Wednesday, August 15, 2012

The Hardest Part of Parenting Is...

One of the most challenging parts of parenting for me is seeing the girls injured and/or in pain. For Olivia, it was (and is) seeing her struggle with Sensory Integration Disorder.

For Sophia, it has been seeing her in physical pain. The first time that she was in a moderate amount of pain was when she had to have the test for allergies - the kind where the "checkerboard" is done on her back and she was repeatedly poked with different needles.

It was a difficult procedure to go through for her, and I could tell it was painful. However, it revealed multiple allergies which helped change the way I made food and what she could eat; and the home environment. She also went on allergy medicine after that which has helped her quite a bit.

Sophia's first major injury was a result of a hurting her ankle when she walked off the bed.

Sophia's Ankle Injury
Sophia at the doctor's office.
Two images of her ankle - an x-ray and the swollen ankle itself.
It was about twice the size as the other ankle.
(Taken on February 7, 2008.)

She ended up needing a cast to hold the ankle in place while it healed.

Sophia with her Bright Pink Cast
At home before getting the cast off.
(Taken on February 29, 2008.)

The easiest part of that process was getting the cast removed. She was pretty fascinated with the saw and how it could cut through the cast and not her leg.

Sophia Getting Her Cast Cut Off
At the doctor's office getting the cast removed.
(Taken on February 29, 2008.)

The second time she was hurt - perhaps more startled than hurt - was when she fell off a horse that spooked. She was in a therapeutic horseback riding program to help with Sensory Integration Disorder. Someone clapped loudly and for some reason a normally calm horse panicked.

Sophia Trotting at River Valley Riders
Sophia trotting on a horse at one of the 
therapeutic horseback riding programs.
This isn't the horse that spooked, it was another one.
(Taken on September 10, 2007.)

By the time she came home, she was fine. It didn't deter her from enjoying riding or equestrian vaulting. She still enjoys both activities.

The third - and most serious issue - came in 2009 when Sophia was having serious pain in her abdomen area. We went to the emergency room that evening. The doctor didn't do any x-rays. He just said to come back if the pain was worse in the morning.

By the next morning - around 4:30 a.m. - Sophia was doubled over and said her stomach really hurt. I took her immediately to the emergency room and insisted that an x-ray or some type of test be done to determine what was going on. They gave her a CT scan which showed that her appendix needed to be removed.

By 8:30 a.m., she was having surgery. After surgery, the doctor (a different one than the one who didn't do any x-rays the night before) said that her appendix was four times as large as it should have been. Had she not come in when she did and had surgery, her appendix would have burst. That would have been substantially worse.

Sophia's Hand with IV
Sophia's hand after surgery.
(Taken on November 20, 2009.)

It took awhile to recover from the surgery, but she is much better today. The only reminder is a scar.

So, seeing my daughters in any type of pain - either from an injury, accident, or medical condition - is definitely the hardest part of parenting for me.

2 comments:

Nicole GF said...

I agree. It is so hard to see your little one in pain. As a parent, we want to protect them from anything that causes pain and hardship.

Kelsey said...

I can imagine how hard that must have been to see her in such severe pain. With all my kidney stone/abdominal issues, I get abdominal pain all the time, and it is a tough thing to put a diagnosis on. I'm glad she recovered well! It can only make us stronger!