Letters to my Grandchild

Hello little Em, Last weekend was a milestone for you, and for your family. Your cast came off on Friday and on Saturday you went into Parklands Hospital to start the first of your years of Pamidronate therapy. What this means is that the doctor inserted a feed line (small plastic tube) into a vein in your foot so that they could put in a drip to administer the Pamidronate over a period of 6 hours. Pamidronate is a biophosphonate - like the one I take for osteoprosis - that should strengthen your bones and help them not to break. It was quite truamatic because they couldn't find a vein large enough in your right foot so they had to try again in the left foot. Tammy said that Dr Roos was sweating after doing this procedure - especially with the right foot as that is the leg which has just come out of plaster.  Tammy stayed in the hospital with you and we visited you each day. On Monday they had to remove the feed from your foot because they couldn't f...

Hello little Em, This morning your Mom and Dad put you into a large oval tub of water to soak off your cast. They thought it would take ages but they soon managed to unroll layers of the POP bandage. You loved it! You hit the water which splashed all over the lounge, onto the sideboard and even onto the sliding doors! Then they bundled your leg into a towel and took you to the Westville hospital to have the remainder taken off. Dr Fraser applied a fibreglass gutter splint from the knee down so that you are now able to bend your leg - and, Mom will be able to take it off and bath you. The splint stays on for 2 more weeks. Everyone is so relieved to have the long leg cast off but now they will worry about how much freedom to give you. Should they allow you to crawl? Should they let you try to stand, pull yourself up against things? Its really scary because nobody wants to restrict your natural mobility but they also want to protect you from any further fractures. In a two weeks time you...