Changed rooms, udated information...

10/26/2007
Hello All!!
If you wrote down the information before... check it out again- Gabe's room changed. We're doing really well, Gabe spent an hour today in a mobile stander and is really excited about starting to get up in the walker/gait-trainer and maybe even into the pool!! We went #2 on the potty for the first time since surgery today and we got to take a shower in his new room!! YEAH!! Very exciting stuff!
I'll try to update again soon!!
Love ya!! xoxo!-Kari


10/28/2007
Gabe is doing really well in therapy and is tolerating his new surroundings like a champ. He got up into the Gait-trainer, and while it is very slow going he is able to move it on his own! They are changing around his goals and we may get out sooner than expected. I'll keep you up to date- as soon as I learn anything new.

10/31/2007
Gabe had a great day today- he really liked all the weird stuff they had going on at the hospital today due to Halloween- he didn't want anything to do with the party however. After a long day of therapies- I walked him over there just to see what all they were giving away and Gabe said 'NO" as we walked up. The music was a little loud and all the "spooky" stuff wasn't exactly winning him over. But he really did like seeing the way they had the hospital all decorated and seeing some of the staff in silly costumes.

They are talking about a week from Friday as Gabe's discharge date. So we'll be getting out sooner than expected! I'll update again when I know for sure.

11/5/2007
Doing well, He won't be getting into the pool- they are doing their yearly maintenance this week- so it's drained and stripped. We're going to talk to them this week about what goals are left for Gabe as we approach his discharge this Friday- We're trying to figure out what else they want him to accomplish this week. His team meeting is today so we'll get more information later today or tomorrow.

11/6/2007
Well, they came after team meeting and said they'll let Gabe go home on Wednesday!! We're really excited!! I'll write more after we get home!

Day two and getting things rolling...

We had evaluations all day today. He's doing really well and is raring to go!! Gabe did some weight bearing for the first time since surgery and tolerated it really well. He still has a long way to go to get all of his stregnth back and could deffinately use to put on a few pounds... but that's why we're here!
Keep us in your thoughts!

Getting settled in...

We are getting settled into Gabriel's room this evening and all is going well. I will know a lot more about what his program will be tomorrow after all the evaluations. We are most likely looking at 3 1/2 to 4 weeks. They are very happy with how he is healing and excited to get him going in therapy!

CHOP (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia)
34th Street & Civic Center BLVD
3 West Room 310-1
Philadelphia, PA 19104

The phones are on from 7am until 9pm
His room phone number is 215-590-0310
It's probably best though to call my cell, that way if we're at therapy or otherwise unavailable you can leave a voicemail. You can always call the home voicemail also. Jeremy will most likely be home evenings during the week and I will be home weekends- but we will check the messages frequently.

Keep us in your thoughts- he's got a lot of work ahead of him!!

xoxo!-kda

at home until the 23rd

Gabe is doing great - the doctor said he couldn't have asked for it to look any better in the x-ray. The pins/screws are all placed perfectly, and the bone is beginning to grow/fuse very well.
We decided however due to the pain that Gabriel is still experiencing we are going to wait until the 23rd to start Physical Therapy. The most important thing is that he has a successful run of therapy and with him still experiencing some pain- he most likely won't respond to therapy in the beginning and may not be able to participate all together for up to a week and a half... at which time they would send him home to finish getting his strength and wait for the pain to subside a bit. We decided it would be smarter to just take him home and let him have the additional time to heal and for the pain to fade. That way we won't have the possibility of being sent home or him not getting the full benefit of his Physical Therapy.
Anyway, I'll post more updates later. Just wanted to post a quick one with the information about if he was being admitted today or not and it is NOT.
Love you!!

Tomorrow is the big day

Things are going well- tomorrow is Gabe's second follow up and if all goes well- he will end up being admitted to inpatient rehab after our appointment. We'll be there for about 4 weeks is what they think. I'll post an update after the appointment- probably late afternoon.
Love ya!

Some hanging at home pic's

He's got his smile back!!

Check out my HUGE pillow!!

Yeah MOM- I KNOW, I KNOW... I AM SO CUTE!!

Another picture of my HUGE pillow!

He's such a good boy and puts up with my annoying picture taking like a champ!

Just in case you were wondering- YES! he does still have legs under all that stuff!!

Good News from Doc-

Dr. Flynn says Gabriel is healing very well, the wounds look good and so do the bone positions-etc. Now we go back on October 9th for another x-ray to see if the bone is fused/grown in completely. If it is he'll be admitted to inpatient rehab that day (for four weeks) if not- then they will send him home for two weeks to let the bone completely finish growing/fusing- then come back for inpatient rehab.
Gabe is still in some discomfort and I think very tired of not being able to get into his walker. I know he definitely is being a trooper about not being able to go anywhere. (we have not received clearance to travel yet) So- we've been apartment bound for quite a while. I'll update again closer to the weekend and let you know how everything else is going- we've gotten a lot of good news lately and just had a visit from family so I have some stuff to share- but I need to get back to Gabriel for now.
Miss & Love you ALL!!