Tuesday, December 7th

We visited with Emily and Jake this morning at Paley's waiting room. The kids sure love playing with each other and we love visiting with other parents going through the same situation/decisions. We ended up staying for a long visit and concluded that our little group was the class of 2012 (lengthening purposes). They are all around the same age so it's cool if we do all go around the same time to do the first lengthening. Jake is going to have Superhip 2 and probably lengthening at the same time but wont know tell the day of the surgery. Shawna, Charles, Jake and Luke are all from upstate New York. We joked about renting a huge house so that we can all do the surgeries at the same time but actually would be beneficial.
(Emily, Jake, Abby and Ethan "Class of 2012")


We also met a super star Olivia who had tendon replacement, yes tendon replacement surgery on her foot yesterday and was released the same day! AMAZING! She was out and about playing like nothing was wrong. Her mom's name is Maria, yeah yet another Maria! LOL We also checked in with Evan and his family. Seems like he is a super star too because he was done in 6 hours! He is doing great and his parents are too.


After we left Paley's office we went over to visit with Nancy a 66 year old friend that has PFFD or CFD. Ethan and Abby played with her old helper legs and her puppy Jazz. Visiting with her was great. She told us how she grew up with her disability (never seen herself to be disabled just a little different). She is a very strong women so doesn't surprise me much! She had her prosthesis cut down in the middle of one of her old legs to allow us to see what it looked like inside. It looked painful to me but she assured us is was very cozy. Her toes are pointing straight down, OUCH. Jennifer is taking it home and some day show it to our kids. She has a place in Boynton Beach right off the beach!!! SuPeR gReAt view!!! We went out to the beach and I can honestly tell you that some day I want a beach front property!!!


Tomorrow we are back home!!!

Monday, December 6th

Prior to the Follow-up visit we made our way to lunch with Abby and her mom. Then to the Loggerhead Sea Turtle rescue hospital where we watched doctors work on a turtle that was brought in that day. It's simply amazing what the rescue hospital does for the turtles that get bitten by sharks, hit by propellers etc. We saw lots of hatchlings which is rare for this season but even turtles have miracle babies! Ethan and Abby had a blast.

We arrived to Paley's office around 2:30 and saw him at 5:30. Ethan like always did great with X-Rays and examination. Prior to seeing Dr. Paley, we visited in the waiting room with Evan and his parents. Evan was adopted from Columbia. He lives in Minnesota and his parents are Jennifer and Scott (really easy to remember). Evan is scheduled to have surgery Tuesday morning. Please keep him in your prayers. We also ran into Eva and her mom Maria. Maria was the one that did the Superhip spica cast/diaper change video. Emma was in for a follow-up appointment from her first lengthening. She is wearing a very small shoe lift. Maybe an inch but sure is nice to see how well she is doing.

(Abby, Evan and Ethan in the waiting room)

Dr. Paley and his 15 surgeons walked in like they were on a mission. As Dr. Paley compared his before and after x-rays we were able to see the ossification of his femur and his hip socket. Dr. Paley explained the superhip surgery to the surgeons and told him that Ethan's hip was a very easy hip to fix given that he did have cartilage and some ossification. Prior to superhip Ethan's discrepancy was 11 cm. His current discrepancy is 8 cm. If you remember Ethan's femur was growing in a 90% angel so Dr. Paley correct that and added ligaments to his knee. Ethan gained around 3 cm.

I didn't ask but will email Dr. Paley at a later time but from the x-ray it looks like his head of his fibula is either missing or not grown out as needed. Abby got a good report so we are all set for the first lengthening in 2012!

Marathon and Paley's Christmas Party

Rising shine at 4:30 A.M. but Ethan didn't complain too much, yet. Ethan and I completed the 5K in 36 minutes. Yeah, not great timing but not bad for mom pushing a screaming kid 95% of the time. We stopped a few times because Ethan didn't want mommy to go fast and he want mommy to hold Ethan. AWWWWW!! About 15 minutes after crossing the finish line he was fine. We met Charles, Jake's dad, Jake is having superhip in May. Jake is a few weeks older than Ethan and they live in upstate New York. Very sweet family and glad we talked about our experience with Dr. Paley and other doctors.

It was another full blown pissy attitude because Ethan wanted to walk back to the car. The car was at least 4 blocks away. Did Ethan understand that? No! He screamed and cried the entire way to the Quantum House!!!! Nice, son just nice! The entire time Abby is telling him to hush. It was priceless!

After a long nap, we got dressed for the Paley Christmas Party!!! It was great meeting new families. Ethan played with Jake and David (had surgery and our roommate at the Quantum House). David and his family are super sweet and what's even better his dad is a Colts fan!!! Liddy and her sisters were great with Ethan they kept him well entertained. Skyler a 20 year old from Wisconsin is on his last lengthening. Skyler started his journey with superhip at the age of five. We talked sports cars and tickets. LOL

The party finished up and we spent the rest if the evening watching FOOTBALL! Of course, missing daddy! Wyatt, Willow, Makayla, Emma, Maria De la Paz, Fernando, David and Skyler are our roommates at the Quantum House. Wyatt and Makayla were in for a follow-up. Maria de la Paz had superhip and fibula lengthening. Fernando is Maria's brother. David is getting his fibula straighten because it was bowing out. Willow is Wyatt's little sister.

Florida!!!

Smooth traveling today! Ethan's prosthetic got check by customs but soon we were off to our gate. We met Abby girl and Jennifer not long after and Ethan was so excited to see her. We made it to the Quantum House "home sweet home"! Its great seeing old and new faces. We had a very nice dinner prepared my our friend MJ! Tomorrow carrot cake! Yummy! Ethan ran around and played with his old friend Liddy. To my surprise he was past out by the time I jumped out if the shower. Well it's time for bed we have the marathon at 6 am! Wish us luck it's going to be 46 degrees in the morning. Great running weather but not too great for Ethan and Abby on a stroller.

Way over due update on Ethan’s Progress!

Ethan managed to walk on his own without walker while I was out of town. I remember Eddie calling me the week of Oct. 4th to tell me how proud I would be of Ethan. He said “Ethan is walking/running without his walker. You would be so proud of him.” Aww, and I missed out! It’s not been over a month and I can’t tell you how wonderful he is doing. We are super proud of Ethan and his demeanor not to give up. Ethan’s favorite words are “Ethan go FAST” because the kids around him look like they are going fast compared to how he was getting around. He is walking wonderfully without his prosthetic. We went to get Ethan casted for a new prosthetic last week and he is scheduled to go back next week to get fitted. I hope we have the new one before our trip to WPB.

For Halloween Ethan was Buzz Lightyear, Eddie was Woody and of course mommy was Jessie. We love Halloween! Ethan went from house to house saying trick-a-treat! He loves it so much that he thinks he should be going every day.

So the Rangers went to the World Series and we managed to get tix for Game 5. Ethan loves going to sporting events and I must add he loves chanting for the Texas Rangers! “Let’s Go Rangers...”

Just a few months ago he was strapped to cast and now he is dancing and running around like other kids. Our son is dancing, how wonderful is that? One of many songs that he loves to dance too are Toy Story song “You Got a Friend in Me,” the IPad Commercial song and Gummy Bear. The minute he hears any of those he drops what he is doing to get down like James Brown!

We are scheduled to go to WPB the beginning of December. Ethan will be part of history. He is one of many kids that will be part of a case study and might even be selected to be part of Dr. Paley’s Reality Show. I’ll blog about our experience when we get back and give you all the details.

GrEaT nEwS!!!! (9.10.2010)

I totally under estimated our little soldier!!! Ethan took his first five steps on Tuesday with prosthetic and yesterday he took his first five steps without his prosthetic. Nothing is going to hold him back. Not only is he walking but he wants to run! He tells me as I hold his hand "Ethan run fast, mommy...Ethan run fast" and of course the "No hands mommy" as he stands up without holding on to the furniture. He is very eager to walk!! Not only is he walking but on Wednesday morning he stood up on the bed with his prosthetic to do the Wubbzy Wiggle. He is just amazing and so are all the children with any type of disability. Many days I sit and think, will he grow up to be more mature and see things differently than other children his age? Is his disability going to make him a compassionate and appreciate other people with disabilities? Is he going to be the Hispanic President of the United States? Last night, was one of those nights. I couldn't sleep and all I could think about was Ethan's future. Who feels my pain, anguish and fears? I know I'm not alone! I've read and seen teen going through lengthening and some days are totally bad. They feel like they are being punished and they are angry with the whole situation. How can I prevent from Ethan feeling those emotions. I'm sure it's common. I guess, we will have to 1) pray a lot and ask the LORD to please give him the understanding; 2) show him that other kids have it worse; 3) love him for who he is!

On Sunday, the homily at church was about carrying your cross and turning to God to help you with your cross. We all have a cross to carry and our job is to carry it with pride and seek the Lords guidance. That all sounds simple but we all no that some days it's a little overwhelming. I know that the week after Ethan's Superhip procedure we were all a little (why lie...) very stressful but look at us today. We are happy and healthy and those weeks are in past and now it all seems like it was a total breeze. However, if you go back to some of my blogs you will know that it's so not the case. Regardless, I give thanks for everything God has given me even the cross that I carry. The only thing about my cross is that as I carry mine I think of Ethan's and I hope I can teach my baby that God only gives him what he can handle and that his cross is just that a cross that we all must carry and seek for the Lords guidance and strength. I know, I'm talking way too religious for some of you but it has been on my mind all week. I'll get off now and let you think about your cross! Just Kidding! LOL

We are meeting with Abby in a couple of weeks and we are so excited. I'll keep you updated and post some pictures for you of our play date.

Ethan is doing great! The past few days I've seen him get stronger and more confident! He is standing up, on his own, without his helper leg. We go walking and he runs. No seriously, I have to tell him to slow down. I think he will be walking on his own by the end of the month! I'm so excited for our little soldier! Today, he got up with out his leg and even did a little wiggle (dance with wow wow wubbzie). Our appointment with Dr. Paley was rescheduled from November to December. Ethan, Abby, Emily and Aubrey will all be a part of a special conference that Dr. Paley is holding for a group of doctors. I'm sure, we will have lots of fun but love being a part of such a great cause! I want to take the time to thank everyone who has made a donation to Ethan or to one of many children with special needs! God bless you!

August 17, 2010

A way overdue update on Ethan's progress!!!! I'm sorry, I've just been super busy and I'm afraid that things are not going to let up anytime soon.

He has been doing really good with this walking and everyday his leg gets stronger. Again, we are amazed how he quickly recovered from the superhip and knee surgery!! He still doesn't like for us to touch his leg but he is kicking, putting pressure and making every effort to walk on his own. He tells me "Ean Walk" I love to hear him talk in third person, it's super cute!! The physical therapist has been MIA for the most part but hopefully now that her vacation is over she can concentrate on Ethan. Our goal is to have him walking by the end of the month. If that doesn't happen she will increase his therapy. I think Ethan self motivated attitude will be his best therapy. We are scheduled to go to Florida in November for a follow-up visit. Praying that he gets a good report card and that we don't need to see Dr. Paley tell 6 months time. Abby will be in Florida at the same time so we are ready for some fun in the sun!

Last week, Ethan went to his first baseball game this season and let me tell you our lil guy is such a sports fanatic! He rooted for the Rangers (despite wearing the NY jersey) and joined the crowed in clapping. He watched the entire game and didn't complain once even despite the scorching 108 degrees!! We had a blast and loved to see him so happy!!! His happy spirit got him lots of attention or maybe it's his ability to flirt! Regardless, he is a ladies man that's for sure!

Emily had surgery last week and she is doing great. Mommy and daddy are over it and wished it would all be over soon. Kate is a nurse and I think that in itself is an advantage to them. Please keep them in your prayers. I sure don't miss those days at all!

Abby is doing great in her walking. She is not letting anything hold her back! She will soon get her new helper leg and we can't wait to see it! Wish us luck because they fight the idea every time!

Tuesday, July 22nd

It's been 3 weeks since Ethan's debridement procedure and he is doing outstanding!!! The incision is healing very nicely and thank god no signs of infection! Hooray! He still doesn't care for us touching it but I think with time he will be a sport about it.

He is walking (on his tip-toes because we still have no prosthetic) and is cruising on furniture, wall and and on us! LOL He is back to taking regular bubble baths and loving bath time! He is truly an amazing child!

He started daycare this week and it's been tough for Ethan and mommy in the mornings when he gets dropped off but when daddy picks him up he is all smiles. Ms. Linda and Ms. Nessi love him and are great with him. We are sure by next week he will love going to daycare and enjoy being with his friends!

We are going to have a BBQ play date on Sunday with Michelle, Abby, Aubrey (maybe), Charlie, Katherine and I think we might have a newcomer! We are very excited!

On Monday, Ethan has an appointment to get his prosthetic worked on. Please pray that they are able to just shorten it and we don't have to wait weeks for a new one. He is also has his first appointment with his physical therapist on Wednesday of next week! She has been on vacation and we are more than ready to give us tips on how to get him back in the grove of things. We are confident that with a little adjustments he will be back to walking!

Good night!

Monday, July 12th

It's been 8 days since Ethan's surgery and his thigh is looking better and better everyday! We are very excited because that means pool time!!! He was so ready for bubble baths because he hated the sponge baths!

Over the weekend, we attempted for Ethan to walk with his prosthetic but as it turns out it makes his short leg to high and bending his knee more than what it already does. Ethan's knee is bending more than other PFFDer's that have had the super hip/knee. We talked to Jennifer and she said that Abby's leg is pretty straight. That's a little concerning to us but we will wait and see what the week brings. He refuses to put a lot of pressure on his short leg so we hope that's the reason why it bends more than usual. I had him walk with his walker and he did pretty good. He is shifting his good leg to put the least amount of pressure on his short leg but we hope that as the days go by he gets more strength on his short leg and that he gets the needed confidence to walk on it.

Our appointment with Scottish Rite is set for July 26th. We were really hoping it would be sooner but due to clinics it might be impossible.

Please continue to keep our kids Ethan, Abby, Aubrey, Emily and Emma in your prayers!

Good night

Thursday, July 8th

Last week was crazy. Ethan ended up going back to Florida to have a debridement procedure. Eddie and Ethan flew out on Wednesday.

They had pre-op early Thursday morning and Eddie said Ethan was a great little patient. He didn't even cry when they drew blood or did x-rays. Good news, bone has healed and Ethan no longer needs to wear the spica cast. Bad news, the debridement procedure is still a must.

He had the procedure done on Friday the 2nd, Dr. Paley went in and removed all the dead tissue and re-stitched the area. Dr. Paley told us that it's a very common issue after a surgical procedure. The surgery took about an hour. The simple procedure that would be an outpatient surgery ended up being a little more than that. He was admitted to the hospital to allow the wound to drain and to keep an eye on him. He woke up hungry but really nothing like when he had Super Hip surgery. He was more alert and didn't require oxygen. He had a very good night slept and didn't fuss when the tech came by to do her thing.

Saturday, he woke up in great spirits and like nothing. He was playing in bed and wanting to go home! He was discharged by 3:30 pm and was ready to go play! Ethan continues to amaze us! He had just had his leg scraped and stitched and he was not even concern or in pain!

Sunday, Ethan went to the movies for he first time to see Toy Story 3! He loved it and watched the movie. I'm a little sad because I was not part of his experience but I'm sure we will have many more movies. They arrived around 8 pm and we didn't even wait for fireworks! We were ready for bed. Happy Fourth of July but we need some sleep!

Today, he walked a few steps with the help of Eddie and without his prosthetic. He is so determined to walk and get around. We hope that PT will start next week but given that our PT is on vacation I'm really not sure! Regardless, we are going to start letting him walk with his prosthetic and the walker on Saturday. Please pray that he doesn't get discourage and we see progress.

Abby is doing great! She is walking with her prosthetic and is getting around just fine. You go Abby!!!!! She is not going to let a little surgery hold her down!!!

Please keep Emma and her family (friend of Abby's) in your prayers. Little Emma is having serious medical issues and her parents are forced to make a very tough decision. One that I know as a parent is heartrending.

Good night!

Tuesday, June 29th

Ethan is on his 6 week mark so cast is soon to come off and he can begin physical therapy and bearing weight. The past few weeks have been great. Ethan is back to himself, all smiles and loving on everyone. I must say we are really looking forward to no cast. We've gone swimming a few times and he loves it. It's good for us because he gets in his physical therapy without too much fuss.

However, on Sunday we emailed Dr. Paley a picture of an area on Ethan's leg that doesn't want to heal. He emailed us back and told us that it was dead tissue that needed to be debrided and the wound reclosed. That it's a small operative procedure but unfortunately we would have to fly to Florida. Yesterday, we went to see his pediatrician and she referred us to Children's. Of course, all of this was in hopes that the procedure could be done here in Dallas versus flying out to Florida. We spent most of the day at Children's where they told us that it was not infected and to let it heal on it's own. It would probably be weeks before it closed and to go back to sponge baths tell it scabbed over. At that point, we were relieved and glad that we wouldn't have to go to Florida. Later that afternoon, I got a call from Dr. Paley's scheduling coordinator, I told her the situation, what the doctors had told us and told her that we wouldn't be doing the procedure. In about minutes the phone rang and it was Dr. Paley. He proceeded to tell me that it was mandatory that we had the procedure done, that if we did nothing the area would heal but create a crater. The decision of not flying out, was not acceptable, and that we needed to come out to Florida this week. He also said that he sees this type of things happen all the time and that if he doesn't do the procedure it will cause long term issues. For example, the area will not heal because with every stretch and stand it will reopen. I'm sure, he knows what he is talking about and I'm sure he will do the best job but it's still stressful and irritating having to travel back to Florida to have a simple procedure. Everyone at Children's was very impressed with Ethan's hardware and asked what exactly he had done. The X-Ray's they did looked pretty cool, hope they look cool for Dr. Paley.

Ethan and Eddie to fly out tomorrow afternoon. I'm glad it's getting done just wished I didn't have to be away from my baby. I know, we got to do what we got to do. Hope they get to come home before Sunday, the 4th.

Abby has the same type of hole smaller but deeper. They will be in Florida in a few weeks so please keep her in your prayers. Hope Dr. Paley doesn't scorn her mommy and daddy and that he is able to close the area up so that it heals faster.

Please pray for Ethan that the simple procedure goes well and that they return home safe! Also, pray for mommy so that she doesn't freak out while they are gone!!!

Lord I know you don't give me anything I can't handle but just wished you wouldn't have so much faith in me!!!! I'm going to be strong and pray for lots of strength!

Tuesday, June 15th ~ 3 wks Down 3 wks 2 Go

Finally, I think we are back to a normal routine and Ethan is almost back to his usual happy self.

We've had good nights and great days. No meds since we got back and he doesn't complain of pain so that's comforting. Grandma and Ma look after him so he is getting lots of love and attention. The weekend was great. Friday, we spent time with my family. On Saturday, we went to a party and then to the balloon festival in Midlothian. We didn't get to see any balloons launch but had fun looking at a couple planes and helicopter. He had a spider man hat made that we loved. As you can see Ethan's cast is now RED. Mommy got sick of looking at the ugly beige stained cast so I removed the stockinette and replaced it with soccer socks. Yeah, those are the thin soccer socks for men. They work great and gave the old cast a much needed new look. I looked into ordering new stockinette but found bad reviews. The majority of people complained about low quality and I decided to come up with a better plan. I looked for material to make my own stockinette but when I saw the socks I knew it would work! Also, we out smarted Ethan by velcroing the cast in the back instead of the front. Since he could take the cast off he started undoing his diaper. So, what did mommy do? Outsmarted him again, yeah I'm on him! He is back into his onesis!!! Has not removed his diaper since! I guess, my baby will be catching on quick and will try to outsmart me some day but I'll be prepared! :)

On Sunday, Divine, Deanna and my brother Miguel stopped by to visit and brought him some popcorn! YUMMY in our Tummy!!!

Abby has been out of her cast for almost a week! She is crawling, climbing and jumping off and on to the sofa. She is doing physical therapy 3 times a week. She put her helper leg on but was not able to walk but give her a couple of weeks and I can assure you she will be running!

Emily will be having surgery on August 12th and Aubrey will have surgery on September 22nd. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers!

Have a great night!

Home Sweet Home

We are back home and you can't even imagine how happy Ethan has been. He really is glad to be home. We are still not sleeping from 1am-5am. It's like having a new born all over again!! But this too shall pass!

Abby and Jennifer came by on Friday. We wanted to get a picture of them and their matching casts. Abby is doing really good. She gets around with no problem and you can tell she is ready to walk! We are so happy for her! Kids are so amazing. Before they arrived I tried to get Ethan in a shirt but he was not having it! He was wanting to show Abby his one pack! LOL Look at that smile! He was so happy to see Abby that's for sure.

Abby had her x-ray on Friday, so hopefully, she will get her cast removed very soon. Jennifer said that physical therapy is going well and that she has been swimming and standing up with no problems. She is also removing her cast during her naps and she is still not napping. Thankfully, for us we don't have any napping issues. As soon as noon comes around he is ready for a nap! Wished it was the same at night!

We are looking forward to the balloon classic this weekend, hope Ethan loves it. We are also looking forward to pool time that's for sure.

Wednesday, June 2nd

Today, was a very long day!!! We were up from 1 am-4am because Ethan decided to have a screaming episode! Then we had to be up by 6:30am to get ready for our flight out to Dallas. We got all packed and headed out to the airport. Man was it muggy and hot!!!! It's like we didn't even take a shower because the second you walk out you are sticky and hot! I wont miss that a bit! Dallas here we come! We get to the airport an hour before boarding and so far Ethan had been a trooper! Even despite the long line at the airport! Today, I was sprayed or viewed by the cameras. I hear they see you all naked and stuff. I'm sure someone in the back was loving that! LOL I had to add a little humor to my day!!! About fifteen minutes before we started boarding Ethan decided to cause a scene. He screamed tell we boarded. Yeah, everyone was staring at us and probably thinking we were unfit parents because 1) we had a screaming kid and 2) he was in a cast! I told Eddie I bet they think he fell and broke something. I hate it when people stare! I just want to put up a sign "HIP/KNEE SURGERY, WE DIDN'T DROP OUR SON!" That was the first time I got irritate with all the stares!!! As soon as we boarded he stopped screaming! It was great, we might have a good flight after all! Ethan slept tell 15 minutes tell landing but woke up screaming again!!!! He screamed for another 20 or so minutes! Once again, everyone was staring!!! But we were glad to have landed and ready to go home!!!

We got home around 2pm and found that my sister-in-law and niece Divine had put up a welcome sign for Ethan! It was super cute and sweet of them! Ethan loves balloons so he was excited! My mom had cooked some home cooking and we were all ready to eat!!! Ethan was so excited to see grandam, ma, and pa! The rest of the day he was happy!!!

We are still having issues with the whole bath experience! He hates sponge baths and having his hair washed in the sink! Hope he gets better or that we get the courage to put him in the tub again! That's something we have to attempt next week. Wish us luck!!! Also, the other thing we will tackle is the stretches! Not looking forward to those but I know they are very important for healing so we can't procrastinate

So far diaper changing has not been that bad but we have not had a poopy diaper just yet nor have I had to do it on my own but I'm sure that will happen soon!

I guess that's a good night for today!!!

Tuesday, June 1st

Today, was much better day for all of us! Ethan woke-up to kisses and hugs for both mommy and daddy and ready to play! I think that's a good sign of recovery! He was happy for the most part! We went to lunch and he was all smiles! For the first time we were able to sit down and have a good lunch. I think our baby might be back!!! We are so happy!!! On our way to our appointment Eddie told me to be prepared for the worst. Be strong and don't let him get to you! Yeah, easy for him to say!!!!



No tears/screams tell we met with Tony. Tony was making his cast removable and he was not liking the idea! But after a few minutes he just laid back and relaxed! Of course mommy had to sit right next to him so he can hold on to my hair. Not sure what his fascination is with my hair but if it makes him happy he can have at it!!!! Tony re-padded his cast and put some cool straps to secure it in place.

What was running through our heads when the cast was removed? Well, I was sick at my stomach thinking the worst but to our relieve it wasn't that bad! It appeared to be healing pretty good. We headed up for X-rays and had our first try at removing the cast and diapering. It wasn't bad but still makes us a little nervous.

We head back to Dr. Paley's office and ready for his evaluation. Of course, praying that all looked well and we can go home. Dr. Paley said he looked good seemed to be healing properly. He started moving his leg around which caused me to feel a sense of panic. Ethan was letting it be known that he was not happy with all the movement but Dr. Paley assured us that movement was good for healing. He had some blistering but Dr. Paley assured us that it would heal soon. The most important news news was that Ethan had gained 24 mm with the surgery!!!!! Pre-surgery Ethan's femur was 98 mm and post-surgery it was 122 mm.

What's the plan after today? In 4-5 weeks we will have X-rays done in Dallas and hope that they do it right so we wont have to fly back! If everything looks good at 6 weeks our next appointment will be in 3 months. Ethan can start physical therapy after 6 weeks but only to bend and move the hip no walking. When Dr. Paley receives the X-rays and confirms that it's healing correctly then and only then will the cast come off.


Tomorrow, we go home and are so excited but yet sadden that we have to say goodbye to all the families that we have befriended. The Quantum House has been our home away from home!!! Thanks to all the staff for being so nice and making sure we were comfortable. MJ, Roby, Lisa and Collette you are the best!!! Ryan, Melissa, Liddy, Alisa and McKin thank you for trying to put a smile on my babies face. We will miss you guys!!! We pray that you have a speedy recovery and that soon you will go home too.


Dallas here we come, I hope you are ready for us!!! Good night!!!

The pictures below might be a little upsetting so if you don't want to see them don't scroll down!













The circle you see is his knee cap. It's much smaller than his good knee cap. He had superhip and knee surgery. Will probably need tibia surgery because its turned in-ward but we wont worry with that for now.

Sunday-Monday, May 30 - 31st

This past few days have been the hardest days since the surgery/post surgery. We're not sure what is causing him to wake-up and scream bloody murder. We feel so helpless! He seems scared and angry to a point of almost passing out. He screams so loud that I'm sure the entire house (10 rooms plus) can hear him! Being an only child probably doesn't help matters because every thing is his! He doesn't want anyone touching his toys, TV, or even sharing his mommy and daddy!

We really don't know how many more days of screaming and tantrums we can take. I guess I was spoiled because before surgery he was so easy going. He was happy 95 percent of the time and now it's the opposite. It's like he is a different person. Servando tells us that the pain meds sometimes cause them to be more irritable and cranky so I hope once he stops the pain meds my boy will be back to himself!

GOD, I know, this too shall pass but please make it pass QUICK! Monday night was my breaking moment. He had been cranky all day. Eddie had been cooking out while I entertained or should I say try to entertain. I was getting ready to sit down and eat when he decided to start screaming AGAIN. Why? I have no clue! He was pissed to a point of kicking and screaming! I went back to the room and put him down to watch his movies! That seemed to calm him down but what about mommy! I was in tears defeated by my 2 yr old son! I stuck my face in my pillow and screamed. I think out of desperation that I couldn't help him or I couldn't make him happy! Desperation that we are only at week 1 of our 6 week journey!!! Desperation that my baby is not the baby I brought it to West Palm Beach 15 days ago!

The little glimpse of happiness are great! He hugs and kisses us! Laughs at just about anything so I hang on to those moments and hopes that those moments become longer each and every day!

Continue to pray for mommy that the Lord gives her strength and understanding and pray that Ethan comes home soon!!!

We have our appointment tomorrow and flying out Wednesday!!!

Saturday, May 29th

Last night was very rough! He woke up at least a million times and was upset because he can't turn on his belly! How I wish the six weeks would be over!!!

He woke up with a much better attitude except for the few minutes of screaming because he didn't want to take his medicine. He ate a little more today, better than he has all week. We watched TV in the living room till it was nap time. During his nap daddy helped Melissa's dad Clyde grill out. We had hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, corn on the cob, beans, carrot cake, pea salad, pico, and Eddie's famous strawberry pie! It was great to get all together and just enjoy a day of good cooking!

Overall the day was pretty good. Starting to get a little home sick that's for sure! Ryan is Ethan's BFF! Ryan is probably no only person here that is able to play peekaboo with and he actually smiles and gives him hi-5's. It's nice seeing my son smile and laugh even if its for a brief second.

The toughest thing for me is just not knowing what he wants and what he feels! He can scream bloody murder for about 10-15 minutes but all I can do is cry with him because I feel so helpless. I'm sure he feels the same way!

I guess that sums up our day! Keep praying for speedy recovery and for mommy and daddy because God knows we need all the prayer/help we can get!

Good night!

Friday, May 28th

WHAT A DAY!!!!! Ethan was in such a bad mood all day tell of course bed time! Why can't he be happy and loving during the day so that everyone sees the nice and happy boy he truly is? We asked him if he could please wake up in that happy mood and he said "NOPE". We laughed but pray that he does!

We went to the mall walked around headed to lunch where we were rushed out by Ethan's crying. We got back to the Quantum House where Ethan continued to cry and scream and was pissy tell we took a nap. The nap didn't help, he woke up pissy again!!! We went to Wal-Mart and hoped that would make him happy but it didn't. We got back and he was still crying and screaming. We can't blame him it's hard being confined and not being able to do everything you were once doing. We pray that tomorrow will be a better day!!!

Alisa came over and played catch and watch movies with Ethan. She is such a good friend because if I was her I would not even acknowledge Ethan with his attitude! I guess she understands him because she is so kind to him regardless of his mood. He even had tummy time today!!! We pray that Alisa and her family have a safe trip home! Hope to talk to them very soon!!!


Ethan got a lot of mail today. He was so happy to get a package with balloons and bear from Deanna, Divine and Miguel, cards from Dottie, my sister and her kiddos, Grandma, Richard, Joel, Jan, Kim, Cynthia, Rosemary. Mary and Jacque. He loved all the goodies he got. He played with his dinosaurs and even shared his glow in the dark bracelets with Alisa. Thanks to everyone that brought a smile to my son this past few days. I truly appreciate all the love and support!!! See you soon!!!!

I was emotionally worn out today!!! Please continue to pray for mommy and her patience level because some days are just too much!!! Also, pray that my boy is back to himself soon because we miss our happy boy!


Have a good night and a very safe holiday weekend!

Thursday, May 27th

Today, we had a pretty good day. Ethan got up in somewhat of a good mood. He played with Alisa for a little while. Ethan and daddy took a long nap today and gave me some time to talk on the phone and watch a little bit of adult TV. :) After the nap we went to City Place for a nice walk. We walked into a pet store that had nothing but puppies, 7 or so. They were all in cribs and very cute! My favorite was a white/grey puppy that was $1300. I guess, that puppy is not getting adopted. LOL Seeing the puppies made Ethan really happy!!!! He was calling them cute and everything. At that moment my son was back to himself! Ethan and I had some Italian ice cream. He was been doing so good about taking his medicine that I didn't care if that ruined his dinner. He also laughed as we chased the pigeons around the court yard. Overall, we had a pretty good day. Alisa flies out to Moscow on Saturday so she showered Ethan with gifts. She brought over a teddy bear and a necklace that she picked out for him. She is so adorable! We are going to miss her and Olga (mommy). We wish them a very save trip and hope to see them in the future!

We are eager to get home!!! We miss TEXAS and our friends and family!!!!! We are scheduled to fly out on Wednesday!!!!

Good night!

Wednesday, May 26th

Today, Ethan woke up in a very good mode. Lots of hugs and kisses! We drove out to City Place to have lunch! It was nice get out and get some fresh air! Ethan of course is like his mom and loves being out and about! He was having a great time and everyone was giving him attention. However, we did have a few that just stared at him in a rude manner. I can overlook it and it doesn't bother me but I can't say the same for Eddie.

He had a pretty good day. He played catch with Alisa and flirted with Melissa. Got a little fussy but for the most part was in a great mood. We went out for a walk and then came back and watched Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! for the millionth time! LOL

Seriously, I need some adult movies or I'm going to scream!!!!!!!!!!!! I did watch the Grey's season finale last night but I think it took like 5 hours to finish it.

Ethan received a large basket today from Mel and Jill. He loved the teddy bear and balloon that came with it! Thanks girls, we love you and can't wait to see you!

Ethan's up, got to run!!! Please pray for a better night. Good night!

Tuesday, May 25th

Today was full of relaxation. We thought we would wake up have breakfast and then go and see the town but that was not the case. Ethan woke up in a bad mode and not wanting to eat. Liddy was trying her hardest to make him laugh or even say hello to her but he was not having it. I asked him "What's wrong, are you pissy?" he said "NO" I said "Okay, than what are you?" he said "MAD!". Liddy and I just looked at each other and started laughing. Yeah, my boy just told me he was not pissy he was MAD!!! I think it's super cute but alarms me that he knows the difference between pissy and mad. Do you really think he knows what MAD means?

Ethan is a very popular boy! He got mail from grandma, and yesterday he got mail from his Godparents and flowers with balloons from Eddie's work.

Ethan napped tell about 1:30 PM. During Ethan's nap Eddie went out in search of a stroller. We took him for a short walk because it started sprinkling on us so I had to run back to the Quantum House. Then he took another long nap. We had dinner and then went for another walk.

Surely, he is not going to sleep tonight, right? Wrong, he had a very rough night! I think he woke up a million times at least! I hate it when he gets those dang muscle spasms!

The only obstacles of the day were 1) getting him to eat; 2) taking him a sponge bath and washing his hair; 3) getting him to stay up long enough to enjoy a day out on the town and 4) muscle spasms!

It's Liddy's last night and Alisa is flying out on Saturday. :( We sure are going to miss them!

Surely, tomorrow will be better!

Monday, May 24

Once again, the blood sucker (it was only one today) stopped by around 5 am we think because we were too tired to care. Good thing that the blood sucker only wanted to prick his finger!!! Ethan had a very restless night which made for restless night for mommy and daddy. When we get home mommy and daddy are going to need a chiropractor and a massage therapist because we have so many knots and aches all over from fingers to toes!!! Around 8ish, I went to our home away from home Quantum House to take a shower and a long 2 hour nap!! Then I was rudely awaken by Eddie "WHERE ARE YOU?" ETHAN SCREAMING AND CRYING in the back ground. I jump out of bed and ran back to hospital. Good thing was that by the time I made it back he was not as fussy. Ethan was getting his heart checked (sonogram) but you would think they were drawing blood again. At noon, Dr. Kim stopped by and told us that if we wanted, we could go home. His blood work came back good and that if his draining count was low we would be discharged immediately. Guess what, we are going home to the Quantum House. I was so excited, I immediately started to pack all of our belongings. Liddy and Jennifer stopped by today and brought Ethan a gift, a flash light with his name that he loved. Ethan was so happy by mid afternoon it was a 180 from what he had been just hours ago. He was once again acting like our ETHAN happy and smiling and wanting to play. The nurse and Dr. Kim stopped by a little before 3 and started stripping away the IV's and the draining valve! We were one step closer to going home!!!


Ethan was all dressed up and ready to go (putting on chap stick) home to see all his ladies!!! Sorry, Abby but I think Alisa is his new West Palm Beach babe. She is super sweet to him and really enjoys spending time with her . She stopped by to visit and Ethan was so excited to see someone other than doctors and nurses. He showed her his smiley face and Elmo balloon. He also, let her play with his flash light that he thought was really cool. He had a good dinner and then it was time for bed. Everyone at the Quantum house was so excited to see him home!


Before I forget the diapering on a spica cast sucks!! I thought we would be good at it but not has not been the case. He smells like urine and its all my fault! :( I hope to get it perfected very soon. Ethan fell asleep right after his bath. So lets pray for a good night sleep and no more muscle spasms.

Thank you for all the prayers and support we've received in the past few days. We are so fortunate to have such great friends and family who have supported us in this journey. A very special thanks to Jennifer Scott for always being there for me, giving us good notes and consoling emails. Thanks to all the nurses and techs (Suzy G., Sue, Julie and Georgia)that showered Ethan with love during our stay at the hospital. Also, thank you Dr. Paley and staff for making this operation a great success.

God Bless and have a good night.

Sunday, May 23

Today, we woke up at 6 am with vampires knocking at our door. This time it took them two tries but then around noon we get the very disappointing news that the blood clotted so that they required more pricking. Good thing they didn't have to search for a vein on the 3 try. They only pricked his finger which if they knew how much he bleed from just a finger stick they wouldn't have bothered with his rolling veins. You feel so helpless and angry. Good news is that his blood count was good again today, no blood transfusion!! Around 9 am, he started being himself again, playing with his games on my phone, talking to the TV and just laughing at mommy acting goofy. I was so happy to see my baby smile and make funny faces. Around 1 pm dad came back with Curious George Patient stuff animal and an Elmo balloon that Ethan loved!!!

After lunch, Dr. Kim stopped by and told us that everything looked great. She complimented Ethan for being the easiest patient she's worked on. She also put the orders in to have the epidural and catheter removed. Not sure we will be happy about that but that gets us one step closer to freedom/out of the hospital. The physical therapist stopped by encouraging us to take Ethan for a walk but what they didn't know was that my baby wanted to go out regardless. So off we went and took Ethan for a stroll around the hospital. About 10 minutes later we hear on the PA system "ETHAN RODRIGUEZ, PLEASE CALL THE NURSES STATION" we were like did they just call out for Ethan...wow, you must be important. As it turns out it was the Pediatrician that wanted to check his eyes that had been bugging him and to tell us that they were going to order a test because she thought she heard a heart murmur, at that point I just about dropped to my knees. I really don't think I can stand one other thing but as they say "God doesn't give you anything you can't handle" but "GOD, I REALLY CAN'T HANDLE ANOTHER THING!!! PLEASE HAVE MERCY ON ME!" That's all I kept saying and praying for.

We got back to the room from our nice walk and they began to remove the epidural and the catheter. At that point we knew it was going to be a very long night. He started being really fussy and not being the happy baby he had been earlier that day. It was a very long night for all of us. He kept waking up because he was either having muscle spasms or anxiety attacks that the blood suckers were coming back. Regardless, it made for a very long night and we hope tomorrow is a better day!!!

Saturday, May 22

Today, we was woken up at 6:30 am for blood work. Why do you put babies through so much pain? If you don't see or feel the vein move on! Don't poke him and go fishing for it. I really wanted to slap the sh@@ out of her! Ethan is resting but wished he would just wake up! I know rest is good for him but I want him to open his eyes and talk to mommy!!! No fever since last night so really happy about that. Keep praying for our little guy!! He is swollen but it's only going to get worse before it gets better. They say day 3-4 is pretty bad but on the 5 day the swelling will start to go away.

Dr. Kim stopped by today, she illiterated that the surgery was a great success. She told me that his blood count was good (11) only if it gets below an 8 will he need a blood transfusion. Lets pray no transfusion. I don't think my baby can take any more blood work!!!! He is so afraid of the nurses since the rude awakening this morning. He is sleeping pretty much all day. My neck is hurting from laying next to him in a very odd position because he loves to hug on you. Eddie and I are taking turns but no complains here we love him hugging on us. He also loves to play/pull on my hair. I've never been too crazy about that but whatever makes my baby happy.

The physical therapists stopped by today and wanted him to go on a wagon ride. He was so scared of them probably thought they were going to do blood work! We tried to explain that they were not there to stick him but he didn't care he wanted nothing to do with them. We managed to get him in the wagon and went for a quick ride.

On our way out we ran into Erin and her parents. She looked really good but was not the cheerful little girl from yesterday. She has a fixator to straighten the tibia. Her parents feel our pain. We gave each other a big sympathetic hug. I think we both needed it. Keep little Erin and her family in your prayers. That she doesn't get any pin infections and that she has a very speedy recovery!

Eddie has volunteered to stay with Ethan tonight so I can get some rest but not sure if I'll be able to. I'm suppose to be resting now and I'm updating his blog. I just can't sleep if he is not in the same room.

Georgia the day tech and the Suzy the nurse have been really sweet! Wish we have the same luck tomorrow.

Well going to try to get a little shut eye before walking back to the hospital.

Friday, May 21 (surgery day)

We are in pre-op waiting...it's 9:13 and we got here at 8 am. Ethan has been doing great. He has not asked for his milk once. We'll let you know when it's our turn. It was such a trooper the best kid in the pre-op everyone was wanting him as a patient. Never once cried or complained about waiting.

It's 10 tell one and we are still waiting. He had his happy juice but still going. Hopefully, it won't be much longer. It's 1:30 and he has been taken back to the operating room. Eddie walked him back he said he fought the sleeping gas but was fine when Eddie walked out. Lord please keep him safe!!!


One hour down and nothing yet. Three hours down. A little anxious that's an understatement that's for sure! It's 5:30 and we are still waiting. Wished they would give us a status update!!! Eddie just went back to see if he could get an update! Hope he doesn't cause too much trouble. It's 6:00 pm, Dr. Paley just came out to tell us that the surgery went well. Hip has been secured with 6 screws, bump was removed and 2 ligaments got added to his knee. We have about another hour before we can see him. He is getting x-rays, incision closed and then casted! Praise the Lord no fixator. He will have a spica cast for 6 weeks but better than cleaning pins. He also said he didn't lose too much blood but won't know for sure if he needs a blood transfusion tell in a couple of days. It's 8 pm and they just rolled him through the waiting area. He is still out and has crazy hair! Want to see him asap! It's 9:30 and we are finally united again!!! We are so happy to be with our boy. It was a very long stressful day but it's almost over. He is doing so good. He is such a trooper! At 11 pm he started asking for his juice. He downed almost two 16oz gatorade's. He fell asleep and I noticed he looked really red. The nurse checked his temperature and it was 101 degrees. We gave him Tylenol and will check in on him within the hour. It's 1:30 am and his temperature is down to 98 degrees!

I can't even begin to tell you how stressful it was today. The sitting around waiting for someone to assure you that your baby is okay is beyond believe. Don't get me wrong I had all the faith in the world that the surgery would be a success but it's still hard not knowing any thing. The nurses today have been super sweet. Lynn is taking good care of our little guy tonight. Julie is the tech has also been super! How I pray for a better day tomorrow!

During our waiting period we had the pleasure to meet Erin. A little girl from San Fransisco who had tibia surgery. She was born with a broken tibia that started growing at a 90 degree angle (bump). They met with Dr. Paley for the first time on Tuesday and didn't waist any time scheduling her surgery. During the long wait Erin was so happy and excited about her surgery. After her happy juice she let her nurse and everyone know that she was getting dizzy! It was super cute to see a child so strong! Keep Erin and her family in your prayers!

I forgot to mention, Ethan was not phased by the blood pressure machine it's like he had been doing it for years! He just extended his arm for the nurse to take his blood pressure. It was pretty darn cute.

Thursday, May 20

Today, we went to South Beach! Ethan was enjoying getting all the attention as we walked down Ocean Drive searching for a lunch spot. All the guys were envious of his wagon. At some point a guy asked him for a ride.

While waiting for our food Ethan took Eddie's sunglasses, put them on and begin to dance to the music playing in the background! It was the cutest thing, yeah, he takes after his mom. He loves to dance and people watching. After lunch we made our way to the beach. We thought Ethan was going to love the ocean, being in the water and even playing with the sand but that was not the case. He didn't like the feeling of the sand on his toes and the water well he was not going to touch it if he could help it. It was too funny. I think we spent longer walking to the beach than playing on the beach. LOL. We made our way down Ocean Drive to a park that Ethan spotted immediately! He loved the swing and if it was up to him would never get off of it. Eddie and I took turns pushing him on the swing until we noticed that he was dozing off so that was our cue to go. Ethan pitched a fit when we got him off the swing so I told him a little white lie. "Ethan, we are going to the other park with swings...that's up the street, look it's over in that direction" he believed me. I know, that's not right but that got him to stop screaming. Parents do whatever it takes, right. We made it back to West Palm Beach by 3:30. We sat around had dinner and then went out for ice cream. I met Ryan today, he is the teenage boy that had surgery on Monday. He came to see Dr. Paley when he was 11 yrs old for an abnormal hip. He explained to me that his hip was shaped like a saddle but that Dr. Paley reshaped his hip and now at age 18 he is back to get lengthening. He has about 3 cm discrepancy that he is going to correct with the lengthening procedure. He has an internal fixator and uses a magnetic device to turn the pins. He said definitely the pain was more manageable than the external fixator. He was super nice, with all the yes'am and so forth made me feel like an old women. LOL

It was time to get some rest so we headed back to our room. Ethan had fun playing in his bath and jumping on the bed tell it was time to call it a night.

We got a call from Dr. Paley's office to tell us to arrive in admissions at 8:00 am (7am central time). I pray that he is the first surgery and that we don't wait too long if he is not. However, I talked to Jennifer and she said not to hold our breaths. She also told me to be prepared to go 10 hours without seeing Ethan tomorrow. I can't imagine but pray those hours fly. I'm probably going to be a nervous wreck the entire time. We all fought going to bed tonight. Ethan jumped on his bed and watched his movie before calling it a night. I fell asleep with Ethan for about an hour then I woke up. Not only woke up but now I'm wide away. AWWWWW Well it's time for bed, talk to you guys tomorrow. Don't forget to PRAY for Ethan and Dr. Paley and his staff! Thanks everyone for all the text messages and voicemails!!!! I really appreciate all the support!
Good night.