The Final Countdown

The weekend has now come to an end, and in only 6.5 hours, Avery will be in the hospital getting his cast applied. I can't even begin to describe the emotions that I am going through. To give you an idea, though, it is 1:00 in the morning and I am eating leftover Chinese food...while on a diet... I'm an emotional eater. Don't judge me. 

George and I made sure to make this past weekend as much fun as possible for Avery. Saturday was his big special day. We brought him up to Maine where we went to York's Wild Animal Kingdom, the Nubble Lighthouse, and took a nice walk along Long Shores Beach. Avery enjoyed every second of it, and he deserved it. 




Sunday was a more laid back kind of day. We got lots of playtime in, and LOTS of snuggles. I got everything ready for the hospital, and we had dinner with family. After getting back home, it was time for Avery's last bath before the cast is on. Once the cast is on, we are not sure how long it will be until his next real bath. It will be sponge baths, and No-Rinse shampoos/body wash. So, for his last tubby, we made sure he had lots of bubbles and lots of splashing fun. He loved it so much that he didn't want to get out of his tub! It was great to see him laughing and having fun, especially knowing that the next week or so will be quite difficult on all of us. 



One question that has come up a lot this past week/weekend is if we are ready for this. I can't speak for George, but I am definitely not ready. And although Avery may not understand what is going on, in my opinion, that only makes things more difficult. When he wakes up in recovery with this big piece of plaster on his body that won't come off, I'm pretty sure his reaction will not be all laughs and smiles. He is only 16 months old... with a speech delay... how do I explain any of this to him as he is trying to rip off the cast and getting mad because it's literally stuck on him for the next year or so? I do know for sure, though, that Avery is a strong little man,  and he can overcome any curve ball that life throws his way and it will only make him stronger. He will be receiving the best care from one of the best pediatric orthopedic surgeons in the country. I have no doubt in my mind that Avery will be just fine. That doesn't change the situation, though, or change how I feel right now. 

It is now time for me to try to get some rest, as we have to be at the hospital for 6:00 in the morning. But first, I want to share a couple of videos about the casting procedure. Some of you have asked about it, and I have done my best to describe the process of derotational (Mehta) casting, but I think these videos will give you all a better idea of what Avery will be going through today. 




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