Nine Hedgehogs

Anya and I braved the LA city buses, learned some new lingo (the red line, the metro rapid, the 720 to the coast and the 920 returning to Wilshire and Vermont) We dipped our feet in the ocean, feed the ocean birds popcorn and ate cotton candy (that's on a pureed diet isn't it???) We had a very nice day together and made it back to the hospital safe and sound!

Tonight, Anya is scheduled to have her palate packing removed.  It is all sutured in and they will try to take it out at the bedside.  I...
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We started today with present opening over breakfast. Next, a little guitar hero on the Nintendo DS (thank you Grandma Anita and Grandpa John) followed by some i-Carley action (thank you Meila) and then we surveyed everyone we could find to figure out the best place to spend our day..



Happy Birthday to Anya, in Hollywood,California!  After 5 trips to Shriner's, we have finally seen something besides the hospital and the airport.  We took a taxi from the hospital to Hollywood Boulevard and spen...
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After a slow start yesterday on the road to recovery, today we are definitely on the right track and making up for lost time. Anya's "wips" are getting better and the swelling has gone down a ton. We got two new chap sticks today (used up everything we had brought in the first day) and she is now happily joining in on all the activities and goodies offered here.  Her throat is still a little scratchy/sore from the breathing tube but she has had NO palate pain at all yet!

Below is a sampling of...
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Well surgery is over and Anya is doing OK.  She went in to the OR last night about 5:15 ,made it to the recovery room at  8:15, then back to her room at 9:30.  Her lips are very sore and swollen so we are keeping the ice and chap stick flowing with a little Demerol thrown in for good measure.

She had four surgeons with her yesterday, Dr William Magee III is her primary  surgeon: (http://www.hopeforkids.com/site/c.lpISKYOvFkG/b.4204757/k.A9F0/Our_Doctors.htm    ...you need to scroll down a coup...
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Anya, at her recent birthday party blowout.


Kelly and Anya left Denver yesterday for Los Angeles and Shriners Hospital, where Anya will undergo another surgery today (Fri). After meeting with the surgeon Thursday evening, the plan is to make another attempt at tissue repair, but this time they'll use Alloderm to help the tissue grow together. That will involve surgery Friday, a week's hospital stay, and a return to the surgical suite to remove the Alloderm, once her own tissue is healing. Of ...
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Meila was beaming a bloody smile yesterday as she pranced around with her first lost tooth. She thought it was pretty remarkable that she would lose that first tooth, on the night of her first 'spend the night'... Rachel was over for a sleep over; her first, and Meila's first. Also a bit of a going away celebration- there have been a few of those for each of the kids the last week or two. Rachel reported that she had already lost 'about 7' teeth, and she's the same age as Mei. It was sad for ...
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You'll get it if you have kids.

Last week Meila asked if she could have some 'file cabinet space', and she was excited to have her own hanging files etc- her desk is a sight to behold in my office. Absolute chaos (my office) and her desk: immaculate and organized.

Today, I found the files she had set up in the space I offered her



Meila's  'plain old paper' and 'important paper'.

It's the things that you chuckle to yourself about in private that make it worth while.



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Lots to report on... where to begin?

We'll work backwards. This morning, scheduled a surgery for Anya in Los Angeles with Dr Magee for a 'final' attempt at repairing her palate fistula, before the all important bone graft. That fistula repair is important because for the bone graft to be successful, the palate must be closed, and a fistula is a little opening- which we've been trying to close for several surgeries... Time is not on our side with Anya's mouth- last week she had her braces remov...
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The first day of summer vacation was tough. No formal schedule, and some confused 'bored' kids. Anya was even ready to go back to school in the first couple of days of summer-- but it's better now. We seem to have fallen quite comfortably into the mode of rising and shining when it feels right and playing outside from dawn to dusk.

    

Summer also marks the time that we can rally Kelly for Zeke to get a summer cut, and he got it! Streamlined and happy to be free, Zeke is a little thing under ...
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