Trip to Shreveport photos

SUNDAY EVENING-ARRIVED IN SHREVEPORT

Daddy at the motel. Of course he had to first check the remote and the cable tv. Yep-they worked just fine.


Kalysa at the motel getting a little nervous.

Talking to Keslee on the phone

MONDAY MORNING-ARRIVE AT THE SHRINER HOSPITAL

At one of the the hospital play rooms, Daddy and Kalysa played a Winnie the Pooh game.

Then she rode on the most beautiful rocking horse.

Mama and Kalysa took some time to build at the lego table.

We all had a blast with this touch screen video game. There were about 8 different games to choose from on this screen.

We also had to meet with lots of different people on Monday to prepare for the surgery. One of them was Tammy the child life expert. She talked to Kalysa all about the surgery and what to expect. She had a book that showed pictures of another little girl at each stage of the process(not actual surgery but IV and gas mask and doctors wearing masks etc) so nothing would be a surprise to her. She got to use some equipment on a teddy bear (blood pressure cuff, thermometer, gas mask, stethoscope).

Then Tammy and Kalysa put casts on the bears legs.

Kalysa got to keep the bear and she named him Bossier because our motel room was actually in Bossier City. Here he is resting with Kalysa's special blankie on her bed while his casts dry and harden.

Grandma, John, Jacinta, Kenyon and Keslee came Monday evening and Kalysa was more than happy to show them all around the play areas. Kenyon had to try out the Mario game on the Nintendo 64.

Keslee and John spent some time on the old time Mrs. Pacman/Galaga game.

Grandma had to take her turn and challenge Jacinta to a game of Mrs. Pacman.

Keslee had to try out the carousel rocking pony.

Ready for bed in her "nurse clothes" other wise known as a hospital gown.

TUESDAY-SURGERY

Surgery was at 7am and only lasted about an hour. This is her being wheeled back to her room after about 45 minutes in recovery.

Checking her vitals and she first saw her cast. She had told me on Monday that she was planning on getting a red cast. During the surgery a nurse called me in the waiting room to see what color to use because they forgot to ask her before she went under. These people payed attention to EVERY detail and every thing is for the kids.

Still kinda groggy but she wanted to color some pictures with Keslee. There was a beach party going on in the main lobby for the kids so Kenyon, Jacinta, John, and Keslee got to go to it for awhile so Kalysa slept off the anesthesia. They played ping pong, painted, made necklaces, ate popcorn and watermelon and more. Kalysa got a goody bag from the party since she did not get to go.

Always the mama- Keslee feeding Kalysa some ice chips.

WEDNESDAY-GOING HOME!

Kalysa and daddy had to catch up on some early morning cartoons while we still had access to cable tv.

Shriner Randy drove us home.

As soon as we made it home, she had to open the after surgery gift the hospital gave her. It was an interactive puppy that we can program with her name and it talks and grows. She named her Melinda-after the nurse that was with her most of the time. About an hour after we got home, mom made it back with Kenyon and Keslee and within 30 minutes after that, Kalysa decided she was ready to do some walking on her own. She got up and walked on her cast and by the next day(Thursday) she was running up and down the hall playing with Keslee. She has had so many casts with the botox treatments she has had in the past that they don't slow her down at all. Apparently cutting a muscle in her leg isn't going to either. I have MADE her take her pain medicine when I see her starting to wince as she walks but it has only been about once a day-in the evening and not every 4 hours. She is one tuff cookie!! She amazes me.