me heart how many times he has hurt her. I try to keep her busy so she does not have time to think about it. She knows what he is like but loves him any way. Sad....   Christen has to be the one to change that and she will not. I will say no more.





Lizzy is at swim therapy above getting her wild mane dryed. Then, her at girl scouts in the last two pics

The count down for her spinal fusion has begun. Nov.12 is the date. We have to be at UW the 11th. I am more panicked than anyone I think. Please add Lizzy to your prayers she gets through this quick and everything is okay. Its breaks my heart they have to cut on her. I do not want Lizzy to ever have to suffer pain but....I guess she will.. I feel she will do fine but.  will I?

Paul has gotten worse. He is cranky. sugar levels are wacky, his memory is not good, he is dizzy he is in so much pain. I made him go to the doctor yesterday with me. They ran tests on him. Please keep him in your prayers. I am fine just need to lose weight as I have known for 7 years. Steroids for my back made my appetite go nuts. I can not lose the weight I gained  but I am trying. Its  not easy when you have to spend every penny you have on running your household and paying the bills. I have learned to survive on what we have and not focus on what we do not have. We have survived a terrible last few years financially but we have gotten through. We have good friends that make sure we are okay. That what life is all about Family and Friends  Thank you my friends for being there for us.

Christmas is approaching so fast also. Its almost November. I like the cooler weather but today it was 81!!
Christen, Lizzy and I took mom to Kmart to get what she needed. It was fun to get out but the lady wore me out!! God Love her.  Her health is so much better than it was a year ago.

Our prayer go out DeeDee's family this week. She earned her wings last weekend. Here is her web-site
http://alittlemageinthefamily.blogspot.com/2012/10/my-last-weekend-at-home.html

Huge prayers for Tabitha English . She is very sick in the hospital . Please add her to your prayers.

"We believe in miracles because we live with one!"
www.our-sma-angels.com/elizabeth


Monday, October 1, 2012

Lizzy's Special Day and Age Nine Photos -Living with Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Lizzy had a great birthday party with family and friends. Hard to believe our little miracle has been here nine years. I remember the day she was born and how the nurse was holding her up right and I said something and Lizzy's head bobbed around acting like she knew my voice. That was the last time I ever saw her hold her own head up. This sweet little girl changed my life. She is a gift from God and so very precious. Every day I am so blessed to have her in my life. 
Here is some pics of her party and the pictures I took at her photo shoot shadowing the photographer and family friend. I also posted these on my face book page. 










































"We believe in miracles because we live with one!"


"Being defeated is often only a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent."
www.our-sma-angels.com/elizabeth