Zeke's Appointments

Our son Zeke had SDR surgery in the fall of 2008.  I could go into a lot of detail but basically, the surgeon made an incision in his spine and stimulated all the nerve endings in his lower back.  Any nerve that didn't do what it was supposed to was severed.  He and I spent 7 weeks in the hospital with spectacular results.  Before the surgery, his leg muscles were so tight that it was hard for him to walk correctly and he couldn't stand by himself.  Now he continues to amaze us with his abilities.
.
We went back to St Paul for a gait analysis a year after his surgery to see how he was progressing and to possibly schedule his orthopedic surgery.  Although he was doing really well at that time, the doctor wanted him to be a bit stronger before attempting the next surgery. 
.
The next step is that Zeke and I are headed to St Paul in August for a two day Gait Analysis.  The physical part of the analysis is on the 12th and then we'll meet with the surgeon for a review and consultation on the 13th.
.
Yesterday I received the call scheduling his orthopedic surgery.  It will be on Wednesday September 29th at 8:00am.  The previous surgery helped with the tightness in his muscles, while this surgery will correct the bone issues.  He will have 2 pediatric orthopedic surgeons, one on each side of his body, who will work on his hips, knees, ankles and feet.  It will require a 5+ day hospital stay (which is nothing compared to our 7 week stay last time :) and then he will most likely be in a half-body cast for 6-8 weeks.  We'll be renting a wheelchair from Sioux Falls again when we get home. 
.
It'll be interesting to see how it will all work out but the goal is for this to be the final surgery.