It was a good day (Part 3)...

We were simply deflated when we left the appointment in Memphis. He was not getting better, but nothing could be found. We were still two weeks away from the next appointment.

When we arrived to see the Physiatrist, the first thing they asked was what did we think was wrong. Honestly, we felt it probably was Osteochondritis Dissecans, but everyone had made us feel foolish for even asking, so we said nothing. The Physiatrist listened to my son's complaints, watched him walk and then decided it was time to do another MRI, which was completed a week later.

In the meantime, of course, every person we knew was asking what was wrong. He was using a wheelchair at school, and we had no answers. One of my acquaintances is married to an orthopedic surgeon. He specializes in sports medicine. He felt the doctors were missing something (as they had discussed it like everyone else in town!). We asked him to look over the records and give his opinion. We also gave him a copy of the new MRI (with no report). Within an hour he called and said, "He has Osteochondritis Dissecans." The next day we also received a call from the St. Louis surgeon's office, confirming his diagnosis.

It took well over 6 months, multiple doctor visits and literally thousands of dollars in medical care to get this diagnosis. After a 6-week trial of complete rest, it was decided he needed surgery. We scheduled the surgery with the local orthopedist in July. It made for a long summer, but in the end, it was wonderful!  In 6-weeks the healing was strong and he was able to walk again for the first time in months. Initially it wasn't very pretty, but it quickly began to look more and more normal.

If you had told me last spring that my son would be auditioning for a musical and doing cartwheels, I would have told you that was a dream I was afraid we would never see.  Okay, so maybe he still can't do a full-on cartwheel, but he is getting there! We are so blessed to have him healthy again.

Never give up!

It was a good day (Part 2)...

Did I mention my son had to attempt a cartwheel in these dance auditions?  Yes, it was a true test indeed!

When we returned to see the surgeon, he was a little more concerned now. The MRI mentioned that there were signs that indicated he may have the beginnings of Osteochondritis Disseccans.  I asked the surgeon about that, and he told us, definitely not, it was too rare. He felt that perhaps my son's issues were rheumatologic in nature (arthritis). He referred us to see a Pediatric Rheumatologist in the hospital in less than a week. We were concerned. How can a child this young (just turned 14) have such debilitating pain? 

The Rheumatology appointment did not go well. After spending well over two hours in the office, the Rhematologist told me he thought my son was suffering from a psychosomatic illness. Despite the fact that the problems only happened when he was weight-bearing on his leg. He asked a lot of questions about wanting to miss school (never), feeling sad (not at all), poor grades (mostly a straight-A student), etc. Nothing fit, yet the Rheumatologist was convinced of his diagnosis. I have to say, this was one of the most stressful days of my life.

In the end, we decided the Rheumatolgist was wrong, and took our son back to his primary care doctor. She felt maybe he had femoral patella syndrome and recommended a more aggressive physical therapy approach. So we started 12 weeks of physical therapy, three times a week. After 6 weeks of no improvement, we called the surgeon in St. Louis and requested a referral to someone else. He referred us to a Physiatrist (specializes usually in post-surgery rehabilitation), but that appointment was 6 weeks away.

My husband felt we should have a friend of his that lived in Memphis to take a look. She is a very smart medicine-pediatrics doctor, and actually graduated at the top of her medical school class. We didn't tell her initially about the other appointments, x-rays or tests. We wanted a fresh start. She examined him and said, "I think it is Osteochondritis Dissecans". We let her look at the MRI, and she felt even more sure. She referred us to a surgeon at the renowned Campbell Clinic in Memphis.

A week later, with hopeful expectations, we saw yet another surgeon. My son had several more x-rays done at the clinic. The doctor reveiwed the x-rays and MRI and then spent about 15 minutes with us. He was sure he had patella femoral syndrome and encouraged us to keep up the physical therapy. We again asked about Osteochondritis Dissecans and again, we were told no, just not possible.

It was a good day (Part 1)...

Today, my son auditioned for a part in an upcoming musical at his school. The process requires three different auditions. Today's audition was dancing. I know, you are so excited for us and you are saying, "Congratulations, I hope he gets a part"!  It seems rather simple and mundane, except that it isn't. Six months ago my son could not walk.  The six months prior to that he spent in a wheelchair.  It was not a happy time!

In April of 2011, my son started complaining of leg pain. His pain was very non-specific, yet very focused. He would occasionally limp as he was leaving school in the afternoons. By summer, the limping became worse. By fall, his pain and limping was interfering with PE and daily activities.

We took him to see a Pediatric Orthopedic surgeon at St. Louis Children's Hospital. He had x-rays and an exam. The doctor diagnosed him with tight hamstrings and heel cords and recommended 6 weeks of physical therapy (once a week) and no PE. We found that the physical therapy didn't really help much, and my son had two excruciating episodes of not being able to bear weight on that leg. We returned to the surgeon where he still felt the diagnosis was correct and he wrote a new order for 12 weeks more of physical therapy.

Just after the 12th session, and without any increased "attacks", we left for Walt Disney World and a Disney cruise. Our first night we attended Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. My son made it through about 3 hours in the park, and then, you guessed it, was limping again. The next day we drove to Port Canaveral and it was obvious he was in tremendous pain. He could hardly bare weight on his leg. He spent most of that cruise in the room, only leaving for dinner each evening. Within a week, we were home and walking was too painful. An MRI was ordered, but the results were mostly normal.  We started using a wheelchair and waited for our next follow-up visit with the surgeon in January.

In Disney Withdrawal

So I know I am obsessed with all things Disney.  In the past few months I have been trying to juggle work, high school and college schedules to plan a trip to our second home.  Now, many of my friends would say, "Why?  You were just there!".

Okay, so I was just there - 4 months ago!  Throughout the year, there are so many different things happening at the Walt Disney World Resort, that every month is a new experience.  Here are my favorite things month-by-month at my happy place:

January - I love the lower crowds, cooler weather and of course the annual Walt Disney World Marathon.  My husband has run in this weekend event (including completing the Goofy Challenge) twice.  There are so many reasons to love starting the year with Disney!

February - This is another great month with overall lower crowds and cooler temps. We have often vacationed over President's Day weekend.  This requires patience and a plan as the crowd level does peak over this weekend.  We never miss the Hall of Presidents when we are there on the holiday.  For running fans, there is the annual Princess Half Marathon.  Of course, celebrating with those you love, at the place you love the most, is another reason to love February.

March - March is the beginning of gorgeous weather and spring breaks.  The Flower and Garden Festival at Epcot begins in March.  I could spend days enjoying the gardens, topiaries and special events at Epcot. If you love to take photos, this is one of the most beautiful times to visit!

April - The events of March continue as the weather gets even more fabulous each day.  If you visit around Easter, I recommend you try a "vampire" touring plan - up and out early, back to sleep during the day and then out again at night to enjoy the special extra magic hours (which sometimes last until 3:00 a.m.!).  When we try this plan, we never wait for more than 20 minutes to ride anything, even on some of the most crowded park days of the year!

May - With children, this is our go-to month for visiting Disney these days. If you are there early enough, you can catch the end of the Flower and Garden Festival and the beginning of Star Wars Weekends!  The weather is warmer and the crowds are still easily manageable.  Star Wars Weekends brings new shows, parades and special events to Hollywood Studios.  While not a personal Star Wars fan, you cannot help but love the experience. Hyperspace Hoopla anyone?

June - Star Wars Weekends continues and the summer vacation season begins!  Family fun abounds as you will see family reunions, school celebrations and more.  The parks are busy and all the attractions are running.  If you don't want to miss something, it is unlikely that an attraction will be down for the summer.  Need a little beach to go with your Disney Magic?  Every June we spend some time at Disney's Vero Beach Resort - one of Disney's best kept secrets (please don't tell anyone, okay?).  :-)

July - While the Walt Disney World resort has fabulous fireworks every single day, this month features one of the most amazing fireworks shows in the world. You can read more about the past events on the Disney Blog.  Be sure to take plenty of water to stay hydrated when touring in July or August.

August - Okay, let's face it, it is HOT in August.  If you go now, do yourself a favor and definitely stay on property at the Walt Disney World resort.  If you need a quick break from the heat, being able to take a quick trip to your hotel will be a welcome relief.  However, this is also a great time to get inside and enjoy attractions and restaurants.  A couple of my family's favorites:  Carousel of Progress and dinner at LeCellier.

September - This is one of my very favorite months to visit. The weather in September is still pretty warm, though you will usually find a passing rain shower each day.  However, the park crowds are light and it is a perfect time to visit the water parks.  My favorite Disney event, Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party also starts this month.

October - As the weather begins to cool, this is a great month for adult trips.  The annual Food and Wine festival kicks off at the end of September and is in full force.  This is a great time to taste your way around the world.  If you are looking for a fun evening running event, check out the Wine and Dine Half Marathon.

November - The holiday season begins with more food, special events and cooler weather.  The week before Thanksgiving is as close as you can get to a perfect fall week at Walt Disney World. Crowds are light, holiday decorations are going up and people are in a cheerful holiday spirit.  Holiday events start at the end of the month.

December - This has to be the most magical month of the year!  The parks are decorated in their holiday finest, with exclusive shows and events.  We love early December when the crowds are light.  Whenever you go in December, do not miss these events:  Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, The Osborne Spectacle of Dancing Lights and the Candlelight Processional.  You also absolutely must visit the resorts to see the various gingerbread houses, carousels and more!

What month do you love the most?

And they are here!

I was so excited last night to see the box from Creative Memories sitting on the kitchen counter. I am so impatient, and yet, these took less than a week to arrive. Here they are in their finished form!

Is it wrong that I now want all of my album covers to be customized?

Aloha!

Next year, my dear hubby and I will celebrate 25 years of marriage. We have been together much longer - just ask, he will tell you it has been at least 7 good years. lol!

I have been thinking the past few years about how we would celebrate our anniversary. I have always wanted to go Europe. I guess in my mind, I just assumed, I would try to fulfill that dream on our anniversary. Then came an announcement by Disney Cruise Line (surprise!).

Earlier this year, DCL announced an inaugural Hawaiian cruise, 15-nights on the Disney Wonder. My husband's favorite vacation has always been cruises. We were able to travel to Hawaii several years ago through a trip I earned from Creative Memories. It was one of our best vacations. Unfortunately, the cruise Disney announced was in late April/early May 2012. There was no way we could arrange that much time off just as our lovely daughter would be graduating from high school. Just when I had almost forgotten this perfect cruise, rumors were swirling that DCL would offer another cruise to Hawaii in October 2012. On Friday, DCL confirmed the cruise and opened reservations. We are booked and the new countdown is on!

Although it wasn't what I assumed we would do, I am absolutely thrilled. I can't wait for 14 (this one is a day shorter) relaxing days on board the Disney Wonder and on the Hawaiian islands. This will be the best way to celebrate 25 years with my best friend.

Time to remember

For several years now I have been addicted to scrapbooking. I wish I were able to scrapbook more often, but life seems to get in the way.

Scrapbooking was a natural progression for me. When I was 12, I cut out newspaper articles about the Kentucky Wildcats basketball team. I would glue them into a notebook with regular loose leaf paper. When I didn't have articles to glue, I would draw uniforms, add notes about players, etc. It was only when I was older that I realized I was scrapbooking back then.

I was introduced to "real-life" scrapbooking in 1996 by a friend in Virginia. I was immediately hooked. What is not to love about colored markers, paper, stickers and photos of your favorite memories?

Over the years I have completed many albums for my family and as gifts. Scrapbooking supplies have come a long way! This week I am very excited about creating my first custom scrapbook covers.

I created two covers this week, one for our Dream cruises this year and another for my lovely dd for her senior year photos. I am so excited to get them in the mail. I will share the results!