5th April 2011....

....We tried to get Maisie an appointment yesterday about the muscle cramp she had, but they had nothing. We did make her an appointment for 6th April 2011, but this morning when we got up and took her nappy off there was some fluid-type stuff that looked like it had seeped out the side of the cast at the top around where the nappy is inserted. To describe is was like a very pale brown in colour yet had no odour? So Alan rang the doctors and they could fit her in today at 11.30am!!...

...I took Maisie to the doctors and explained everything, she had a look at the stuff that was seeping out, and said it was most probably left over blood, as she couldn't smell anything she didn't want to give her any antibiotics, but said to keep an eye on it, if it gets any worse we should take her back. For the muscle cramp, we should put her paracetamol back up to 4 times a day to try and help, provided she's not had cramp in the next week then we should start to reduce the paracetamol and see what happens....

Steph xxxx

3rd April 2011......oh no

.....Maisie had a pretty good day today, which is great, she finished her antibiotics, which is good, at last now were just on paracetamol wooohoooo!!!! Maisie went to bed as normal, and settled well, but she woke around 10pm and she was screaming like you've never heard a baby scream before, there was obvious pain somewhere...Alan cuddled her for a while, then I took over, we tried putting her teething stuff on her gums because she's teething again, but that did not help at all. Alan was stroking her right leg and foot, we did wonder if she was getting cramp as we know this can happen with a child in a Spica Cast, Alan gently put his finger into the cast on the right side as its only to her knee there is a nice gap around the top of her leg to get a finger in, Alan could feel the muscle that had tightened up....Muscle Cramp.....poor baby, she was screaming the house down in agony with it, I personally have never experienced cramps, but Alan does frequently, so I know how hard it is for Alan to deal with as he gets them really bad. I cannot see my baby like that again it was horrific. Maisie's muscle cramp took around a hour of screaming before it went away, then we had to get her settled again so we could put her back to bed! Will be making Maisie an emergency appointment with the doctor in the morning and see what they say about it....

Steph xxxx

2nd April 2011.....a&e trip

.....We had to take Maisie to a&e this afternoon, as her right leg and foot was freezing to touch, even after wearing toastie socks all day. Firstly Alan rang NHS Direct, who put him straight through to a nurse, she advised us, as Maisie is only 9 days post op, we should contact the ward for their advice. Alan then rang Grosvenor B at The Royal London Hospital, explained everything, they advised we took her to a&e to be checked over to make sure there is nothing wrong with the cast....

....We got a cab to a&e and were there for about 5pm, we waited around 1 1/2 hours for an orthopaedic doctor to come and check her over. He said that as her foot had warmed back up a little, he thinks that it is positional rather than anything to do with the cast itself and said we should just make sure that her leg isn't pressing on any of the cast to prevent it happening....Phew...

Steph xxxx

1st April 2011.......what a scary night

...Maisie's slowly getting back to her old self, it will take time, but its lovely to see bits of her coming back. It was around 10.30pm and me and Alan were sitting watching telly when we heard this sound over the baby monitor, Alan slowly got up to go and check on Maisie, then all of a sudden I heard this noise come over the monitor, I jumped and hastily said to Alan, "she's choking", Alan ran into the bedroom, and all he saw was Maisie projectile vomit into the air, for it to then land in her eye as well as her hair and face and pillow etc. Immediately Alan got her out of the cot, she was screaming and screaming, I cleaned her the best I could, but we had to wash her hair, as it was covered in the sick. After we cleaned her up and put a new nightie on her calmed her down etc, it was 1am and we put her back into bed, with clean sheets!....

....As we already had a doctor app for Maisie today I thought we should mention it, Alan thought it may be the nurofen as she's not eating too much, when we explained to the doctor what she was like, and what she's eating, the doctor said that we should stop the nurofen as her stomach lining was probably sore with not eating enough to cope with the antibiotics and nurofen, which would make it painful and also make her sick....that's it no more nurofen, if Maisie can't cope with her pain on just paracetamol then we will have to be given something stronger....

....Maisie had a whole day free from the stomach-stripping nurofen and she ate and drank a little bit more than what she has done, which is great stuff, hopefully it is all up up up from now!....

Steph xxxx

30th March 2011....

....Our first night home with Maisie wasn't too bad, because my mum and Grandma were still here they stayed in Hailie's room, as Hailie the madam was in our bed! I got into bed with Hailie and Alan crashed out on the sofa. Maisie surprisingly only woke twice through the night, which I thought was brilliant for a first night home....

....We took Maisie over to the school to get Hailie, which Hailie loved, and of course in true 8 year old style, she wanted to show Maisie's cast off to all her friends...that night wasn't too bad either Maisie went to bed at 8.30pm-ish, woke at 11.30pm-ish, it was then that we had to get her up and cuddle her, Maisie went back to bed around 1.30am....

Steph xxxx

29th March 2011.......HOMEEEEEEEEEEEEE

.....When we spoke to the nurses this morning, we were told that as long as the paediatric and medical doctors were happy with the way Maisie is, then we should be able to go home!!! Fingers crossed...

...We eventually saw the paediatric doctors, who said that from their point of view, Maisie's open reduction was a success, there was no complications, and they only needed to do the reduction, there was no need to do the osteotomy, which is fab, however we do have to wait for the medical doctors to say that they are happy for Maisie to be discharged and allowed home....

....Seen the medical doctor in the afternoon, Maisie is fine to go home, but they want her to have some anti-biotics as something is slightly raised in her blood results, so we just have to wait for pharmacy to bring down her paracetamol, nurofen and co-amoxiclav anti-biotic...once they have arrived on the ward the nurses can arrange for an ambulance to take Maisie home on a stretcher....we all know what the pharmacy dept is like in a hospital....."how Long's a piece of string" as to how long the meds will take to come down, oh well, its worth the wait if we get to go home....

....It would have been around 5pm when Maisie's meds were ready, but then her temperature went back up...so the nurses had to get the medical doctor to come and check her over to make sure that she was safe enough to go home as planned! We waited around half a hour for the medic to come and see her, she spent a while reading through Maisie's notes, checking what had been going on over the last 6 days. She came and did some checks on Maisie, and told us that her temperature wasn't that bad as it was the higher side of 37oc, she was happy for us to manage her temperature at home, but stated that should we be unable to control it we would have to bring her back...which we were fine with doing! The nurses booked an ambulance at 6.30pm, and we just had to wait for them to arrive. Maisie fell asleep around 7.30pm, while she was asleep I packed her stuff up from around her cot so that we would be ready to leave as soon as transport came for us....

.....9pm came, still no sign of transport, the nurses tried to ring them to find out how long they would be as it was getting late, but they couldn't get any information on it! Maisie woke up and it was time for her to have paracetamol and anti-biotics, which the nurse gave to her from the drug trolley off the ward. Alan went back to Stevenson House where we had been staying to pack up our stuff, as we both weren't allowed in the ambulance for insurance purposes Alan's mam Maggie was going to take Alan home with all our bags. 10pm came and I was given the thumbs up from the nurse, transport was here, they were just on their way down to the ward....FANTASTIC....we got Maisie comfy on the stretcher, legs propped nicely and they covered her in a blanket to keep her warm and put the strap across her just to be on the safe side, they did ask if I wanted to sit with her on my lap on the stretcher, but there was not a chance I would have been able to hold Maisie for that long, she was really heavy and although I had some confidence with the handling of a child in a Spica Cast, I thought it would be best if she was on it on her own for her comfort. We got home around 11pm, when we got off the ambulance, the driver apologised for it taking as long as it did but he didn't want to go too fast and hit little bumps in the road, so that the journey didn't cause any additional trauma to Maisie, which was really nice....

....I also got to keep the blanket they had wrapped Maisie in lol, oh well never mind, they never asked for it back once they had helped us inside with the bags that I had with me =)....but finally were home and ready to start Maisie's Hippy Adventure.....

Steph xxxx

28th March 2011....

....Things aren't too good, Maisie was sick through the night, & her temperature went back up! The doctor has put her back on the higher dose of the saline drip...during the day Maisie did pull this drip out, and because it was on her wrist (where all the veins are) and Maisie pulled and pushed the cannula, she has hit her tissue's with it, which has caused a little lump to form where the cannula was placed. For now they are going to leave the drip out and see how she goes...

.....Maisie did need more Ora-morph today to help with her pain! Maisie surprised us today with it though, because within a few hours she was as ok as can be after having morphine, but did kind of smile with me for a photograph =).....

....We really want to go home, we know she will start to recover better in her own surroundings and we can control the heating, rather than be in what seems to be a constant sauna on the Children's Ward...I know it has to be like that, but it really is no wonder Maisie's temperature wont stabilize in a very hot environment...hopefully we can go home soon, just need Maisie to pick up eat and drink enough for the docs to give her the all clear to come home....

Steph xxxx