tool time

Today was the unveiling of the arm.  I don't think Mason is ready for total exposure yet, so here is the PG version of his arm: 

As you can tell by the x-ray, the external fixator is just that - external.  It is a titanium threaded bar (think giant screw) that when turned in the right direction (righty-tighty. really.) it will slowly pull the bone apart at the break you can see in the picture on the right.  The bar protects the bone pretty well, so it isn't quite as fragile as you might think.  People have this done on their legs all the time, and they walk on them, so the danger of messing things up with everyday normal usage isn't too great.  Of course any activities that can result in a fall are right out.  Eventually maybe I can put real pictures of his arm on here, if he says its OK.

So when they said "wrench" they meant it.  A titanium wrench, metric.  Yes, it is personalized....the doctor did that.  Mason is to do one quarter turn four times a day, which will equal 1mm.  We are looking at somewhere around a 17mm total, but we have to be flexible on that, as it depends on how it's working, etc.

For some reason it didn't occur to me that it would HURT having the dressings taken off and the screws turned.  Doh!  Thank goodness for our fabulous nurse J who quickly made the pain go away.  We really like her.  Next time I will do better.  We will be visiting with the doctor every week for the next few weeks, then when the bone is where it needs to be we will schedule the next surgery. Yep, the poor guy has to have another surgery to take off the external fixator, take out the pins and put in another metal plate over the new bone to stabilize it.  

Mason has been trying really hard to find the silver lining in all this.  I think it would be hard for an adult to go through this, let alone a 14 year old boy.  I have always considered Mason a sensitive soul, but he is also TOUGH, which is good, because this is definitely not easy.  It breaks my heart that my child is learning the "life doesn't always go how we want it to" lesson when he is so young.  

But he received some "get well soon" cards today that really made his day :)