Team Kylee & Hip Dysplasia Awareness

Kylee Update!

noreply@blogger.com (Corie) — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 01:16:00 +0000

Well, it's been months now since the last update and Kylee has been doing great! :D Both of her hips and legs seem to be absolutely perfect and it's been an absolute joy to all of her family and friends to see her do so well! Kylee has been having an awesome summer, going to the movies, going swimming, out and about at splash parks and having friends and family time, she had lots of fun times this summer! Here are some pics of our precious Kylee since her 2nd cast removal :

BIG NEWS! Kylee is going in for her 3rd surgery this Friday (August 3rd 2012) to get the 2 pins, 8 screws, and 2 metal plates removed from her legs and hips... We are staying positive and hopeful that this is the end of the surgeries and we are all rooting for a successful and quick recovery!

More Big News?! Kylee is also starting school this year, full day kindergarten!! Can't believe how much she's grown in the past 4 years, we are all very proud of her and hopeful that she will be good to start school in September, she is so excited and happy to go learn and make more new friends! :)

Go Kylee Go!! You got this babygirl, we are all beside you with all our love and support in everything you do!

xoxo

A HUGE THANK-YOU to everyone who is apart of Team Kylee, and for taking the time to check out our blog about her journey with hip dysplasia! She is an inspiration to us all :)

Hip Dysplasia - Ideas on keeping kids occupied

noreply@blogger.com (Corie) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:06:00 +0000

Ideas on how to keep kids occupied while they are in a spica cast -

These are things that keep Kylee entertained daily.

* Arts and crafts - the dollar store or a craft store are great places to go to for all sorts of arts and crafts supplies! The possibilities with this are endless! which is a great thing! ;)

* Colouring books, markers, crayons - stickers, stamps, paints, playdough/modeling clay, construction paper, pipe cleaners, googly eyes, feathers, foam shapes, etc..

* A countdown chart - we made one that is a countdown til Cast OFF!!! :) and everyday let the child decorate the box in with stickers :)

* DVD's - child's favourite shows or movies -

* Reading Books/Educational Books

* Puzzles

* Dolls, Cars ... toys that are easily accessible are best

* Leappad Explorer - depending on the age, i'd say children 4 and up this would be great for, you can purchase educational & fun games - There are other kinds of Vtech/Leapfrog products for younger and older ages, check out your local toystore.

*Any educational toys -anytime is a great time for them to learn!

* Having friends and family to visit

If you have any other ideas or suggestions, please comment or let us know on our facebook page : http://facebook.com/teamkylee

Kylee's 2nd Surgery

noreply@blogger.com (Corie) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:56:00 +0000

On January 23rd 2012, Kylee was brought into Sick Kids Hospital (Toronto) for her 2nd surgery to help fix her hip dysplasia.

She underwent a right hip open reduction with adductor tenotomy right hip capsulorraphy right femoral shortening and right innominate osteotomy with the application of a right hip spica for 5-7 wks.

Kylee after 2nd surgery

Kylee in recovery, daddy staring at his beautiful princess :)

Kylee a day after surgery, back at home with her cousins playing on her leappad :)

Jeremy givin' Kylee some love & kisses xo

Kylee has been at home and doing really well in the recovery process..so far, so good! :)

In the meantime, she's been at home learning how to play kids games on the Wii, and as well on the laptop and leappad...she bepen busy making crafts, artwork, learning.. playing with barbies and all her accessories, monster high dolls, lalaloopsy dolls...watching Disney movies, cartoons, and spending time with her friends and family.

We are all so very proud of Kylee, she is doing so well!

They have her scheduled to get her 2nd spica cast removed on March 13th 2012, she is already saying she doesn't want it off again, but like last time, we keep telling her it will be ok :) We all can't wait to see her without the spica cast again, and we hope that it will be her last time in one. *fingers crossed!*

Happy 4th Birthday Kylee!!

noreply@blogger.com (Corie) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Today is Kylee's 4th Birthday! Happy Birthday Kylee!!
It is also her cousin Jeremy's 3rd Birthday! Happy Birthday Jeremy!!

Lots of love & joy on your special day, you both have grown so much in the last year!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxox

Kylee's 4th Birthday Party!!

noreply@blogger.com (Corie) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:46:00 +0000

Kylee's birthday isn't until January 20th, but because she is due to have her 2nd surgery on the 23rd, her party was thrown early this year. Kylee had a great day with her friends & family, and we also had Creature Quest, which is a company here in Toronto - they bring various animals to your home(you get to choose! :) and do a show & tell type presentation with them! Kylee LOVES all sorts of animals, so we invited Creature Quest to join the festivities. It was such a fun time! :)

Postcards of all the animals that were at the party!

All the kids listening and learning :)

Awwww, Kylee

Gummy Toes :)

Kylee, Daddy & Gummy Toes!

oooooooooooooooooooh!

Kylee checkin it out!

The Scorpion!

Such an animal lover she is! :)

About to touch the tarantula...

Eeeeeeeekkkkkkkk!!! :S

Brave Lil Miss Birthday Girl!!!

Painting all sorts of wooden "creatures" together :)

The Kids having a blast with all the balloons!

Kylee & all the kids & adults had a great time, thank you to everyone who was there, and thank you Creature Quest for a fun & educational presentation! :)

The cast is off!! for now

noreply@blogger.com (Corie) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 23:05:00 +0000

Dallas, Shannon & Granny took Kylee to Sick Kids Hospital-Toronto to get her cast removed as well as x-rays taken.

Things went well, Kylee's hip is where it should be, and everything looks good :)

Kylee gets to be cast-free until January 23rd 2012, which is when her 2nd surgery will happen...
The surgery is on her cousin Jaicyn's birthday, as well as 3 days after her cousin Jeremy's birthday and her 4th birthday!! :O <3

Kylee has been doing really great! She has been doing more each day that goes by! She can get on and off her bed as well as standing for a bit by herself! WHOOOOO HOOO!! We are all so proud of you Kylee!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Anything you dream, you can achieve!" We love you so much! xoxo

Last Day Til' CAST-OFF!!!!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Corie) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 03:15:00 +0000

HIP HIP HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!! :D Tomorrow morning, Kylee is taking a trip to Sick Kids Hospital (Toronto) to get her cast taken off!!!!!!!

Kylee is scared and says she wants to keep the cast on instead *lol*, but we are reassuring her the best we can - we know she can do this! :)

We are all very hopeful that everything goes well tomorrow and that the x-rays come back good!!! *fingers crossed!*

                                       Good Luck Kylee, we love you so much! xoxoxo

   Thank you again to everyone for all the support & love!
     Lots of love to all of you xoxoxo

Must haves or helpful products for spica cast care

noreply@blogger.com (Corie) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 03:00:00 +0000

These are items that have helped us take care of Kylee & her spica cast while she is in it.

* Reclining Wheelchair - If you are going to purchase or rent any wheelchair, one that can be reclined in different positions or lay down flat should be good - definitely one that has a buckle so they can't slide out - rolled up towels also help on the sides to help prevent child sliding to one side, or a pillow near the foot so there is support.

This is Kylee's wheelchair, she loves sitting in it to do her arts & crafts

* Bean Bag Chair - A regular kind should work fine, we got one that is shaped more in a sitting up position, which hopefully will be useful when both her legs are casted.

* Maxi-Cosi stroller - This is the stroller we got for Kylee, it is great because it lays down flat, and can angle at the bottom

More info about this stroller can be found here : Maxi-Cosi Perle Stroller

* Pillows, Blankets & Towels - Fold them to help prop up the leg(s) and help keep them comfortable.

* Flashlight - Use to check inside openings of cast for sores, irritation from urine or tape, discloration, or any random crumbs that sneak in.

* Note Pad & Coloured Pens - Great to keep track of your child's progress - we used a Blue pen to write when Kylee's position was changed, what position and the time. A Red pen was used to keep track of her medicine type and dosages and time medicine was given. Black pen was for her temperature and the times it was taken.

* Castcooler or a hair dryer - A MUST-HAVE!!! The Castcooler is amazing! It truly does work the way they advertise and for us was totally worth it! A hair dryer works ok, and was used whem Kylee was scared to use the Castcooler at first(because of the vacuum suction - note: you need a vacuum for this product).

For more info on Castcooler, check out the website here : www.castcooler.com

* Tape - we tried many different kinds of tape... sports tape, gorilla tape and duct tape work for us the best - sports tape doesn't irritate - place around edges where openings are around private areas, then use duct tape and gorilla tape to hold down sports tape. Its good because the tape can be replaced when needed (ex: when it gets wet from urine)

* Washcloths, Basin or bucket for water, soapy water - Needed for sponge baths - good to keep them as clean as possible. Because the cast should not get wet, you can use towels or plastic bags to cover places you don't want getting wet.

* Diapers or Underwear/Light Pajama Shorts/Leg Warmers - In the beginning, after the surgery - diapers are basically the way to go...especially as they are first recovering. Kylee, because she is older and was already potty trained, prefers to use the toilet, we hold her on an angle and it works - shorts are great as they are not too tight and are easy to remove in a hurry for a bathroom trip.

Clothes - We use shorts, tights or bigger sized pants and they fit over the cast. For shirts, the sizes 4/5 wear fine on Kylee(almost 4yrs-size 4). Nightgowns and dresses as well work fine... as long as the clothes are loose fitting and not too tight. There are also great websites online that you can purchase clothes made specifically for children in spica casts.

* Britax Hippo Car Seat - we rent the one we have, otherwise we have to spend more to get an ambulance to get her to and from the hospital. Ask your hospital if they rent them out, or if they know where you can get or rent one.

This is the Britax Hippo Car Seat

Kylee update :)

noreply@blogger.com (Corie) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 14:23:00 +0000

Kylee is doing great, she is our lil trooper! :) She has been at home where mommy & daddy are doing a wonderful job keeping her entertained & happy as can be. They have gotten her a wheelchair so that she can sit up when she wants :)

We also have a new addition to the family, a little kitty named Scarlett!! Mommy & Daddy decided to surprise Kylee with a kitty because she absolutely loves cats, and boy was she surprised!! Here is the video of when she was surprised with a kitty!!! :)

Kylee is picky about pictures being taken right now sometimes she's ok with it, sometimes not lol, but here are a couple Shannon took :)

Kylee has been at home since her surgery, and in a few days the 1st cast is going to be taken off...Kylee has been saying to everyone that she doesn't want the cast off LOL it's not going to hurt, but for a little one, of course it's a scary thing - so we are trying to help her understand that it will be ok to get it off :)

Kylee has fun with mom during the day, they have lots of fun doing arts & crafts, or playing lots of different games...sometimes a movie and some snacks keep her occupied for a bit while mommy cleans around the house...Or we end up playing Rapunzel, Monster high or barbies :)

She has had lots of fun even though she has been stuck in her cast, and now is such a wiggleworm, sliding her way around on the floor and even tries to crawl around!! lol its crazy to see her do it, and scary(auntie corie thinks so anyways) but it makes me happy to see how great she is doing.

A few more days to go and the 1st cast comes OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! whoooot whooooot! ;)

WE LOVE YOU KYLEE!!! XOXO

Surgery Day

noreply@blogger.com (Corie) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 14:22:00 +0000

The day of Kylee's surgery was definitely a tough day for the family...We had a long day of waiting, but thankfully - Our girl's surgery went great and she did SO well in recovery! It was 2 days before we she even cracked a smile though, it was sad :(

Kylee resting & daddy holding her hand

The doctors at Sick Kids had forgotten to give her antibiotics to help fight off any infections, so the first few days were tougher than normal due to worrying about her getting an infection-luckily things continued on fine, no infection. WHEW!

-Kylee 3 days after surgery -

Dallas and Shannon had to use an ambulance service to get her home from Sick Kids, but have since decided to rent a special Britax Hippo Car seat for any future trips necessary.

When Kylee came home from the hospital, she went home to a living room FILLED with all sorts of balloons! and pretty decorations! The first few days out of the hospital were rough, but thankfully she never had too much pain or any complications - she is doing so great now, we are all so very proud of her!!

Thank you to everyone who has shown support, or have sent their love, we appreciate it so much!

Surgery Day For Kylee :(

noreply@blogger.com (Corie) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:26:00 +0000

The family is sitting at sick kids hospital waiting for our lil misses' surgery to start.. All of our hearts are breaking just thinking about it but we are all here together hoping for the best... We love you babygirl!!!!!!! Xoxoxoxoxox - auntie corie

SURGERY DISCHARGE SUMMARY

3 year old girl with bilateral hip dysplasia and dislocations. Otherwise well. She has bilateral trendelenburg gait and significantly reduced abduction on physical at clinic, and x-rays reveal bilateral hip dislocations.

She was admitted for a staged procedure of reduction of her hips on Oct 17th 2011. She had a left hip open reduction, capsulorraphy, proximal femoral shortening osteotomy, and innominate osteotomy on Oct 17th 2011.

She did well. Her hip reduced concentrically. She was immobilized in a spica cast post-op.

She can be activity as tolerated in her spica as long as she does not weight bear. She will have the cast off in 7-8 week in in Dr.Wedge's clinic with x-rays.

SPREAD AWARENESS & LEARN ABOUT HIP DYSPLASIA!

Procedure:

Pictures of Lil Miss

noreply@blogger.com (Corie) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 19:42:00 +0000

Kylee was born January 20th 2008
1st child - female

Our Precious Kylee-Bum

LIL MISS BEAUTIFUL!

Learning to walk ♥

Strawberry Pickin' ♥

Rockin Babygirl ♥

* KYLEE APRIL *

Enjoying the snow outside :)

Kylee & Mommy having fun!
Kylee & Daddy! Kylee having fun at the waterpark! Swingin' away at the park :)

Contact Us

noreply@blogger.com (Corie) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:23:00 +0000

We are Team Kylee, family & friends of Kylee(3 1/2) who we recently learned has hip dysplasia. Our mission is to bring awareness to hip dysplasia, as well as keep people updated on Kylee's journey through surgeries, spica casts & everyday life. We hope that sharing our experiences with hip dysplasia helps people learn about it, or helps other parents who have children who are dealing with this as well. Please feel free to contact us anytime.
We truly thank everyone for their support & love.

Email: teamkyleehda@gmail.com

Facebook: Team Kylee & Hip Dysplasia Awareness

Hygiene Tips for older child in spica cast

noreply@blogger.com (Corie) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:56:00 +0000

Tips and information on how to keep an older child in a spica cast clean :) Thanks to Steps Charity & these wonderful people that share these great tips.

Keeping an older child entertained while in a spica cast

noreply@blogger.com (Corie) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:52:00 +0000

Great ideas on how to keep your older child entertained at play while in a spica cast. Thank you so much Steps Charity & the families who share their stories.

Mobility Tips for older child in spica cast

noreply@blogger.com (Corie) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:45:00 +0000

Ways to help your older child be mobile outdoors while in a hip spica cast. Thank you to Steps Charity & the parents in the video.

Car Seat Ideas for Older Child in Spica Cast

noreply@blogger.com (Corie) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:42:00 +0000

Ideas on how to transport your older child who is in a hip spica cast. Thank you to Steps Charity & the people who share their stories & tips.

Older Child in Hip Spica Toilet Ideas/Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Corie) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:34:00 +0000

An informative video on ideas and tips on how to help your older child in a hip spica cast with their toilet issues. Thanks to Steps Charity & the parents in the video for all the valuable information.

Spica Cast Care Tips(video)

noreply@blogger.com (Corie) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:25:00 +0000

Videos that show examples on how to keep a spica cast clean and dry. Thank you to Steps Charity & the parents in these videos for these great tips & ideas.

How a child is fitted with a Spica Cast

noreply@blogger.com (Corie) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:19:00 +0000

This is an example of how they put a spica cast on a child after a hip reduction surgery.

How to Hip-Healthy Swaddle Your Baby

noreply@blogger.com (Corie) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 23:52:00 +0000

Are you swaddling your baby properly?

Improper swaddling may lead to hip dysplasia. When in the womb the baby's legs are in a fetal position with the legs bent up and across each other. Sudden straightening of the legs to a standing position can loosen the joints and damage the soft cartilage of the socket.

Dr. Price, from the International Hip Dysplasia Institute (IHDI), explains why special attention should be paid to how your baby is swaddled to prevent hip dysplasia, and multiple hip-healthy swaddling methods are demonstrated.

For further information on hip-healthy swaddling and how to prevent hip dysplasia please visit:
http://www.hipdysplasia.org/Developmental-Dysplasia-Of-The-Hip/Hip-Healthy-Swaddling/default.aspx

*Thank you to IDHI for the very accurate and valuable information :) *

About Hip Dysplasia

noreply@blogger.com (Corie) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 23:42:00 +0000

This is a video from Dr. Charles T. Price, Director of the International Hip Dysplasia Institute, answers the following questions about what hip dysplasia is and how it's treated in infants, babies, and young children:

What is hip dysplasia?
Is there a difference between hip dysplasia in newborn babies and dogs?
Who is at risk for hip dysplasia?
What can cause hip dysplasia?
What is a hip click?
What happens if you detect a hip click?
What is the treatment for hip dysplasia?
What treatment options are available for mild forms of hip dysplasia?
What happens if harness treatment doesn't help?
What happens if surgery is required for hip dysplasia?
What happens if surgery isn't successful?
What happens if hip dysplasia is diagnosed at a later age?
Can hip dysplasia be misdiagnosed?
Is hip dysplasia more common in certain cultures?

For more information about hip dysplasia please visit : www.hipdysplasia.org

The International Hip Dysplasia Institute is a non-for-profit effort to improve the health and quality of life of those afflicted with hip dysplasia.

Team Kylee is extremely grateful the International Hip Dysplasia Institute exists, please consider making a donation to help them in their journey to spread the word about Hip Dysplasia. Thank you so much!

Who is Kylee?

noreply@blogger.com (Corie) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 01:19:00 +0000

Kylee is a 3 1/2 year old girl who loves cats, animals of all kinds, as well as her family and friends. Kylee loves to sing, watch movies, play with her cousins and friends, jump on the trampoline, and go on all sorts of fun adventures with her mommy, daddy & family. She is sweet, loving, funny, and is very smart. Everyone loves Kylee :)

Ollie, Buffy & Kylee - These are Kylee's dogs :)

This is Kylee & Davy-Boy, Kylee's Bearded Dragon :)

find us on facebook

noreply@blogger.com (Corie) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 17:02:00 +0000

Team Kylee & Hip Dysplasia Awareness On Facebook

We want to spread the word about Hip Dysplasia & also share our story of Kylee's journey throughout surgeries, recovering, and just everyday life. Team Kylee was created for family, friends & anyone wanting to show support. Feel free to like our page or invite others, the more people who like the page, the more people are aware of Hip Dysplasia.

Thank you so much to everyone for the support & love, it is greatly appreciated. xoxo

Team Kylee

noreply@blogger.com (Corie) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:55:00 +0000

Hi Everyone, on behalf of Dallas & Shannon, we are creating Team Kylee for support, love, well-wishes for Kylee ♥ & to help bring awareness to Hip Dysplasia.

We recently learned that Kylee (3 1/2yrs old) has Hip Dysplasia, basically both her hips are dislocated and she will be undergoing multiple surgeries to make her "boo-boo's" better. Her 1st surgery is scheduled for October 17th.. #Team Kylee is for anyone who wants to show their love & support, write well wishes or find updates on how Kylee is doing. Thank you so much for your support, TEAM KYLEE ♥