Update on Dayne

What I wouldn't give to be in Baltimore right now hugging my little brother.  I have cried more than I want to admit the last two days.  This is the first time I have not been there for Dayne when he woke from surgery.

First of all thank you to everyone who has purchased a "Unbreakable Spirit" necklace.  If you still would like to purchase one they are available on the left hand side of this blog.  Thanks also to anyone who kept Dayne or any member of our family in your thoughts and prayers.  Daynes fight is lifelong and never ending but he is tough.  However, no matter how tough one is, they have bad days and hard times.  This is Daynes "bad day".

Daynes surgery was successful.  That is the good news.  My cute mom is a Registered Nurse.  She and Dayne were both so nervous for the surgery that the doctors let her scrub and go back into the Operating Room and hold his hand until he fell asleep.  She has been his biggest support.  She gave the doctors instructions on how to lay him so that he was most comfortable and cried a little when she asked them to take good care of her baby.  She and Dayne have such a good relationship.

So the goal for this surgery as mentioned before in a previous post was to replace the steel rod that was protruding through his bone.  The rod was replaced and the doctors did some bone grafting using medical cement and bone from his hip.  They also took a piece of bone for a bone biopsy that will hopefully give them some ideas on how to help him more.  This part went well.
The other part of this surgery was to get Dayne to be able to stand up again.  This will not be accomplished over night.  Also mentioned before, Dayne walked until he was five.  After that he was so fragile that even sitting in his wheelchair he would have a spontaneous fracture in his leg or arm.   Well, sitting in his wheelchair for the last eleven years, along with his fractures and other injuries made it so that his tendons in the backs of his knees tightened and locked him in a sitting position.  This made it incredibly hard for him to get comfortable even in his bed at night.

This picture shows you how straight his legs are.  So, while in the operating room the surgeon placed something (Im not sure exactly what it was) in the growth plates behind his knees that would help his legs straighten as he grows.  Not only that, they physically straightened his legs and placed braces on them.  So they are now almost straight.  My mom says this is what is causing Dayne the most discomfort and pain.  He wants the braces off.  I cannot imagine how that must feel. 

So once Dayne recovers from this surgery he will start a rigorous physical therapy program in Baltimore.  The therapy is projected to last three months and will help him gain the strength to be able to transfer himself unassisted, (hopefully) bear weight on his legs, and maybe even STAND!!! This would be so great for him!  It is my understanding that they will also be starting Dayne on some new experimental medications.  So please please continue to keep him in your thoughts and prayers!  He needs all the love and encouragement he can get!

Again, Thank you, thank you for all your support.  

-Daynes big sis, Brittani