Our Pre-Surgery Visit

Today has been a long and difficult day. We were at the hospital from 7:30 – 2:00 having evaluations, going on tours, meeting Dr. Park and his staff and completing the pre-registration process. We saw many other families with children with CP at the hospital. Again, this was somewhat comforting. Gracie was a true princess throughout the process today. She had several people examine her legs, her range of motion and her walking. She remained focused and cooperative.
Our meeting with Dr. Park was brief but informative. He believes Gracie is a perfect candidate for the rhizotomy surgery. He is very impressed with her present mobility and believes her independence and determination will benefit her greatly. He made speculations about how extensive her improvement would be, assuming the surgery goes as planned. He expects her to walk independently about 6 months after surgery. Dr. Park is unsure about how easily she’ll be able to get around independently outside, on unstable ground. She may require a cane to assist her. However, he is sure that the surgery will eliminate the stiffness in her legs and give her greater comfort overall. Dr. Park also expects the inward rotation of her legs to improve some as well as her posture, the positioning of her feet when they land and her transitioning to and from different positions.

We are expected at the hospital Tuesday at 10:15. The surgery will begin at 11:30 and it is expected to take about 3 or 4 hours.
To celebrate having completed this step of the journey, we took Gracie to Target to get a new toy and took the whole gang to the area’s best Mexican restaurant. We all felt better after a good meal and a delicious margarita. Feliz Cinco de Mayo!
We are now back at the hotel where our little “Eloise” is running back and forth between our rooms wearing her majestic G cape. The cape was an encouraging gift from our dear friends. It was given to Gracie the night before we left, with a poem telling Gracie how brave and courageous she is. She wears it proudly.