Surgery Day
It has been another very long day. May I start by saying Hunter is the strongest and bravest boy ever. He handled today like it was barely another bump in the road. He makes mom and dad look like little weenies (tearing up as I type). We checked in at pre-op this morning at 8. Not much of a wait before we were back in a room getting Hunter geared up with all the wires, cuffs, ect. His dog even got a gown thanks to Maryland and was declared Dr. Standards helper through the entire process. At 9:45 they gave Hunter some goofy juice and he was asleep even before anesthesia. For the first time dad was able to suit up and walk Hunter to anesthesia to see him off to sleep. He woke up on his ride to OR but was greeted by dad and had no problem falling back to sleep for the doctors. Then it was in the Lords hands to give the doctors the tools, wisdom, and guidance to perform his surgery smoothly. The next 4 hours may have been the worst wait ever. Finally, about 2:45 we were called back to PACU. Hunter was as pale as a ghost. He was in and out for a bit; in some pretty good pain and some shock to see this fixator attached to his body. He also freaked out saying at one point that his foot was stuck to the bed. This was due to the epidural and not being able to move his legs. They have definitely given him enough of the right drugs because he has been impressively calm. After about an hour in PACU we made our way to his room. He is now sleeping well for a moment.
The doctor said that the surgery went very smooth. Once asleep he said that Hunter had good range of motion. Dr. Standard said that once in, he could tell that the timing was just right for this surgery. Doc cut two tendons to give the best possible range of motion. He also injected Botox and bone stem cells. Finally, he attached the fixator and made some adjustments widening the gap in Hunters socket to give the new bone room to grow without pressure. Over the next couple of weeks we will have to adjust the fixator twice a day to widen the gap more. Hunter will continue to be on the epidural until he can take all his medicine orally, eat, drink, and use the restroom. The average is 2-4 nights’ worth. With his years of experience he gave Hunter a better than 95% chance or NORMAL activities in about 6 to 8 months. This includes running, jumping, and sports. Holy cow! I never knew I would hear such a thing. Great to hear but that does not mean the journey is over. Much more physical therapy, x-rays, and unfortunately at least a couple more visits to Baltimore. With all the prayers Hunter is doing great considering what he's been through and I know he will be trying to do stuff on his own before anyone wants him to.
Love,
Hunter, Angie, and Travis
Maryland Dressing Hunters Dog.
Hunter after surgery and his new fixator.