kemeri's post-surgery progress

Kemeri had her hand surgery the end of February.  I had intended to update before now, but in all honesty, it's been about healing until just recently.  Her cast was on for 6 weeks, & then she was fitted for a custom splint to protect her hand as it healed further.  At this point, I have to tell you peeps that this girl is a rock star.  After a day of complete annoyance with that HUGE purple cast in the hospital, she never complained about it again.  And she managed NOT to clock anyone with it...Bonus!

 

To recap, once they got into surgery, they opted to do a transfer instead of a bone graft from her arm or thigh.  They found that her forefinger nubbin did not have any viability, so they transferred it to her thumb, which has now become the extension of her thumb.  Since it was done this way, there's actually blood flow & her thumb should grow with her.  Amazing.  The doctors also increased the indent between her thumb & other fingers in the hopes that eventually, she will have some type of grip with her left hand.  And if that wasn't enough, they released little girl's amniotic band on the underside of her arm where it presented as being the most constricted to hopefully encourage more strength in the tendons.  They do this with a zig-zag incision to avoid scar tissue causing a problem.  Here's fair warning:  There are a couple pictures below from right after her cast was removed.  Personally, I don't think they are too horrible b/c everything is scabbed over, but if it's not your thing, scroll quickly. :o)

 

Here she is post-surgery...Sleeping Beauty

 

About 6 weeks later, she had the cast removed.  You can see that they placed 2 pins into her thumb to keep everything in place as it healed.  Those pins were long!  Kemeri was amazing & just sat on my lap as the doctor pulled them out.  Bless her heart, I think she was just so happy to be able to rub her itchy arm!

 

 

Here, you can see the indent a bit better.  Like I said, a lot of scabbing, but it has been healing really well.

 

Somehow I have neglected to get a good picture of her special splint, but you can see it here.  It's more fun to share a picture with Grandpa & siblngs anyway.  I was fascinated with how they made her a custom splint.  She got to pick the colors (bright pink plastic with purple velcro straps), & they warmed the plastic material to make it pliable, & then shaped it around her little hand/arm.

 

Last week, we began therapy with an OT that specializes in the hand.  The girls are quite popular at this facility because all of their patients are typically teens and adults.  The first session was a little sketchy.  This picture was taken as a bribe to do what she was being asked to do & we would show it to Daddy.  Otherwise, she was not real interested in relaxing her elbow to do anything since she's been favoring her arm for so long.  We did find out that we could start weaning from wearing the splint, which I think has really helped her to start thinking to use her left hand again.

 

 

Proud Mommy time:  We had another therapy session the other day...Kemeri Abigail worked so hard!!  Her therapist was amazed at her determination & started saying, "Get a picture of this! Oh, this is a good picture!"  She was doing awesome!!  Confession:  I had a lump in my throat.  Her inner strength just overwhelms me.

 

 

She was using her left hand so much that I think all the pictures are blurry b/c that hand was in motion, but hopefully you can see how well it is healing!!

 

 

 

 

And for the finale, THIS.  Miss Jan asked her to place the pegs in her left hand & then place them in the holes.  And she did.  She didn't have much "squeeze", but those pegs were just the right shape to fit in the space between her thumb and fingers.  So proud & amazed by her.