tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59936621093814051522024-03-13T20:41:59.103-04:00Bent But Not BrokenThoughts and experiences from the scoliosis diagnosis through surgery and recovery. As told from the perspectives of parents, Mom and Dad, and the patient, Princess Pants.Jodi13http://www.blogger.com/profile/17200470574210616277noreply@blogger.comBlogger82125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993662109381405152.post-69567574852152927902020-02-22T17:01:00.007-05:002022-06-13T14:24:42.802-04:00Welcome!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After our daughter was diagnosed with a severe case of idiopathic scoliosis we went searching for information on what to expect. We didn't find any. Well, not much at least. There were lots of medical mumbo-jumbo and a few personal experiences, but nothing that chronicled the journey and what parents and patients could actually expect. While Dad was suggesting that the patient, Princess Pants, start a journal Mom was creating this blog space. The goal: provide information based on real-world experiences so that the next person to come looking for the information we so desperately sought would have it at their fingertips.</div>
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<h2>
<span style="color: purple; font-family: inherit;"><u>The Journey Starts Here</u></span></h2>
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<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The Beginning</b></span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mom: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2014/09/and-it-started-like-this.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">And it started like this</a></span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Waiting</b></span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Princess Pants: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2014/10/my-side-of-story.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">My side of the story</a></span></li>
<li>Mom: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2014/10/wait-times-suck.html" style="background-color: initial; font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">Wait times suck.</a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dad: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2014/10/overly-emotional-hypochondriac-father.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">Overly Emotional Hypochondriac Father Weighs In</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mom: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2014/10/2nd-opinion.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">2nd opinion</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dad: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2014/10/were-in-21st-century-right.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">We're in the 21st Century, Right?</a></span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>More Waiting</b></span></li>
<ul>
<li>Princess Pants: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2014/10/the-day-before.html" style="background-color: initial; font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">the day before</a></li>
<li>Mom: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2014/10/progress.html" style="background-color: initial; font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">Progress!</a></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Princess Pants: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2014/10/after-appointment.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">After the appointment</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Mom: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2014/10/mri-done.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">MRI done</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Dad: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2014/10/its-in-you-to-give.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">It's In You To Give</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Princess Pants: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2014/11/growing-up-suckssometimes.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">growing up sucks(sometimes)</a></span></li>
<li>Mom: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2014/11/late-november-progress-report.html" target="_blank">Late November Progress Report</a></li>
</ul>
<li><b>The Clock Starts</b></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Dad: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2014/12/opinion-seconded-motion-carried.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">Opinion: Seconded. Motion: Carried.</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Mom: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2014/12/a-date-maybe.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">A date! (Maybe)</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Mom: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2014/12/we-have-date.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">We have a date!</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Princess Pants: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2014/12/aaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh-i-just-got-back-from.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">Aaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!😖 I just got back from yoga an...</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Mom: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2014/12/pre-op-confirmed-i-guess-we-are-doing.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">Pre-op confirmed. I guess we are doing this.</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Dad: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2014/12/the-countdown-is-on-and-dad-chimes-in.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">The Countdown Is On (And Dad Chimes In)</a></span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The Final Countdown</b></span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Princess Pants: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/01/im-scared.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">I'm scared. I'm scared that it hurts when I stan...</a></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Princess Pants: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/01/2.html" style="background-color: initial; text-indent: -15px;">2.0% of girls between the ages of 8 and 18 are ...</a></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Mom: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/01/t-minus-13.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">T minus 13</a></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Mom: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/01/t-minus-6.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">T minus 6</a></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Dad: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/01/overwhelming-show-of-support.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">Overwhelming Show of Support</a></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Mom: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/01/adventures-in-pharmaceuticals.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">Adventures in pharmaceuticals</a></span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>A Different Kind of Waiting</b></span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Dad: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/01/t-minus-2h-9min.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">T minus 2h 9min</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Dad: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/01/and-so-it-begins.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">And So It Begins</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Dad: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/01/more-than-halfway.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">More Than Halfway?</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Mom: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/01/passing-time-lots-of-time.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">passing the time. lots of time.</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Dad: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/01/the-final-countdown.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">The Final Countdown</a></span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Everything is Okay, But...</b></span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Mom: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/01/through-woods-but-not-quite-out-of-them.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">Through the woods, but not quite out of them</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Mom: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/01/432-am-from-pediatric-icu.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">4:32 am from the Pediatric ICU</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Dad: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/01/24.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">24</a></span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Healing</b></span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Dad: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/01/shes-ba-ack.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">She's Ba-ack!</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Mom: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/01/what-difference-day-makes.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">What a difference a day makes</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Mom: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/01/post-operative-day-2-update.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">post - operative day 2 update</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Dad: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/01/tales-from-ward.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">Tales From The Ward</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Dad: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/01/day-2-in-books-and-we-take-some.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">Day 2 in the books and we take some questions</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Dad: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/01/quotes-and-sats.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">Quotes and SATs</a></span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Passing the Tests</b></span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Dad: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/01/she-walks.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">She Walks!</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Mom: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/01/post-op-day-3.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">Post - op Day 3</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Dad: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/01/post-op-night-3-and-what-on-tap-for-day.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">Post-op Night 3 and What's On Tap for Day 4</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Mom: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/01/day-4-what-time-is-it-where-are-we.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">Day 4? What time is it? Where are we?</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Dad: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/01/post-op-night-4-and-huge-morning.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">Post Op Night #4 and a HUGE Morning</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Mom: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/01/no-strings-attached.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">No strings attached</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Mom: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/01/all-flushed-out.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">All flushed out</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Mom: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/01/climbing-stairs-like-boss.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">Climbing stairs like a boss</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Mom: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/01/last-hospital-day-d.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">Last hospital day :D</a></span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Home Sweet Home</b></span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Mom: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/01/home-again-home-again-jiggity-jig.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">Home again, home again, jiggity-jig</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Dad: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/01/ten-days-two-inches.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">Ten Days, Two Inches</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Dad: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/01/a-picture-and-song.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">A Picture and a Song</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Mom: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/01/just-few-random-thoughts.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">Just a few random thoughts</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Princess Pants: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/02/hi-nice-to-talk-to-all-you-guys-again.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">Hi! Nice to talk to all you guys again. I'm healin...</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Mom: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/02/17-days-post-op.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">17 days post-op</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Mom: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/02/3-weeks-post-surgery-and-all-is-well.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">3 weeks post surgery and all is well</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Princess Pants: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/02/im-going-to-school.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">I'm going to school!</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Mom: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/02/the-great-return.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">The great return</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Dad: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/02/a-new-routine.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">A New Routine</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Mom: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/02/we-have-reading.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">We have reading!</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Mom: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/02/orthopedic-shoes-and-scar.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">Orthopedic shoes and a scar.</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Mom: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/03/make-that-bad-ass-scar.html" style="background-color: initial; text-indent: -15px;">make that a bad-ass scar</a></span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Houston, We Have Progress</b></span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Dad: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/03/the-hard-part-is-going-to-be-slowing.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">The Hard Part Is Going To Be Slowing Her Down</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Mom: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/03/2-months-post-surgery.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">2 months post-surgery</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Mom: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/04/out-for-ride.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">Out for a ride</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Mom: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/05/the-one-where-going-to-mcdonalds-makes.html" style="background-color: initial; text-indent: -15px;">The one where going to McDonald's makes me cry</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Dad: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/05/bent-but-not-broken-blood-drive-update.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">Bent But Not Broken Blood Drive Update</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Princess Pants: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/05/hello-everyone.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">It's in you</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Princess Pants: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/05/once-again-hello-everyone.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">hello again</a></span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Houston, We Have a Teenager</b></span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Princess Pants: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/06/the-fall.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">The fall</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Princess Pants: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/06/i-was-thinking-last-night.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">I was thinking last night.......</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Princess Pants: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/06/grade-seven-not-quite-end.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">grade seven. The ( not quite) end</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Princess Pants: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/07/just-random-wierd-thought.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">Just a random weird thought</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Dad: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/08/the-joy-of-vance.html" style="background-color: initial; text-indent: -15px;">The Joy of Vance</a></span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Back to School</b></span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Princess Pants: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/09/hello-argentina.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">hello Argentina</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Princess Pants: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/09/yoga.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">Yoga</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Princess Pants: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/10/hello-again.html" style="background-color: initial; text-indent: -15px;">hello again.</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Princess Pants: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/10/hello-again-again.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">hello again. Again...</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Princess Pants: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/11/just-update.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">Just an update.</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Princess Pants: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2015/12/good-luck-gonzalo.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">Good luck Gonzalo!</a></span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>One Year</b></span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Dad: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2016/01/minutes.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">Minutes</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -15px;">Dad: <a href="http://www.bentbutnotbroken.net/2016/01/happy-anniversary.html" style="background-color: initial; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -15px;">Happy Anniversary</a></span></li></ul></ol></div><h3 style="font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b style="font-size: 14px;">Book available in paperback and for Kindle at Amazon:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b style="font-size: 14px;"><a href="https://link.bentbutnotbroken.net/BentBook_US" style="color: #f89820;">COM</a> | <a href="https://link.bentbutnotbroken.net/BentBook_CA" style="color: #f89820;">CA</a><span style="color: #f89820;"> </span>|<span style="color: #f89820;"> </span><a href="https://link.bentbutnotbroken.net/BentBook_UK" style="color: #f89820;">UK</a><span style="color: #f89820;"> </span></b><b style="font-size: 14px;">|</b><b style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #f89820;"> </span><a href="https://link.bentbutnotbroken.net/BentBook_AU" style="color: #f89820;">AU</a><span style="color: #f89820;"> </span></b><b style="font-size: 14px;">|</b><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #f89820;"> </span><a href="https://link.bentbutnotbroken.net/BentBook_DE" style="color: #f89820;">DE</a><span style="color: #f89820;"> </span></span><b style="font-size: 14px;">|</b><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #f89820;"> </span><a href="https://link.bentbutnotbroken.net/BentBook_NL" style="color: #f89820;">NL</a><span style="color: #f89820;"> </span></span><b style="font-size: 14px;">|</b><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #f89820;"> </span><a href="https://link.bentbutnotbroken.net/BentBook_FR" style="color: #f89820;">FR</a><span style="color: #f89820;"> </span></span><b style="font-size: 14px;">|</b><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #f89820;"> </span><a href="https://link.bentbutnotbroken.net/BentBook_ES" style="color: #f89820;">ES</a><span style="color: #f89820;"> </span></span><b style="font-size: 14px;">|</b><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #f89820;"> </span><a href="https://link.bentbutnotbroken.net/BentBook_IT" style="color: #f89820;">IT</a><span style="color: #f89820;"> </span></span><b style="font-size: 14px;">|</b><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #f89820;"> </span><a href="https://link.bentbutnotbroken.net/BentBook_JP" style="color: #f89820;">JP</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b style="font-size: 14px;">Also available as an ebook at:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b style="font-size: 14px;"><a href="https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/bent-but-not-broken-12">Kobo</a><span> </span></b><b style="font-size: 14px;">|</b><b style="font-size: 14px;"><span> </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bent-but-not-broken-andrew-butters/1127674422">Barnes & Noble</a><span> </span></b><b style="font-size: 14px;">|</b><b style="font-size: 14px;"><span> </span><a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6442935506">Apple</a> </b><b style="font-size: 14px;">| <a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=nzlzEAAAQBAJ">Google</a> </b><b style="font-size: 14px;">| <a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/bent-but-not-broken-one/9781778132216-item.html">!ndigo</a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></span></h3>Andrew Buttershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18129116283463309554noreply@blogger.com0Cambridge, ON, Canada43.3616211 -80.314427643.1770356 -80.6371511 43.5462066 -79.9917041tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993662109381405152.post-74390684764115009092016-01-24T20:49:00.003-05:002016-01-24T20:49:54.707-05:00Happy AnniversaryI was uncertain what the anniversary of Pants' surgery would bring. A year ago I was going through something that, even as a writer, I found almost completely indescribable. Part of me hoped that January 20, 2016, would feel triumphant - a giant middle finger to scoliosis and all the fear, trauma, and anxiety it caused my daughter as well as myself and the rest of our family.<br />
<br />
It didn't.<br />
<br />
Instead, it was a slightly numbed and not-quite-disassociated repeat of the original emotions. It followed me around all day. Every minute I found to sit and reflect took me back to the same time of day a year ago. It shouldn't have been like that. At least, that's not what my expectation was, and it was all quite a bit more overwhelming than I think I was prepared to manage, especially considering that I was out of the country and couldn't even seek refuge in the warm embrace of Princess Pants, The Dude, or my wife.<br />
<br />
Then, yesterday happened.<br />
<br />
Yesterday morning I woke up and checked my email and did some Facebooking as I normally do and I took a gander at the blog. It turns out that on January 23 of last year Pants <b><a href="http://scoliosis-journey.blogspot.ca/2015/01/she-walks.html" target="_blank">took her first steps</a></b> since the surgery! I felt that the one-year anniversary of that momentous event deserved another just-as-momentous event (in fact, Jodi came downstairs shortly after me and had the same idea).<br />
<br />
<b>A little history:</b><br />
During our last visit with Dr. Missiuna, he cleared her for <u>all</u> activities - except one. No trampoline! He also said her X-rays looked spectacular and that he wouldn't be seeing her for another twelve months. I thought one of us would have done a post back in December, but it seems we were too caught up in the holidays (and thinking about Gonzalo) to boast about this wonderful news.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><i>(Also, one thing I noticed about her X-rays was that there were no longer any gaps in her spine! Normally you would see vertebra - space - disc - space - vertebra - etc... but in Pants' case, it was just one big spine.)</i></span><br />
<br />
Another thing was her upcoming class trip to the local ski hill. I signed up as a volunteer for this trip and had every intention of ensuring that I was never more than a few feet away from her the whole time (because what 13-year-old girl doesn't want her dad following her around on a class field trip?)<br />
<br />
To say I was nervous about it was a bit of an understatement.<br />
<br />
So, back to yesterday. Jodi and I decided that since the weather was nice and there was snow on the hill that I'd take Pants out for a couple hours of skiing and see how she made out. If she was shaky and needed a refresher lesson I'd sign her (us) up for one for one of the couple weekends prior to the ski outing with her class (and me).<br />
<br />
Okay, so maybe it's one of those over protective parent things, but at the top of the hill before our first run, I was ready to vomit. The good news is it only took Pants three turns before she felt right at home back on the slopes and well before the end of the day she was trying to find bumps to jump off. I even saw her catch a few inches of air once or twice (more good news: I survived at least one or two heart attacks yesterday!)<br />
<br />
She said to me afterwards, <b>"I was nervous but after a few seconds my body was like, 'Hey, I remember how to do this!'"</b><br />
<br />
After every run (which only took about a minute as the hills are small) she was positively beaming. Most of the time I could only see her eyes through her goggles and for three hours yesterday the only thing I saw was pure joy.<br />
<br />
What a difference a year makes!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="5" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyVPWNDZ2c3u9T1tUUK1Ql15RR9g6sSgtS-AdB2gvu_pIoTF9UiBytre6YlgGuyVJ_mmv08_nQWerOV83i4I6Sgf3_oM0GHNv-cHhuL8GxM9qyL1Y9qvakx4p8a51FQuAXWtUbHyEjOQAo/s1600/2015-01-23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyVPWNDZ2c3u9T1tUUK1Ql15RR9g6sSgtS-AdB2gvu_pIoTF9UiBytre6YlgGuyVJ_mmv08_nQWerOV83i4I6Sgf3_oM0GHNv-cHhuL8GxM9qyL1Y9qvakx4p8a51FQuAXWtUbHyEjOQAo/s200/2015-01-23.jpg" width="300" /></a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbO85lKcpx44LqA-2gT1VvhEo_w-8qCC_zR4SDAMV2EKhAu6-0WvY3XyRZIWEwMENJZiq6h00cbqp2hdrKXMRMshW0sY5Nc6IcXjqZZqSjdSAhsFzjeO9atil0SNaOzpK7Z0Bl_QUs9G8i/s1600/2016-01-23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbO85lKcpx44LqA-2gT1VvhEo_w-8qCC_zR4SDAMV2EKhAu6-0WvY3XyRZIWEwMENJZiq6h00cbqp2hdrKXMRMshW0sY5Nc6IcXjqZZqSjdSAhsFzjeO9atil0SNaOzpK7Z0Bl_QUs9G8i/s200/2016-01-23.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jan. 23, 2015</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jan. 23, 2016</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pEcy1F7IP7Q" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
~ Dad</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
P.S.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Last night as we were heading out to get burritos for dinner the most beautiful full moon was rising. After we ate dinner I ran out with my telescope and my Nikon and captured a few pics and declared that the first full moon of the New Year shall hereinafter be referred to as Avery's Moon.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj1PFS6satzku5oxsu6yPCKaA-Jy7mjMbSp1gXagqlkK9rsjxD_tIOZ9_viXyAeRS2Qtq0RnKmn5f9ML5LCJPl6_VJrpj3MoFgZVOOixlV8sbNyd0PN-C4O2vAyqRX2-R8oA7u9uKC4KkA/s1600/DSC_7654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj1PFS6satzku5oxsu6yPCKaA-Jy7mjMbSp1gXagqlkK9rsjxD_tIOZ9_viXyAeRS2Qtq0RnKmn5f9ML5LCJPl6_VJrpj3MoFgZVOOixlV8sbNyd0PN-C4O2vAyqRX2-R8oA7u9uKC4KkA/s400/DSC_7654.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Avery's Moon, 2016</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Andrew Buttershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18129116283463309554noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993662109381405152.post-66944506868504537002016-01-09T11:07:00.000-05:002016-08-24T07:51:20.701-04:00MinutesI was working in a video store sometime in the mid-1990's and we had The Beatles Yellow Submarine on the television for the customers to stare at while they were browsing for a movie to rent. The song "When I'm Sixty-Four" came on and the movie counted out a full minute. That was probably the first moment I was consciously aware of the fact that one minute is actually a very long time.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/20690208" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe>
<a href="https://vimeo.com/20690208">When I'm Sixty-Four - For Angela</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/wesleyfurr">Wesley Furr</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</div>
<br />
Watch the video above before you keep reading. Don't sing along or count out loud or in your head. Just watch. Sit and do nothing but stare. Continue reading when you're done.<br />
<br />
[You watching the video]<br />
<br />
Welcome back. Did a minute feel like a long time or a short time? For me back in 1990-something, it felt like a long time. Regardless of how long it felt to you, I want you to multiply that by six hundred and sixty. Now imagine sitting around for that many <b>consecutive</b> loops of that video. Now, imagine that during this marathon of minutes your daughter was being cut open from neck to tailbone and having chrome cobalt rods affixed directly to her spine with <b>twenty-seven</b> titanium screws, each one secured in place to part of a vertebra that needed to have a hole drilled in it. Finally, imagine that the margin for error on the location of each hole was only 2 millimeters (funnily enough, that's about 1/64 of an inch on either side of the hole) and that any move outside that margin of error could result in your daughter being paralyzed. Now, does <i>that</i> feel like a long time?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZDV7bNLAqg_hunVIvOeWYp0-3KD5iVBbOjvzuzj557m-NA5chv-RU2ziqfVAwb4AwpGRf39dMVDXPWPUPQIC6b5WX1-PmbwoV7TgqeizzfKPtcEmyan-NoIPJ7hdV_BGRPqdphNSd51TK/s1600/AveryBeforeAfter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZDV7bNLAqg_hunVIvOeWYp0-3KD5iVBbOjvzuzj557m-NA5chv-RU2ziqfVAwb4AwpGRf39dMVDXPWPUPQIC6b5WX1-PmbwoV7TgqeizzfKPtcEmyan-NoIPJ7hdV_BGRPqdphNSd51TK/s400/AveryBeforeAfter.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before and after. Notice that the screws aren't exactly small. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Pants was in surgery for roughly 660 minutes. Six hundred and sixty minutes that felt like an eternity. Since then, so many more minutes have gone by, and to me, it feels like they passed in just a fraction of the time.<br />
<br />
At the time of me typing this sentence, it has been 509,192 minutes since Avery got out of surgery and 509,072 minutes since we were allowed to see her. She was lying in a bed hooked up to three IVs and a breathing tube down her throat. Her face was swollen and she had sores and cuts in several places. She had hives all over her body from a reaction to something in surgery (possibly some of the 5 liters of blood they needed to transfuse). She looked like she had been hit by a truck, and that is the exact analogy the surgeon used when he was talking to us. She would have to stay intubated and sedated for another twelve hours.<br />
<br />
Imagine your daughter had been hit by a truck and she would not wake up for another 720 minutes. Seven hundred and twenty consecutive loops of the video, which happens to be sixty more loops than the eternity of hell you <i><u>just</u></i> went through.<br />
<br />
That was 508,357 minutes ago, and quite possibly one of the scariest, heart-wrenching, but also the most reassuring minute of my entire life. My little princess would be okay. The minutes that followed, just about every one of the more than half a million that have passed, have been all good. For me, that's the most amazing part of this whole journey. Pants never complained. Her attitude remained positive the entire way and her recovery followed the same path. About 445,768 minutes ago I wrote that <b><a href="http://scoliosis-journey.blogspot.ca/2015/03/the-hard-part-is-going-to-be-slowing.html" target="_blank">the hard part was going to be slowing her down</a></b>. With all the talk of kids today being coddled and "soft", all you need to do is find one facing a bit of adversity to see just how wrong that assertion is.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB3zFDu7R8-xaDQPdr9IdyOU4tUVXijADHnzZO8lr1OBVx27xtdVXJpJNSF9as3wtODPaMEOFvbttCMETpcEvA5IIxbdfgNLUF6me8fed-nqEuN5Vyvl6uSQWblfbhvn_TmVQeiVhsenhi/s1600/avery+yoga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB3zFDu7R8-xaDQPdr9IdyOU4tUVXijADHnzZO8lr1OBVx27xtdVXJpJNSF9as3wtODPaMEOFvbttCMETpcEvA5IIxbdfgNLUF6me8fed-nqEuN5Vyvl6uSQWblfbhvn_TmVQeiVhsenhi/s400/avery+yoga.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Princess Pants doing yoga on the beach,<br />
233,984 minutes after waking up from surgery</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Approximately 15,690 minutes from now I'm going to be away on business. I will be alone and thinking of my little girl. At that moment, it will have been exactly one year, 525,600 minutes since I walked her into surgery, and with tears in both our eyes kissed her on the forehead and watched her fall asleep. Of all the minutes between those two dates on the calendar marking one complete journey around the sun, there were more filled with stress, anxiety, fear, and emotional torture than any family should have to endure. But the good news is that those minutes were but a fraction of the total minutes that have passed since. The really good news is that at 8:01 AM on January 20, 2016, every single one of those minutes will be in the past.<br />
<br />
At that time, Princess Pants will be starting a different journey around the sun and our family will have an unknown number of minutes remaining to work with. With any amount of luck, it will be millions upon millions, which would please me greatly, because the last 508,407 seem to have passed a little too quickly.<br />
<br />
Hug the ones you love and make every minute count.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQamnikiBcKaNjFWApap6QHtkKph83VxhU_4lUHrbOQgxrCbHRJCYAjPIeQs-ll9lFYOSY71SZ1UgHdLUOVPxBzOMUDl2pK88ILn3LfStsuudRQ8BKx1_y89qj6kOVJQCcgAdi1YIEUhqC/s1600/DSC_5483+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQamnikiBcKaNjFWApap6QHtkKph83VxhU_4lUHrbOQgxrCbHRJCYAjPIeQs-ll9lFYOSY71SZ1UgHdLUOVPxBzOMUDl2pK88ILn3LfStsuudRQ8BKx1_y89qj6kOVJQCcgAdi1YIEUhqC/s320/DSC_5483+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
~ Dad<br />
<br />Andrew Buttershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18129116283463309554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993662109381405152.post-80562831272106942462015-12-16T10:44:00.000-05:002015-12-16T10:44:29.833-05:00Good luck Gonzalo!i just wanted to wish you and your family good luck! I hope everything goes alright, and that it isn't too worry some.Princess Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10497461819566648629noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993662109381405152.post-90947086184564317222015-11-24T19:04:00.003-05:002015-11-24T19:04:59.568-05:00Just an update.so, today was my first time getting to do intramurals, which is an organized tournament of a certain sport that happens during my nutrition breaks at school, and it was really fun. In other not so exciting news, I went to the family doctors last Wednesday, and she said that I seemed to be doing good. And this Wednesday, tomorow, I get to go with my class to visit HIGHSCHOOL, which is really scary, and really exciting. Everything is going amazing, I have about 15 books I have to read, and Christmas is coming up. My brother and I build snowmen on Sunday, which is when I realized I spent ALMOST ALL OF last winter in a bed, and it was awesome to play in the snow in NOVEMBER, because Canada loves the cold. It also meant I got hot chocolate ^_^<br />
<br />
Have a nice end of November,<br />
<b> <u>Princess pants👸🏽👸🏽</u></b>Princess Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10497461819566648629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993662109381405152.post-35982786444340119122015-10-29T20:02:00.002-04:002015-10-29T20:02:34.165-04:00hello again. Again...<br />
I know it's only been a day but I already have more exciting news. So we went to the physiotherapists, and Jay get me to do my leg-y stuff, and all I did was two things, when he said that all I need is some stronger bands, and that I don't have to come back unless doctor Missuna says so or a problem arises. So yeah. I no longer have to go to the physiotherapists because I'm just that bendy. Not actually, but still.<br />
<br />
Good luck Gonzalo and Gonzalo's family, and thank you so much Carla,<br />
<br />
Talk to you as soon as something interesting happens, happy Halloween/ Saturday,<br />
<br />
<b><u>Princess Pants👸🏽</u></b>Princess Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10497461819566648629noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993662109381405152.post-36721509049542350062015-10-28T19:10:00.003-04:002015-10-28T19:10:58.697-04:00hello again.So I really should have posted last Wednesday, but I forgot, what with all of the exicitment. I got to do gym last Wednesday. It was AWESOME. It felt so good to finally be able to do stuff again. It was acctualy supposed to be last TUESDAY, but my class didn't have gym on Tuesday, so I didn't get yo do it. My teacher was nice enough to let us have QDPA (Qualified Daily Physical Activity) though. But anyways, I hope you're all doing ok, because I've been feeling fantastic. We carved our pumpkins for Halloween last night. Mine is a cat with devil horns and a set of wings. I think it looks pretty awesome if I do say so myself. Happy Halloween everyone, or if you don't celebrate Halloween, have a good rest of the week and weekend. So yeah. Gym. I never realized how much I missed it until I got it back.<br />
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I'll try to update more often,<br />
<b><u>Princess pants👸🏽</u></b><br />
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<a name='more'></a>Princess Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10497461819566648629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993662109381405152.post-51334030690189609372015-09-18T21:18:00.003-04:002015-09-18T21:18:46.630-04:00Yoga<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I went to yoga today. For the first time. In FOREVER. And it was amazing. I had so much fun. It was Realy nice to see yoga Mike again. I felt so, so, FANTASTIC afterwards. I know this post is short, but I just had to let you know. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once again, good luck Gonzalo, and Gonzalo's family.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Write again soon,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> PrincessPants👸🏽</span>Princess Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10497461819566648629noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993662109381405152.post-24644839655140593152015-09-13T21:20:00.003-04:002015-09-13T21:20:58.284-04:00hello Argentina I was heading up to bed, when my dad asked me to come and look at somthing. That something was a note/letter/post thingie from a person in Argentina about how they read our blog, and that their son was having the same surgery I had, but in December. After reading that, I got a bit sad that another person had to have the surgery, but I smiled Realy Realy big, because My family and I were helping people out, at least a bit, just by writing down our experiences. And now I am writing this post. Literally one minute ago I read the note thingie. I just wanted to say thank you.<br />
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I wish you luck Gonzalo.<br />
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Until another day,<br />
PrincessPants👸🏽 (AKA Avery)Princess Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10497461819566648629noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993662109381405152.post-71571218009428274112015-08-17T20:48:00.000-04:002015-08-17T20:48:04.844-04:00The Joy of VanceJodi and I were talking on the way up to the cottage. We both noticed that Princess Pants, not once throughout this whole ordeal, has even so much as mumbled a single complaint. Not one. Zero. She went to hell and back at a time in her life when she should have been looking forward to becoming a teenager and she never complained. Sure, she had moments where she was down, or scared, or wrote something on the blog like "I want to be a kid again", which is perfectly healthy and we're glad she had the outlet to do it, but day-to-day complaints? Zip. She took the really crappy hand she was dealt and she accepted it, and that makes it even more amazing.<br />
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So, on June 27 I did something hoping it would pay off and bring a big ole smile to Princess Pants' face: I sent an email to Taylor Swift and Vance Joy. Taylor is on a world tour and Vance is one of her opening acts and Pants loves them both (more so Vance, I think). I explained in my email what Pants went through and how she listened to their music and told them the story of her class wearing tiaras on her last day of school before surgery. I asked them if they would be so kind as to mention Pants in a tweet or send her an email or autographed picture. Somewhat jokingly I said that if they had a picture of them wearing a tiara that would be positively epic.<br />
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Well, on August 6 I got a FedEx envelope from Vance Joy addressed to Pants. It looked like it would hold an 8x10 photo and figured that Vance's manager or PR person sent one along from the stack they have in the office (I'm sure he signs a bunch every time he sees his manager for just such an occasion). Pants was up at the cottage with Grandma that day and we were to bring it up to her the next day.<br />
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Jodi noticed that the envelope was mailed overnight delivery and came from Edmonton and mentioned that Vance and Taylor were <b>just</b> in Edmonton. I reckoned at this point that what was in the envelope was probably more than just an 8x10 glossy off the stack in the office. I was right. I decided that I would record Pants opening the envelope to see if her reaction was YouTube worthy. It was.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8uOD_5BaGEg" width="560"></iframe>
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Inside was an autographed picture, and a hand-written note which read:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Dear Avery,</i> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>I find your bravery and strength inspiring. It means a lot to me that you have been listening to my music. I don't have a tiara on me right now, but I have decided to draw me in one. I'm on your team! </i> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>(Looks more like a crown, sorry lol)</i></blockquote>
The video above tells you all you need to know about how well this worked out. Her reaction brought a tear to my eye and still does every time I watch it (which is often).<br />
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Thank you, Vance Joy, for making my daughter feel like the happy, elated, giddy teenager she deserves to be.<br />
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~ Dad<br />
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<br />Andrew Buttershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18129116283463309554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993662109381405152.post-77616820703485332432015-07-30T14:25:00.000-04:002015-07-30T14:25:04.381-04:00Just a random wierd thought<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 19px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">
So. My scar is thicker at the bottom, and I was touching it, and I suddenly realized what it feels like. You know when you get a new book and it has that plastic wrap over it? When you run your hand over that? That's why my scar feels like when I touch it but softer. And instead of there being a book inside of the plastic wrap, it's my spine, and instead of plastic wrap its fresh new skin.</div>
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Just a random, weird thought,</div>
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PrincessPants👸🏽</div>
Princess Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10497461819566648629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993662109381405152.post-24253773093742943932015-06-27T10:14:00.002-04:002015-06-27T10:21:52.263-04:00grade seven. The ( not quite) endI wrote this a couple days ago, and forgot to post it, so here it is.<br />
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<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 19px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Before I had my surgery was an emotional time for me. I was both terrified and excited. Terrified that I would die in surgery, and excited that if all went well my back would be better forever. On my last day of school my whole class wore tiaras, and one of my teachers got almost all of the seniors to wear ones that they made in class. It made me feel so fantastic. You have no idea how wonderful it felt. We got a picture of my class wearing tiaras, and I've kept it as my background picture on my iPad until just recently. That </span><span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 19px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">picture reminds that these people care about me, even just a bit. And I care about them. I've known most of them since grade two, and some since grade five, but I've still know them long enough to be sad that this year is over. Two whole months not<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"> seeing some of them. I know that I still get to see them next year, so it's not REALLY </span>the end but it still fells like it. Were not leaving to go to high school, but we've starting preparing. I mean, we just survived our first year as a seniors, doing different subjects in gym, new stuff at track, millions of new things that we learned in all subjects, our first year of math in English instead if in French (which by the way, makes it a lot easier to understand) , our first year with history instead of social studies, our first </span>year starting to get points towards the award of excellence, and much more. This year has been full of good and bad things and I'm happy I got to spend it with people I did. Even the nurses and doctors were pretty nice. Thank you to everyone who's been with me on this journey, even if you didn't follow it as it happened. And I hope everything I've written (and will continue to write) has and will help you in someway as it has me. <br />
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Thank you all, </div>
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PrincessPants <3</div>
Princess Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10497461819566648629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993662109381405152.post-67021010297297414142015-06-18T08:18:00.002-04:002015-06-18T08:18:43.443-04:00I was thinking last night.......<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 19px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">
I want to be a kid again. Shrink me down to six and leave me there. Take me out of this age where I'm responsible for lots of things. Where I'm not little anymore. No longer a child, a kid, where I start preparing for the real world. Where everything I do matters a lot more than it used to. I hate it. I can't stand it. At first I was so excited. It was all I wanted. Now all I want is for it to be over. I wish I could have skipped it. Just gone from child to adult, so I don't have to go through this. Shrink me down to six, before I'm an actual person. At six your not quite a person yet. You don't have a personality, at least not the one you'll have for the rest if your life. At six even the most outgoing of your class is still a bit shy. At six fart is a word that makes you gasp because someone said a 'bad word'. At six everything mattered in its </div>
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own way, even if now the things that mattered then seem stupid. At six daddy could pick me up. At six I could sit on mommy's lap. At six cars seemed like a fantastic thing (aside from me getting sick in them). At six life seemed perfect. At six you can have a temper tantrum, go to your saying you hate your parents, only to come out minutes latter crying and saying sorry and that you loved them. At six you got books read to you at night. At six you slept with a night light. At six You knew, with all your heart, no Mater </div>
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what was said and done, that your parents loved you then and will love you forever. Now at times you feel like no one gets you. You want to believe that your parents will always love you but are afraid you will do something wrong. Now everything is scary. I'm afraid I'll fail school. I'm afraid I'll get fat. I'm afraid I'm too skinny. I'm afraid I'll get hill by a car. I'm afraid ill get kidnapped. I'm afraid that in high school ill smoke or take drugs. I'm REALLY scared about that last one. I don't want to be a teenager. I don't want to go to high school. I just want to be a kid again. To not be afraid to go into my parents room if I have a nightmare. To be able to walk around not worrying about what's around the corner. Or about what's ahead of me on life. To he able to snuggle up in my parents arms again. Please let me be a kid again. Please. </div>
Princess Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10497461819566648629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993662109381405152.post-87278316163999423262015-06-10T20:55:00.001-04:002015-06-10T21:02:38.950-04:00The fallYesterday at 1:30 in the afternoon I went to go get some lunch from the kitchen. I got up off the couch and walked to the kitchen. By the time I got there the head rush from standing up off the couch to quick had caught up to me. I get head rushes when I stand up too fast, and this one was really bad. I passed out, and when I could see again I was lying on the floor in horrible pain. I stood up, slowly, and walked to the phone, all the while crying my eyes out and wailing. I called my dad but got voice mail, so I left a message (As I learned later, all it sounded like was a screaming banshee). So next I called my mom. It rang for a minute, and then just went silent. No buzzing, no mom, no nothing. So I screamed and cried until I remembered that my old babysitter, Stephanie lived really close, so I called her, and she picked up. I was so relived, that for a brief second, I stopped crying. But only for a second. In my hysterics I tried to tell her what had happen. You know when your crying, but trying not to, and you start having these weird jerk pause breaths? Almost like hiccups? That was happening to me. Eventually she got it out of me that I had fallen, and came over right away. Buy the time she got here I had stopped screaming and was now just crying a lot. She helped me stop crying, and helped me get an ice pack, and then she face booked my parents that i had fallen. After a couple minutes my dad called. By then I had stopped crying, mostly, and we had figured out what was hurting. It was just a pinkish line parallel to my scar on my right side( and as we found out later, a bruised tailbone). My mom called minutes later and started to drive home right away. My dad called her and asked if when she would be home. Since Stephanie could only stay until 2:30. She said she would be home soon. And she wasn't lying. She was home by not quite two. Stephie stayed a bit longer, but then had to leave. We thanked her immensely. A short while after that my dad got home. He called the doctor and got us an appointment for today. Life went on. I was ok. This morning my mom stayed home and we went to the doctors. We got X-rays and had Subway for lunch, and than we went to the doctors. The only thing I was nervous about was not being able to go to Virginia for my moms cousins wedding. Doctor Missuna said that my X-rays were excellent, that I was fine except for a contusion (what ever that means), and that I was not allowed to drive to Virginia, but that I could be a passenger. He also cleared me to start physio and yoga. <i>Yes</i>!😃 when we got back to Cambridge we bought some flowers for Stephie, as that was the least we could do. It was a strange coincidence, as the flower shop lady's step daughter had just had the same surgery as me a week ago. That's all I have to say for now. I'll try to update more often. Write more latter,<br />
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<b><i><u>PrincessPants👸🏽</u></i></b><br />
<br />Princess Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10497461819566648629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993662109381405152.post-36868211995400129012015-05-15T07:49:00.001-04:002015-05-15T07:59:58.540-04:00hello againOnce again, hello everyone. Yesterday the one thing I failed to mention was that all of this couldn't have happened without the help of my dad. He planned it, he set in action, and he went through with it. He's the one who has all of the friends who donate blood. Any ways, stuff about my everyday life. I now go to school until 2:30, just half an hour away from a full day. I went to a movie without any adults for the first time ever, and I'm just doing amazing overall. I hope you're all doing as well as me, talk again soon<br />
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Princess pants👸🏽Princess Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10497461819566648629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993662109381405152.post-66407168438439112882015-05-14T21:02:00.011-04:002021-06-06T08:39:28.485-04:00Bent But Not Broken Blood Drive UpdateAs Jodi mentioned in her last post we're having a blood drive in an effort to give back some of what Avery needed to get her through the surgery. Sign-ups have been slowly trickling in, but we're still a few people shy of getting our target number of fifteen donors.<br />
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My company has one of these old-timey looking popcorn machines that they let employees use every Friday. The company buys the popcorn, all you have to do is set up shop and pop the stuff (and clean up everything after) and you can sell popcorn for $2 a bag. The only conditions are:<br />
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<ul>
<li>You can only send one email to the office promoting your event and one email afterward thanking everyone (so as to not spam / pester everyone)</li>
<li>The money has to go to a registered charity</li>
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So, in an effort to drum up donors and donations we held a Popcorn Friday in support of Canadian Blood Services today and Princess Pants and The Dude came to work with me this afternoon to help sell popcorn.</div>
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My introduction email explained a bit about Avery and how she needed so much blood for her surgery and that we were looking for six more donors to round out our list or cash from popcorn sales to donate to Canadian Blood Services. </div>
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Last night, Jodi got this awesome idea to make up t-shirts with pictures of Avery's x-rays on them promoting the blood drive. The kids wore theirs to school and I wore mine to work. They looked awesome and they were a big hit! </div>
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I took the kids out of school around 1:00 and brought them into work and we started popping popcorn a little before 2:00. Someone had already given me a $20 donation because they were out of the office for the afternoon so we were off to a great start. Once the smell of the popcorn started wafting through the office it didn't take long for the donations to start rolling in. </div>
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By 3:00 we had sold a lot of popcorn and a co-worker suggested that we take some upstairs on the rolling table and see if the office on the 3rd floor wanted any (he tipped us off that they were always in the mood for popcorn). </div>
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So we trekked upstairs with eleven bags of popcorn and visited another company and less than 10 minutes later we only had one bag left! </div>
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We sold a few more before the day came to a close for us (around 4:00) and the final tally was nothing short of amazing:</div>
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<li>$238 ($245) if you include the 5<span face="arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;">€</span> note someone gave us</li>
<li>Two blood donors for the drive on May 14</li>
<li>One blood donor who can't make the 14th but will donate at another point in the week</li>
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I even had people tell me they would be away on Friday but would bring in donations on Monday!</div>
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All in all, it was an amazing success. The generosity of the community is quite something. I am very fortunate to have such wonderful and caring neighbours.</div>
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In case you didn't do the math, we're still in need of 3 donors! </div>
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Please email me if you can donate on May 14th in Waterloo (6:35pm, 7:05pm, 7:10pm spots available). </div>
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If you can donate but on a different day, or if you're out of town and you'd like to donate, just book your appointment with Canadian Blood Services (<b><a href="http://blood.ca/">http://blood.ca</a></b>) and let me know and I'll add you to our list of Bent But Not Broken Supporters. </div>
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Thank you, all!</div>
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~ Andrew</div>
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Andrew Buttershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18129116283463309554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993662109381405152.post-79533257885583588292015-05-14T20:26:00.001-04:002015-05-14T21:27:44.782-04:00It's in youhello everyone. I'm really sorry that I haven't posted in a while. I'm about to make up for it. Right now I'm at Canadian blood services in Waterloo, meeting new people, and taking MILLIONS of pictures with everyone I meet. Don't get me wrong, it tons of fun. It's a really amazing feeling seeing all of these people come out to donate donate blood because we asked (and for other reasons too). We have people who haven't donated in years coming out to donate, people who've never donated before, and even one person who's tried three times and passed out at all of them trying to donate again. We got about 15 people in total, and just being here makes me feel wonderful even if it is tiring. I'm writing this at 8:12 Thursday night, so I'll post another tomorrow morning. But before I stop for the night I would just like to tell you what it feels like to have something this nice happen to you. <span style="background-color: white;">OK</span>, close your eyes and. Wait never mind don't close your eyes. Imagine walking into your house one day and smelling all of your favorite things, seeing all of the people you love, and then having fireworks happen and candy falling from the sky, and THEN everyone in the room gives you a million dollars each. That is what it felt like to be me watching everyone donating blood to give back. It also feels like I'm about to explode into happiness. Talk to all of you lovely people tomorrow!<br />
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<u>p̤̈r̤̈ï̤n̤̈c̤̈ë̤s̤̈s̤̈ p̤̈ä̤n̤̈ẗ̤s̤̈😜</u>Princess Pantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10497461819566648629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993662109381405152.post-46186390754441084572015-05-06T08:13:00.001-04:002015-05-06T19:48:31.826-04:00The one where going to McDonald's makes me cry<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Today is <a href="http://www.mcdonalds.ca/ca/en/promotions/mchappyday.html" target="_blank">McHappy Day</a> and we will be going. It is possible I will make multiple visits. On any normal day, this is not anything I would do - we maybe have McDonald's a half dozen times a year, normally on the road or otherwise in a pinch. But today we are going for McHappy Day, and that means the money will be going to support the most wonderful, amazing, kind services of the Ronald McDonald Houses (RMH) and other children's charities. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I don't know how much we discussed RMH in relation to Avery's surgery, but there is one just across from McMaster. We were provided an application form, I even filled it out - but the idea that we might take a room from a family who was dealing with something worse than back surgery (major back surgery, but we knew she would be coming home once she was able) made me feel bad. Plus, we were something like 2.4 km over the minimum distance - and Dude was going to be home. What I didn't know until day 2 at McMaster was that there is also a Ronald McDonald House room, which has comfortable furniture, always hot coffee and other snacks and food (and aside from the coffee, none of it was from McDonald's ). This room was a godsend. This room had hot tea and fresh fruit, and just a place to sit that didn't have beeping monitors and call button alarms. This place was an oasis in the middle of the hospital, and I for one will do something as trivial as buy a Big Mac - maybe twice - to help make sure that room and the RMH are forever available for people who need them. I really hope you never need them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And one other little plug - whatever politics you may feel about blood donation - the blood bank always needs your help. You know Avery needed 15 donors worth of blood. You might have a friend who has had cancer treatments and needed blood. If you can, please donate. My Princess needed it to safely make it out of surgery - if you could help another parent say the same thing, wouldn't you want to?</span></div>
Jodi13http://www.blogger.com/profile/17200470574210616277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993662109381405152.post-5222977470202192472015-04-12T20:45:00.002-04:002015-04-12T20:48:15.112-04:00Out for a ride<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Again it seems like nothing of major concern has happened since the last update, but today it was finally a nice day, and Andrew cleared out of the garage and brought all the bikes down - and Avery just couldn't resist so she went out for a little bike ride! I stood in the driveway the whole time, eagerly wanting to see her come around the corner on her bike. Her brother zoomed down the street and a few moments later, there was Avery - sporting the best posture ever and a smile that could have generated light. Quite honestly, it brought a tear to my eye.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">She is up to over 4 hours a day of school, and adding a little more every week. Really, her recovery is going as good if not better than expected. I think Andrew noted a month ago that the hard part is going to be slowing her down. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">She was a little upset last week as we had our first thunderstorms of the season - she texts us every day to say she got home from school ok. Thursday's text included a note about how she was afraid she was at risk for lightning strike due to her new hardware...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And I suppose we passed another milestone - Andrew and I went out in the evening and didn't have a second thought about leaving Avery with her brother. Last month he (ha, both Andrew and AJ) would not have been okay with that as she was still getting too tired and needed to rest, but no one linked an eye at it last night. Oh how wonderful life is these days.</span>Jodi13http://www.blogger.com/profile/17200470574210616277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993662109381405152.post-80717432604597336132015-03-21T08:50:00.000-04:002015-03-21T09:09:35.440-04:002 months post-surgery<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I had to just look twice at that - has it really only been 2 months? So much has happened, but of late the happenings are often both so frequent and seemingly minute that I guess none of us stopped to write them down. So here is my list, if I have missed anything else exciting, I am sure Pants or Andrew can do a catch up post.</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Avery has mastered getting her taxi, and she books it before we leave in the morning, so we know how long she intends to stay (2 hours a day before March break)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">On March 13 she had an appointment with her surgeon. He was so pleased with the results he called in another ortho intern or resident to admire his handy work, and he sent Pants home with screen prints of the before and after so she could show her friends (Andrew and I both keep that as our screen savers on our laptops both home and work)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I learned that the surgeons did not make any lateral bends in her rods, which is to say she is pretty much perfectly straight. All the reading I did beforehand suggested we would be lucky to get her below a 20° curve post-surgery </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Pants learned how awful overdoing it in a day can feel. Following the Dr.'s appointment (including the 1.5 hours in the car) she wanted to go to school for the afternoon - it was the day before the break and they were going to be watching a movie and a basketball game, so we said fine. I picked her up at 3, and she went right up to lie down. Friday was also Andrew's birthday, and that means dinner out. Andrew kindly chose Mandarin buffet as we knew it could be faster than table service, and we headed out before 5. Dinner was yummy, but by 6:30 it was pretty clear Pants was ready to fall over, so we headed home. And at 3:30 am she was up feeling so nauseous and scared of what throwing up was going to do to her back. I got a Gravol in her, but half an hour later she couldn't hold it in - and in her practical way, said well, I threw up in the sink so I didn't have to bend over and it was fine.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">She was cleared for floating. Monday night Pants and Andrew went to the Y. Pants wore a scar baring tankini top - I love that she is so comfortable in her skin (because really, it is a pretty cool scar!)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Pants was excited the other day because she sat up in bed. I didn't get it, until she demonstrated that up until that point she had been rolling to her side and pushing herself up to sitting, but last week she just went right up to sitting.she was quite pleased with this feat.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Her grandmother came for a visit on Thursday and took her in to Waterloo for lunch with Andrew. Her appetite is definitely coming back as she ordered the dinner steak and wedges and got through half of it - then ate the rest for lunch the following day.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Her grandmother brought her a couple of vitamin E treatment to to help the scar heal, but Avery has asked if she has to use them, because as I said above, it is a pretty cool scar. We will keep them on hand should she change her mind.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">She went out for another float - this time we confirmed she could in fact swim lightly, and that made it even better. I think we will try to get her in the water a little more often.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">She walked over to her friend's house to see if she could come over - it isn't far, but it was the longest walk she has done since the surgery. It is so much nicer now that the snow has started to melt.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yesterday she went to a movie. Another milestone as far as being able to be out and seated in one place for almost 2 hours, but she also needed a long rest when she got home.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So it is back to school on Monday. As odd as it seems, the new goal is for her to make it to the end of first nutrition break - we are suggesting she use the outdoor time indoors doing some homework. The goal is increased stamina and that break happens everyday, so she needs to be able to make it through it before we can add another class into her day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So there - 3 weeks of progress, and more happening every day :)</span></div>
Jodi13http://www.blogger.com/profile/17200470574210616277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993662109381405152.post-87415322672406805812015-03-05T20:49:00.000-05:002015-03-05T20:49:11.467-05:00The Hard Part Is Going To Be Slowing Her DownSo we had a big birthday party for our niece who just turned two and were also celebrating a couple of upcoming birthdays (mine and my sister's). Our niece weighs in at 25 pounds and partway through the afternoon Pants comes upstairs carrying her cousin. Jodi and I had to explain to her that this was not something she should be doing until she received clearance from the doctor. It upset her a little bit and speaks to how good she's feeling and her desire to "get back to normal" as well as help out whenever she can, but until we hear from the surgeon it's best if she just takes it easy.<br />
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That was Sunday. On Monday Pants had her very first solo cab ride on her way home from school. Jodi drops her off in the morning and she stays for two or three periods (60-90 minutes) and then she takes a cab home. Everything went just wonderfully except for Tuesday when the taxi never showed up. She spent a good hour longer at school than she had planned. When I called her to see how she was doing the sounded very anxious and admitted that she was really starting to not feel well and just wanted to lie down.<br />
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The cab got her home eventually and we've not had any problems in the two days since, so that's good news. Pants started doing some homework as well but we keep having to remind her to do it instead of lounging around reading or watching YouTube videos. She likes schoolwork (except math) so it shouldn't be too long before she's back in the groove from a learning standpoint at least. Hopefully she will add another half an hour onto her in-school time every week and get back to full days by the time the snow melts (if it ever melts!)<br />
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That's all for now. Pants is doing really well and we go back to see the surgeon on the 13th (my birthday).<br />
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~ DadAndrew Buttershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18129116283463309554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993662109381405152.post-38796501221964759652015-03-01T08:05:00.001-05:002015-03-01T08:17:49.344-05:00make that a bad-ass scarAll the steri strips have been peeled off, and this is the end result, one bad-ass scar!<br />
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The scar is a little sticky still, and perhaps a little misleading as her spine in almost perfectly straight but the scar is curved. I suppose the surgeon could only guess as to where her spine would end up once he was done.<br />
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Facebook has been super aweseome. We will be sure to share all the comments about just how bad-ass she really is.<br />
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Jodi13http://www.blogger.com/profile/17200470574210616277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993662109381405152.post-83324978064656864352015-02-27T23:08:00.001-05:002015-02-27T23:08:09.519-05:00Orthopedic shoes and a scar.Avery is healing up nicely. She has been to school everyday this week and says she has been participating. She is all set up to take a taxi home from school starting next week once I return to work (has it been 6 weeks already?!?) We are hoping to get her to 1.5 hours at school next week, but she will let us know what she needs.<br />
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This week's excitement involved the purchase of some fancy orthopaedic sandals for Avery to wear around the house to help address her pronating knee.<br />
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Otherwise, her scar is healing up nicely and the steri strips are slowly but surely coming off.<br />
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Look at that cute little waist!<br />
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I am pleased to say that that is really all I have to report. Things are progressing well and Avery remains ever positive.Jodi13http://www.blogger.com/profile/17200470574210616277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993662109381405152.post-22651100090142071442015-02-22T22:09:00.001-05:002015-02-22T22:15:04.072-05:00We have reading!Last night when I went up to bed around 10:30 I noticed Avery's bedroom was still lit up - assuming she had fallen asleep with the lights on, I went in - but no, she was still awake READING! It has even a month since she has had the focus to read anything, so this is a moment we have been waiting for. Shout out to her teacher for the gift of books as that was what she finally found interesting enough to pick and and keep reading I am sure by now that book is done.<br />
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Avery has been complaining of sore legs this week, and my non-medical assessment is that she really needs some better arch support as her knees are pronating - so for now she is wearing her croc slip on sandals and we will see about something a little better - birkenstocks or mephistos, but we need it to get a little nicer out first I think.<br />
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<br />Jodi13http://www.blogger.com/profile/17200470574210616277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5993662109381405152.post-73671440573416189372015-02-18T20:56:00.000-05:002015-02-18T20:56:37.883-05:00A New RoutineIt's been a while since I posted so I thought I'd chime in with a few observations and thoughts.<br />
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I've been back at work on a normal schedule for more than two weeks. I get up early, being careful to not wake Jodi up on my way out of the bedroom. 50% success rate so far! I get to work before 7:30am and stick around until 4:15pm or 4:30pm. By the time I get home Jodi has made some fantastic dinner and even done some of the dishes (best. wife. ever.) Throughout the day I get text messages of Pants' progress and I have to tell you, it's always the highlight of my day.<br />
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Pants is walking better, and moving around in general much more naturally every day. We're told it is going to be six to twelve weeks before she starts to feel "normal" again so to see visible progress in that direction every day is just great. We're looking into taxi's for her to get home from school until she's comfortable enough to walk from the bus stop to our house which likely won't be until after the snow clears.<br />
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Our superstar patient did a full hour at school today! That is such a big step and bodes well for getting her back reading again. Jodi sent me a picture of the part of her back where the Steri Strips finally fell off and the scar looks good. Nice clean cut, not too wide. Every day I find a new reason to be impressed with the care she's received and with her in general.<br />
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Sorry, this post is all over the place.<br />
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Things I've noticed:<br />
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<li>I'm still walking around with this tension in my upper body. It's not near as bad as the first week after surgery but it's still there. I'm told this could take a while to subside<br /></li>
<li>I am still sleeping like crap most nights. As an insomniac who was sleeping not-too-badly before the surgery, this is frustrating. Some nights are not too bad though and that gives me hope<br /></li>
<li><b>Pants does at least two things every day that make me so proud</b><br /></li>
<li>I'm really going to miss having Jodi home all day. If she's even half as productive in her office they're going to love having her back<br /></li>
<li>The Dude is handling everything quite well, but I have noticed he's more cuddly and asking for more hugs; two things I am more than happy to provide in great excess<br /></li>
<li>I never get tired of showing people the before and after x-ray pictures and before and after height picture</li>
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The next phase starts when Jodi goes back to work. I think she'll drive the kids into school and then Avery will take a cab home whenever she feels she's had enough, eventually working her way toward a full day, after which I'll tweak my work schedule to pick her up or she'll take the bus so she only has to walk the last couple hundred meters.<br />
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~ Dad<br />
<br />Andrew Buttershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18129116283463309554noreply@blogger.com0