If I keep waiting for good news to post, it looks like I might not be posting again for awhile.
To cut to the chase - the surgery did not improved anything that was messed up prior to the surgery. Still no supination. Still lots of elbow pain. Still bone rubbing on bone at the elbow joint. The only improvement is the scar, which actually looks really good. Not much gain for the trouble of going through surgery, though.
So, we tried what seemed like the right plan of action, but it didn't work. Again. If you think Mason might be "angry" about this, you would be underestimating how he feels.
Our surgeon is currently presenting Mason's case to a larger audience, in hopes of finding someone somewhere that will have an idea that will be useful. I was given the name of an orthopedic doctor in the Philadelphia area who is highly thought of, and am pondering if we should make a trip "back east" to have a consult. But first I'd like to see the response we get through official channels. Its hard to know which way to turn in a situation like this, and I am really hoping our surgeon will be able to get in touch with the right person. While I believe Mason is the only person in the KC area with this kind of anomaly, I have a hard time believing he's the only guy in the whole country with it!!
As soon as Mason's schedule opens up a little (pep band is keeping him super busy this season!) we are going to hire a personal trainer to help him work on the muscles in his arm around his elbow in hopes of gaining a little something there. This was suggested by the occupational therapist, who released him at the beginning of the month, and seems like a good idea. He has been released from lifting restriction, so we will see how that goes.
Hopefully we will find something out in the next month or so. I will update when we do.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
january is a long month
Mason visited the ortho doc again yesterday. The new bone growth looks great, and she has removed his lifting restrictions--he is now free to carry furniture around for me again! Woohoo! Now THAT is some good news!
He is still plodding away at the physical therapy part. As a matter of fact, he is now "functional" in the arm-straightening club, meaning he hit 24 degrees, down from a beginning 76 degrees. Less than 30 is considered "functional", I think by the insurance industry standards, and isn't that what rules the world? We are still aiming for zero, but he is definitely moving in the right direction! He resumed piano lessons and discovered that his thumb didn't work! He could bend it at the last joint, but not straighten it. After the doc examined it yesterday she discovered it does work, it is just very weak. In fact so weak it couldn't overcome gravity--he could straighten it if he held his hand upside down, because gravity wasn't working against it. Pretty crazy, but something that can be fixed! Eureka!
We continue to be frustrated with supination, or lack of supination I should say. Also, he is still feeling quite a lot of pain in that blasted elbow. :( Our hope is that since we are just shy of 2 months post-surgery, there is still healing to come in that area. Please keep your fingers crossed for that, because the pain is the number one problem here.
He is still plodding away at the physical therapy part. As a matter of fact, he is now "functional" in the arm-straightening club, meaning he hit 24 degrees, down from a beginning 76 degrees. Less than 30 is considered "functional", I think by the insurance industry standards, and isn't that what rules the world? We are still aiming for zero, but he is definitely moving in the right direction! He resumed piano lessons and discovered that his thumb didn't work! He could bend it at the last joint, but not straighten it. After the doc examined it yesterday she discovered it does work, it is just very weak. In fact so weak it couldn't overcome gravity--he could straighten it if he held his hand upside down, because gravity wasn't working against it. Pretty crazy, but something that can be fixed! Eureka!
We continue to be frustrated with supination, or lack of supination I should say. Also, he is still feeling quite a lot of pain in that blasted elbow. :( Our hope is that since we are just shy of 2 months post-surgery, there is still healing to come in that area. Please keep your fingers crossed for that, because the pain is the number one problem here.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
another new year
I really didn't envision this blog would still be in use in 2012.
Mason continues to go to occupational therapy twice a week. The "angle of straightness" (highly technical term there) for his arm has gone from 76 degrees to 38 degrees in the month or so since he started, with "normal" being around 0 degrees, and "functional" (by whose standards?) less than 30 degrees. So he is definitely headed in the right direction for that particular issue.
The supination is another issue that hasn't really been delved into yet, but improving it was one of the goals of this surgery. So far his supination ability is zilch. Not sure what the "normal" numbers would be, or even what his number is now, but he cannot turn his palm up. Yet.
His next visit with the surgeon is January 18.
Mason continues to go to occupational therapy twice a week. The "angle of straightness" (highly technical term there) for his arm has gone from 76 degrees to 38 degrees in the month or so since he started, with "normal" being around 0 degrees, and "functional" (by whose standards?) less than 30 degrees. So he is definitely headed in the right direction for that particular issue.
The supination is another issue that hasn't really been delved into yet, but improving it was one of the goals of this surgery. So far his supination ability is zilch. Not sure what the "normal" numbers would be, or even what his number is now, but he cannot turn his palm up. Yet.
His next visit with the surgeon is January 18.
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