2020 - And There Was Aplenty Going On

On January 8, 2020, we went for a recheck with Dr. Flanagan. Jovie also received her first pair of shoes with a lift.

On July 15, 2020, we found out that Jovie would need a SUPERhip reconstruction surgery. That's pretty common in patients with PFFD.

Reconstruction of the hip is called the SUPERhip procedure (SUPER is an acronym for Systematic Utilitarian Procedure for Extremity Reconstruction). Dr. Paley invented the SUPERhip procedure in 1997. It is a combination of surgical procedures designed to comprehensively address and correct severe bone and soft tissue deformities. The SUPERhip can be performed as early as age two and is recommended between the ages of two and three. The SUPERhip can be performed at any age, including adulthood. Getting it done before age three allows one year of recovery before starting the first lengthening.

Diagram can be found here. https://www.limblength.org/conditions/congenital-femoral-deficiency-cfd/superhip-reconstruction-with-130-blade-plate-for-congenital-femoral-deficiency-patients/

On August 3, 2020, Jovie was sedated at CHOA for an MRI of her hip.

In April 2020, just as the world was shutting down due to COVID, I took at job at St. Martin's Episcopal School (SMES) as their Director of Finance and Operations. On August 14, 2020, the kids started a new school at SMES.

Jovie went in to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Scottish Rite on November 19, 2020 for her SUPERhip reconstruction surgery. Performed by Dr. Flanagan, the surgery took much longer than the anticipated 2.5-3 hours. After we received Spica Cast Care then we were discharged the next day. Congenital retroversion of left femur is the medical term for the condition. Will need a separate surgery approximately 6-8 months later to remove the hardware.

Jovie was in a spica cast for 6 full weeks. But that didn't stop us from celebrating the holidays! On November 21, 2020, two days after her surgery, Jovie was using her left leg to get around so I sent the following email to Dr. Flanagan.

Hi Dr. Flanagan,

Hope you’ve had a good weekend.

It’s only 2 days after Jovie’s surgery and I can tell this is going to be a long 6 weeks. She’s already crawling and occasionally using her left foot to move around. Are you concerned with her putting weight on her left leg or using it to get around?

Let me know if we need to do something to try to lock her down or if you just want to talk about it on Wednesday. We just don’t want to do anything to mess us the successful operation.

Thanks,

Cheryl

She responded with the following.

That’s incredible!

I don’t think she will mess anything up with her cast on.

I think her moving this much is a blessing- it shouldn’t be a problem at all

See you Wednesday.

JCF

Nothing stopped this girl. She was moving, crawling and walking around in that spica cast!

On December 29, 2020, Jovie had her spica cast removed. Of course, we followed it up with ice cream. And the second best part was getting to take a bath again!