The Latest in the Spica Saga

Molly and I just got back from her 3 week second cast follow up with the orthopaedist.  He said her x-ray looked fantastic and that the cast has been doing it's job the past 3 weeks.  With that great news I expected to hear that this cast was the end...unfortunately that's not the case just yet.  His plan now is to recast her in 3 weeks but in a different type of cast and for a shorter amount of time:)  This third cast is called an A-frame or bachelor cast.  (Heads up:  if you google "bachelor cast" be prepared for a whole lotta pictures of the casts from the last 12 seasons of "The Bachelor")  Essentially it's a cast on both legs attached at the lower calf with a broom handle (a literal broom handle) but it does not go on the hips at all.  Here is one on the daughter of one of the spica mom's on the forum I belong to (who happens to live in Marietta!):

Isn't she a doll!!  The way I understand it, this will allow her hips to practice staying in place by themselves while preventing Molly from making any crazy movements that will knock 'em out of socket again.  This 3rd, and FINAL, cast will only be necessary for 4 weeks (instead of 6) and will be followed by a rhino brace that will be worn during sleep only.  Here's a picture of the brace (this is not Molly by the way):

So it looks like we'll be enjoying a cast free baby by Thanksgiving at the very latest!  The end is in sight!!  This next cast will be quite a bit different.  First of all, she will not be put to sleep.  They will remove the current cast (with a vibrating saw) and then we'll have time to wash her ourselves and then they'll put the new cast on in the ortho office instead of the hospital.  He said to prepare for a long visit in the office.  I have mixed feelings about this...  I think it will be hard to see her have freedom and then be awake as it's taken away again.  On the other hand yay for no anesthesia!  I'm pretty sure she'll be able to SIT UP all by herself in the new cast!  This is HUGE!!!  It will have been 3 months since she's been able to do that and boy do we miss it!  Also, bye-bye double diapering, petaling, and urine-laced cast!  The tricky part will be learning how to hold her with a bar between her legs and just finagling ways to make everything work again.  I'm waiting with anticipation for the office to call back with an appointment date for cast change...

So there it is...not the best case scenario but certainly much better than the worst!  I have told our doctor every time that I would rather have 8 casts in a row than take her out prematurely and have to do this all over again in a few months or years.  He agrees and is conservative with his treatment which I appreciate!

The countdown continues and we are praising God from whom all blessings flow!