Matthew's Foot Surgery

Matthew - my youngest - had surgery this morning on both feet! He has had problems with his feet for about the past 6 years - since he was just a little guy. We've tried orthotics for years, but he has been in almost constant pain. Little boys should be able to run and play sports - things Matthew hasn't been able to really do because of the pain. So, our foot doctor suggested this surgery where he placed an implant in between the bones under his ankles (I think). That moved his foot into the correct position and hopefully will stop the pain. It was a pretty simple surgery, and we are hopeful that it will work. He did well - he was emotional about having an IV until the doctor came in and told him they'd give him laughy gas and put him to sleep before they inserted the IV. That made him immediately settle down (and his elevated blood pressure went down!) After the surgery, in recovery, he just wouldn't wake up. The doctor kept shaking him and yelling "Matthew - wake up!", but Matthew just snoozed right through it all. Funny. He finally woke up, and of course was really disoriented. Matthew decided on a Cherry Coke instead of a slushy - funny kid! When he was feeling like he could go home, the nurse took his IV out (something that really turned my stomach - too many past IVs for me, I guess), and his hand wouldn't stop bleeding. It bled all over! The nurse finally got it stopped and we headed home. He is now resting on the sofa with his feet elevated and iced. It's pretty tough keeping a kid his age still for any length of time! He is constantly getting up and driving himself around in the wheelchair. Of course, the other boys love the wheelchair, too. Michael drives himself around and claims he feels like Stephen Hawkings (he wishes!). If you've taken the time to read this, please leave a comment for Matthew - I know he'd be thrilled and feel special reading messages meant just for him. Here's a few pictures of our patient...