February 19, 2016
Well we have made our trip to Portland and met with the orthopedic surgeon for Elliot. Whew~ what a crazy ride we have been on lately!
We found out that Elliot has "talocalcaneal coalitions" in both feet. This is unusual for someone his age - at least to the progressed state that he is in. Surgery is the direction we will be going in a month from now...
The coalition means that the bones have grown together where there should be a joint. This makes the flexibility of his ankles/feet very limited. It is also quite painful to move and act like a 9 (almost 10) year old should act. He is a trooper and has a huge pain tolerance, only stopping when it is searing pain...
The "plastic feet" (custom orthotics) that he has been wearing since July of last year, have helped him tremendously but they have reached their max. He has been growing like a mad man! The surgeon told us that he should only need "basic" orthotics to put in his shoes~ so that is even more exciting!
From what the doctor told us he will be cutting the bone on both sides of where the joint should be and then filling it in with a piece of fat taken from the back of his heel. This will be done to both feet. So really the only healing will be with the skin and muscle, (since they do NOT want the bone to heal back together) He will need to wear walking casts for a month and can be weight bearing within a week. He will have to wear the walking casts for a month or so and should be without pain very soon after (meaning the pain he has been experiencing up until now.) That is the most exciting thing. He will not necessarily gain mobility of the foot/ankle but the pain is the main issue.
If we don't do this now there is only pain management and the possibility of having to fuse his ankles in the future, which limits his activities tremendously. We may have to look at that option at some point anyway but this extends that timeline for us... We just want to allow for him to try and be a part of whatever interests him for as long as possible.
Well, I hope I have answered some of the questions that you had about what is happening with Elliot. We will not be having the surgery until March 30th. We only had so many days to choose from and I didn't want to have him recovering during his birthday or over spring break when his grandparents would be out visiting... sooo pushed it back a tiny bit. Not sure how we are going to be able to make him part of a baseball team during all of this - but we will try!!! Since that is the one thing he is pretty adamant about wanting~
We all love and miss seeing our families and friends in Colorado! Sorry I STILL haven't written a "xmas" letter !! Maybe just keep in the back of your mind that we have been hard at work on making our home ready for guests... hint, hint!
- Jen, Brett and the boys
Friday, February 19, 2016
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
February is already here!
We are really enjoying the weather here in Oregon! I say that a little hesitantly as we watch the pictures come across Facebook of all the never-ending snow storms that keep hitting our former hometown of Meeker... we really do feel for you all~ shoveling non-stop... with no end in sight...
While here we are watching the grass grow and the plants (and trees- yes, the trees!) get ready to bloom....
But, like I keep saying you are welcome to come and visit any time! By the way, it was 65 degrees today ~ and sunny... but it might rain in a day or two...
On another note! We have started BASEBALL!!! Braden is on a traveling team and has started practices about a month ago... they will start going to tournaments in March. We are excited to be a part of baseball so early and be able to actually practice!
Elliot is getting anxious to be on a team too~ we are hoping to get that started soon. We just had some CT scans done of his feet today - and will be going to Dorenbecher Hospital (children's hospital of Portland) to have the pediatric orthopedic surgeon have a look and see what they think should be done with his feet. For those of you not in the loop on this topic, we found out right before we were moving to Oregon that he had some very severe foot and ankle problems on both feet. Both ankles are basically collapsing inward and making his feet very flat and also very painful. This happens to adults sometimes much later in life but not usually by the time you are 9. So he has been wearing some pretty major orthotics (sp?) on both of his feet since July. They go up past his ankles and have straps all over them - even around his big toe...but he has been a trooper with them!
From the moment he put those on he ran and walked differently - with purpose and not the bent over weird gate that we had always written off as "just how Elliot moves". Amazing physical growth started to happen too~ not that those are connected by any means but who knows... He has grown at least 3 shoe sizes since June and 2 pant/shirt sizes. He is still on the slimmer side but he has really started to catch up to his brother~ who was doing some growing of his own!
We are really enjoying the weather here in Oregon! I say that a little hesitantly as we watch the pictures come across Facebook of all the never-ending snow storms that keep hitting our former hometown of Meeker... we really do feel for you all~ shoveling non-stop... with no end in sight...
While here we are watching the grass grow and the plants (and trees- yes, the trees!) get ready to bloom....
But, like I keep saying you are welcome to come and visit any time! By the way, it was 65 degrees today ~ and sunny... but it might rain in a day or two...
On another note! We have started BASEBALL!!! Braden is on a traveling team and has started practices about a month ago... they will start going to tournaments in March. We are excited to be a part of baseball so early and be able to actually practice!
Elliot is getting anxious to be on a team too~ we are hoping to get that started soon. We just had some CT scans done of his feet today - and will be going to Dorenbecher Hospital (children's hospital of Portland) to have the pediatric orthopedic surgeon have a look and see what they think should be done with his feet. For those of you not in the loop on this topic, we found out right before we were moving to Oregon that he had some very severe foot and ankle problems on both feet. Both ankles are basically collapsing inward and making his feet very flat and also very painful. This happens to adults sometimes much later in life but not usually by the time you are 9. So he has been wearing some pretty major orthotics (sp?) on both of his feet since July. They go up past his ankles and have straps all over them - even around his big toe...but he has been a trooper with them!
From the moment he put those on he ran and walked differently - with purpose and not the bent over weird gate that we had always written off as "just how Elliot moves". Amazing physical growth started to happen too~ not that those are connected by any means but who knows... He has grown at least 3 shoe sizes since June and 2 pant/shirt sizes. He is still on the slimmer side but he has really started to catch up to his brother~ who was doing some growing of his own!
Here is a picture of them lined up with Brett at the rental!
Pictures - Pictures
Finally!!
Some pictures of the house and property!
Sorry it took so long~ turns out we were too isolated for internet and our cell phones! (Well, not really ~ just hidden beneath all those trees~) But we are now back in the land of the connected and hopefully we will be able to be posting regularly very soon!
Here are some pictures of the house and property!
Can't wait to have visitors!
Love you all~
The "Oregon" Steinachers
Some pictures of the house and property!
Sorry it took so long~ turns out we were too isolated for internet and our cell phones! (Well, not really ~ just hidden beneath all those trees~) But we are now back in the land of the connected and hopefully we will be able to be posting regularly very soon!
Here are some pictures of the house and property!
Can't wait to have visitors!
Love you all~
The "Oregon" Steinachers
Front doorway
Main entry
Living room
White Carpet...; for now...
(how will I ever keep it that color?)
Dining Room
Family room (another fireplace...)
Loft area - outside of boys' rooms
Elliot's room
Braden's room
Spare bedroom
Master bedroom
Master bathroom - mirrors and reflective wall paper ohhhh so sparkly!!
Not to mention the sparkles in the popcorn ceiling!
Our Driveway...
Back patio- Looking Northeast
Front of house (after Brett chopped down the dead trees)
Looking West towards the other 3 acres of our property
Looking out the back side of the house - towards the East
Master Bedroom - Repainted and w/out the sparkles!
Room is sooo huge (that is a king size bed...) 2 ceiling fans...
Crazy!
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