4th Foot/Ankle Surgery by Parker

As I am writing this, I am less than 24 hours away from my 4^th foot/ankle surgery. I am actually excited for this surgery because last year I had the same surgery on my other ankle; and since then I have been walking more. So, I know this will help, but part of me can’t help but be a little nervous. However, I am not nervous about the surgery but what I am nervous about is the recovery.

The recovery for this will be anywhere from 2-4 months. I will probably have a cast on for about a month, then a boot for another month after that. Next, I will have a brace that goes up to just about my knee for a month, then one that just goes above my ankle for another month after that. Meanwhile, during this whole process, I will be doing physical therapy. The part that is the most annoying to me is having to shower with a cast. Luckily, I have done this before so I know what I’m getting into.

So I sit here thinking to myself, how am I going to do this?  The first thing that comes to my mind is one of my best friends in the whole world, Kristen (Kmac), and how she is the strongest person in the world. If you didn’t know, Kmac ended up paralyzed due to her arthritis. Now she lives her life in a wheelchair. But that wheelchair doesn’t hold her back. Kristen still lives her life to the fullest whilst being completely independent. But the reason that Kmac is the first person to come to mind is because of something that she said to me earlier this year at the Houston arthritis conference. What she told me was that before she was paralyzed, she was in constant pain but at least she was able to walk; and now that she can’t walk, she isn’t in constant pain. It was what she said next that truly inspired me. She said that she would go back to being in constant pain if that meant she could walk again. So for the rest of that trip, I refused to use my wheelchair when I was with her (which was all the time), because I felt that since I do have the ability to walk; I should use it no matter how much pain it caused me. On the last day of the trip, Kristen came up to me and told me that she was so impressed that I walked the whole trip even though it caused me to be in immense pain, which meant the world to me. She then said that she wanted me to use my wheelchair that day. So I did and that trip made me realize that I am capable of far more than I realize.

The next week I went to camp to be a counselor and I decided that I wouldn’t use my wheelchair for the whole week. And you know what I did? That week I may have had to take extra meds but I walked a total of 60,000 steps. That was even more than my dad had walked that week. So at the end of the day, I want to thank Kristen for giving me the strength to get through this upcoming surgery tomorrow. And to you, Kristen, if you are reading this, in my eyes you are the strongest person in the world; so keep fighting and I love you girl.

Happy JA Awareness Month

 

Juvenile Arthritis Awareness month has officially begun…The years seem to loop back around quickly and I feel a little bit like a broken record; but we desperately need a cure.  We have been a little quiet lately, not knowing what the future holds, trying to make big decisions, and wishing there was really big progress around the corner.  Parker has been in, what feels like, a holding pattern.  Every month, when we refill his cosentyx (now on for nearly 6 months), they ask if symptoms are improving, getting worse, or staying the same…I say staying the same.  They say great.  And then I say but same is not great…it doesn’t seem to have helped him yet.  He is also on Rasuvo (auto inject methotrexate)…but that darn med makes his leg go numb, so we don’t know how much longer he is going to use it.  Docs, nurses, and pharmacists all say that is not one of the side effects…I beg to differ because, at least for Parker, it is. (And by the way, he tried the other auto inject of otrexup and the numbness was even worse).

I am a little more worried these days, wondering what the internal organs are doing.  He has had many issues since my last blog post.  Gastrointestinal issues (possible crohns, but meds might be masking it), Kidney stone that had to be blasted out, many flares with fevers and rashes, the never ending battle of pain, adrenal crisis twice, possible dysautonomia flares, and the need for a re-do on this right foot/ankle/tibia.  He now has surgery scheduled for August 28.  The surgeon will be fusing that foot like his left, with 3 bolts.

Through it all, Parker fights with his driven spirit and is balancing these not-so-fun medical issues with real fun.  He is part of a large campaign that will launch later this month (yes, that’s a little teaser); he was selected to be a “Leader in Training” (LIT) at Camp Boggy Creek for cancer week; and he is gearing up for his first year at the JA Conference as a “young adult”…Yes folks, he is turning 18 on August 5.  I still can’t believe my kids are now both adults.

Our Strong Kid is WALKING!

We are a little overdue for an update.  There has just been so much going on.  I finally have a brief moment to share.  We have INCREDIBLE news for those of you who have not heard yet.  Parker's right foot is stable and he doesn't need the fusion surgery on that side too.  Everything that the docs at the other hospital had concerns about were related to his previous reconstructive surgery.  The heal concern was where the surgeon had rebuilt his heal structure and the place they thought was disintegrating was where a pin had been removed and left an open space (still healing).  This is a huge relief to all of us and especially Parker.

Our Jiffy Popcorn head going into surgery.

Also, last Wednesday, Parker had the spinal nerve stimulator trial surgery.  The surgery went well.  Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be helping his pain, so we will continue onward.   The doc will remove it this week.  We know that Parker is completely disappointed, as he had hoped that this would be his ticket to get off narcotics.  But patience has definitely become a virtue he possesses and is applying once again.  We will continue to hunt for a pain solution.

Working hard at PT.

In the meantime, we are revving up for the big walk.  Parker is planning on "walking the walk"...this is huge.  He has worked so hard to get those feet, ankles, and legs working again.  He is going to stand tall as the National Walk Honoree this year!  His focus and determination has been remarkable to witness.  And we cannot wait to see all of you who can join us on May 7th and walk beside our kiddo.  There is still time to sign up for our team:  Click here to link to our walk page

And thank you to all who have donated to our team!  We are blown away by the support and it is heartwarming to see such love surrounding us.

Finally, we are counting down the days until Logan comes home for the summer.  He has completed his first year at UF and we are so very proud of his accomplishment.  His JA was a little mean to him in the beginning and with a little med adjustment and balancing of physical activity, he has been doing great!   We can't wait to have both our boys home for the summer.

Parker left this little bit of HOPE in my garden to surprise me!

Right Foot, Left Foot..No Good Feet

We have this kid who never gives up no matter what…Parker’s body doesn’t seem to have the same drive as his spirit does.  All my hopes and prayers are for his continued strength and healing.  For the past three weeks it seems that he has been having more and more increased pain in his back, neck, and jaws.  We have adjusted meds but it is not helping.

Tomorrow we are going up to Shands Hospital.  He has a late set of MRIs for his jaw and SI-joints in his lower back.  Back in November his SI joint MRI revealed huge amounts of swelling.  He had them injected with cortisone and has been taking meds that target this area, but the pain is intensifying.  I can’t remember the last time he hasn’t woken in the middle of the night due to pain.

And back in 2011, he had jaw issues and there were some issues on that MRI but the jaw has been fairly quiet until now.  So his doc is concerned that one of his overlapping conditions might be contributing to these flares since it is not common to have SI involvement in kiddos with systemic JA.  I actually giggle when I hear “not common”…like a nervous laugh…because nothing seems common with Parker.

Today a dear friend shared with me that her heart broke seeing Parker struggle through the family walk kick-off last weekend.  He came in his wheelchair and rested his head on the table as he slept through the entire event. Then, he asked to leave without even lunch nor going through the museum.  She said she always sees Parker smiling but he wasn’t last Saturday…and it so choked me up.  He wants to be present and a part of social interactions but he just cannot seem to maintain. 

He had a friend over this past weekend to play video games (a great pain distraction by the way) and after less than an hour he came out and said he just can’t do it anymore and needed to rest.  It is clear to Michael and I that something is not right and we are so fearful of what the labs and MRI will show.  The doc has said to pack our bags because she will likely need to admit him on Friday. 

The last few rounds of PT have been literally torture for him…and yet he doesn’t give up as tears stream out the corners of his eyes.  The PT checked his right foot (the one that he didn’t have this last surgery on) and he was manipulating it in a way it should not move and then advised me to call the doc because it could mean that the cadaver bone that was put in his foot back in March 2015 may have also been rejected and absorbed into the body because it was feeling like it wasn’t’ there.  It just breaks my heart beyond words at the thought that Parker might have to get his right foot/ankle fused too.  So we asked the doc to also set up an x-ray for tomorrow since we will be at radiology anyway. 

I am literally choking back tears for my kiddo.  I pray for understanding where there is no way I can comprehend what is happening over and over to my sweet kid.  This disease has literally taken his childhood from him and he knows it.  And yet, somehow he carries himself around each day on those horrible feet and ankles sharing his smile with the world and comforting others.

We will continue to fight with all our might for him and for funding for a cure.  We must because it is the one positive thing we can do.  Please know that we so appreciate every text, the sweet cards of encouragement many of you send to Parker, and every single penny donated to his walk team.  There are so many kids that need all of our support.

I will continue to update on Facebook as I can this weekend.  And I will try to update the blog too to keep everyone up to speed.  Just please continue to shower us with prayers, love, hope, and strength.

 And if you want to help, just click on the “want to help” tab at the top of our blog.  Much gratitude and love.

Entering Back Into the Real World: A Quick Update on Parker

Since Parker’s surgery, on March 2, on his legs, ankles, and feet, it is officially confirmed that Parker is OUR HERO and absolutely stronger than he ever thought he could be.   Tomorrow will be his first outing out of the house and we will be going to the doc to get his casts on.  Once the casts are on, then he can go back to school.  So, he is going to try go back on Friday to take the state writing test; since the deadline is Friday.

He is progressing but definitely has a very long way to go.  Last night was the first night that he didn't call over the “walkie talkie” for help.  Michael had a meeting with his pain management doctor yesterday morning and conference called me in on the phone and we are adjusting Parker’s meds to hopefully help him out.  The struggle has been the shooting pain, some minor bleeding at the pin-sites, numbness, and muscle cramps.  And even though he had a fever yesterday, we think it was more JA related than surgical…so we are incredibly thankful that there hasn't been infection.

We will try to update more this weekend.  For now, we thank everyone for the out-pour of love and we ask that all of you please either sign-up to walk with us on May 2 (it’s free to register) and/or please consider making a donation in honor of Parker and Logan.  Click here to get to the walk page.  Time has slipped away from us and the walk is just over a month away; so we need to get our team together very soon so we can make our shirt order.  We are forever grateful!

Much love,

The Lentini Family

P.S.  There is one more picture below so if you are skirmish and don't want to see a bruised up foot and a pin poking out, don't scroll down .

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Surgery is Done...Now for a Whole New Kind of Torture Full of LOVE

In Pre-Op

Never ever did I imagine my life would take me on this journey…All my life, I have wanted to work with children with disabilities…but never did I think I would have children with disability…I have dreamed of becoming a mother…but never did I believe I would be the mother of two children with chronic illness.  I have hoped to marry a loving, caring husband, but never could I imagine I would partner with the most amazing individual with incredible amounts of love and he shares it all with me and our two beautiful boys; and still he has love to spare.

Some days my brain feels like its on overload.  Today is one of those days.  Mixed feelings fill my heart, giving me a sense of emotions-on-overdrive…I just went from tough mean-mommy, to having a sense of stabbing sadness of what Parker has to endure if he wants to walk, to my heart breaking knowing that he is telling us (PT, nurse and me) the complete truth that he hurts so very bad, to knowing I must muster up that tough love and MAKE him do what he doesn’t want to do because he knows it will cause more and more pain…  I had to make him put those arms with flaring shoulders and wrists down and wiggle and scoot and drag those million-pound legs/feet and lift himself into his wheelchair.  Then the torture continued as we had to then get those legs off that bed and down onto the wheelchair foot rest as tears rolled down his face and “I hate you all” came out of his mouth…But… the one emotion that is emerging more than all the rest is incredible pride in the strength and bravery that Parker is enduring this…because he DID it, he really DID it with splints on his legs/feet, cadaver bones piecing him back together in alignment, and pins criss-crossing through his bones holding it all together and in place.   

I know there are many adults with RA that have had reconstruction…but we only know a few kiddos who have endured some sort of reconstructive surgery.  WOWZERS!  I am so incredibly amazed with each and every one of those kid-heroes.  What they have accomplished is a miracle.  I just watched my kiddo go from hating us to just about doing the entire transfer back into bed, with such determination, that he did most of it with his own strength and not one complaint.  The nurse was shocked!

Gram & Gramp

This hospital does not have pediatric rheumatologist; and so the medical staff rarely work with kids with juvenile arthritis.  So, to have a kid like Parker and all his complexity…well, let’s just say, that all have learned a ton this past week and they have been absolutely open to learning.  I actually really appreciate their interest and questions, verses just pretending that they “know”.  It is very refreshing and Parker feels really smart as he educates them.

So if you are reading all this…YOU are one of those really special people who care a whole lot.  We so appreciate all the out-pour of love, support and prayers we have received this week.  It truly has powered our entire family and we really needed it.  Many of you have asked how you can help…there are two ways you can help both us and children with JA.  One, our whole family is very involved with the National JA Conference this year because it is being hosted in Florida.  If you know a potential donor, in-kind sponsor, or you would like to volunteer with either prep or at the conference event, please contact us or Susan Cuellar (Florida AF office:  813-968-7000 or 1-800-850-9455 x11) and tell her you know us and how you would like to help. And two, as you may know, the walk will be this May and we would love for you to sign-up (it is free) and walk alongside our family on “Parker’s Purple Playas and Logan’s Dream Team”.  (Click here to sign up on our team.)  And of course, we also welcome donations to our walk team, too because we definitely need more research towards a cure, to send kids to camp, and to scholarship families to go to conference.

Like I said, never did I imagine that my life would take me on this journey…but it has and I am proud to say that I have become a nurse, a fundraiser, a conference planner, a JA educator, a counselor, a motivator, but most importantly…I am a wife and a mother who deeply loves my family and am so happy that there are people like you in our lives who love us too.

Parker's first post-op request was to see his brother, Logan.